1926 Ford Model T Speedster

On October 9th this car will be featured on our stand at the wonderful Bicester Sunday Scramble. Why not take the opportunity to view the car and meet the team!

Built by the legendary hot-rod racing driver and mechanic Vic Sala, this incredible 1926 Ford Model T Speedster features a dream list of components. However, when you consider that Vic built and later restored the Mercury Speedster that now sits in the Smith Collection Museum and is a member of the Model T 'Hall of Fame', that’s not a surprise.

The seller tells us that the previous UK owner had it for a decade, importing it from the ‘States after wooing its American owner for 18 months before he managed to persuade him to sell it.

Minimal and beautifully finished, this two-seater Model T Speedster ticks all the right boxes – and it’s so beautiful, it’ll be a piece of automotive art for you to admire in your garage when you’re not driving it.

The colour is close to French Racing Blue and the Model T’s aesthetic is all the better for being contrasted by contrasting black to the leading edge of the bonnet and a set of lovely red 16-inch Jaguar wheels.

These are in good shape and are connected to the chassis via period Chevrolet hubs and spindles. They’re also shod with matching Goodyear Deluxe All Weather tyres.

There are no wings, bumpers, or a roof but then this is a Californian hot rod, so you weren’t expecting anything even vaguely practical, were you?

What you do get is beauty. And attention to detail. And the sort of utterly-fit-for-purpose design that only comes with a lifetime’s experience of racing and building cars like this. It’s minimal but never at the expense of aesthetics; this is a car that was designed from the ground up to be as good to look at as it is to race.

Which means you get stuff like the Gilmore Blu-Green Gasoline decals that adorn both sides and twin folding aero-screens to give at least a semblance of protection for the driver and passenger.

A Boyce MotoMeter sits atop the imposing radiator, which is, in turn, flanked by a pair of vintage headlamps to light your way.

Fuel comes from a beautifully fashioned cylindrical fuel tank mounted out back complete with a Ford Gasoline Gauge to tell you how much petrol you’ve got left.

There’s a single rear Duolight too, plus those wonderfully exposed adjustment handles for the Hartford adjustable dampers.

A leather strap holds the rudimentary bonnet down and no item better sums up the fanatical attention to detail in this build than the spring that tensions it.

Lightly patinated with the sort of wear that comes from racing at events like Pendine Sands, it really is all very, very lovely.

It’s hard to see where the exterior ends and the interior starts but let’s try, shall we?

The cockpit is as purposeful and exquisitely designed as the exterior, seamlessly blending function and whimsey to brilliant effect. Take, for example, the eight-ball gearknob that sits alongside hand-written labelling for the on/off switch.

A huge steering wheel sits in front of the two leather bucket seats, and a plaque on the dashboard confirms the car’s status as one built by Vic Sala.

There’s a hand throttle too, plus oil pressure and vacuum gauges, and a tachometer. A choke too, plus a pump to keep your fuel pressure up, something your passenger can monitor and attend to using the fuel pressure gauge that sits centrally.

A simple black rubber mat covers the floor and there’s a floor-mounted gearchange plus an exterior handbrake and a button for the Klaxon horn, and, er, well, that’s it.

The interior is patinated but still utterly delightful – and anyway, cars like this win awards and races because of what they are and how they’ve been built rather than how well they’ve been polished or how clean their tyre treads are…

The four-cylinder Speedster’s mechanical specification is on point and includes a Sherman Spitfire cylinder head, a Model A crankshaft and connecting rods, a Winfield camshaft and SR downdraft carburettor, and Ross Racing pistons.

Winfield also provided a 1929 Ford adjustable steering setup, while the rear hydraulic brakes (the shortened wheelbase means there are no front brakes) came from a 1939 Ford.

A 1937 Chevy provided the three-speed transmission, which is linked to the engine via a Jurbo 400 Clutch. The adjustable dampers are by Hartford and a 1925 Whippet donated its radiator to keep things cool.

The exhaust is wrapped, an engineering flourish which, like so much of the rest of the car, does double duty because it’s practical and looks terrific.

The underside shows copper piping and plywood and lots of mechanical joints and linkages – plus the odd oil leak. It’s resolutely analogue and that’s a cause for joy because everything can be repaired and replaced using simple hand tools and if a part isn’t available off the shelf (and we bet it probably is because few motorsport vehicles are as well supported as vintage hot rods) then your mate with the lathe can probably make it.

As you can see, there’s a knack to starting it but it’s straightforward if you follow the instructions that come with the car. Once the fuel tank has been pressurised, it starts beautifully and revs and ticksover as it should.

That it is an absolute riot to drive doesn’t need saying, does it? The seller tells us that “it flies along and sounds like a World War One fighter”, adding that it has “an awful lot of torque”.

The Ford comes with a specification sheet, the aforementioned guide to starting it, a current V5 registration document, and a photo album documenting its build.

Cars like this appeal to a small but discerning market, folk who appreciate engineering and heritage and the ability to drive fast. Folk for whom a risk assessment is a self-regulated concept that balances danger against fun in a way that most of us have forgotten how to do.

The sort of people who ask “why not?” rather than “why?”.

And for this we salute them – and you, if you decide to bid because you are the sort of free-spirited soul that keeps vintage and hot rod racing alive.

As for the car’s value, we think the dust will settle somewhere between £20,000 and £30,000, at which price point we don’t think there’s a cheaper way to have so much fun – and definitely not in a car with this one’s pedigree.

There’s a very lively hot rod scene here in the UK, and we’d point you towards The National Hot Rod Association and the Vintage Hot Rod Association for more details.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.