Report: Fords now guzzle more gas than Model T

Reuters ^ | Wednesday, June 4, 2003

[presidio9]

The Sierra Club, a leading U.S. environmentalist group, plans to run advertisements criticizing Ford Motor Co. for making vehicles that are less fuel-efficient now -- on its 100th birthday -- than when it began.

The ads, scheduled to run in The New York Times and BusinessWeek, note that the Model T got 25 miles to the gallon nearly a century ago. The headline reads, "1903-2003 A Century of Innovation ... except at Ford." Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford's average vehicle now gets 22.6 miles per gallon, with its popular Explorer sports utility vehicle getting 16 miles per gallon, according to the Sierra Club ad.

[RS]

This will be fun... I expect to see rebuttle ads that pick them apart point by point.

[banjo joe]

F150 4x4 ping

[job]

This is kind of an idiotic post. I am sure the model T got 25 miles to the gallon, with its top speed of 65 miles per hour, and its 45 horsepower. Quarter mile in 27 seconds.

[from occupied ga]

The Sierra Club, a leading U.S. environmentalist group

The Sierra Club hasn't been an environmental group for decades. They're just envy driven marxists now.

[Leisler]

Envrio shakedown of Ford. The Ford kid running Ford is a Greenie and will feel guilty and cut a check.

[NYFriend]

And motorcycles get better milage than cars becuase their builders embraced technology that car makers didn't. Right? Or is because cars weight 10X as much and have a larger frontal area?

I'd suspect the Model-T weight at least half as much as my Buick, and it didn't go fast enough for aerodynamics to play a role in fuel economy.

[commish]

Ford Explorer Sport Trac Bump!

Sierra Club is wrong!! My sport Trac gets 15.8 MPG not 16 -- nyah nyah nyah!!!!

[pcx99]

Hmmm the new mpg (in the same ballpark) now sports much heavier cars, power steering, power breaks, air conditioners, power seats, windows, hundred watt stereos, cell phones, and a host of other accessories and add ons. I'm sure if we stripped off the safety equipment, power steering and breaks and air conditioners (Not even barbara streisand will go without airconditioning!) we could get better gas milage, but who would want to?

Oh lets not forget some of that mpg is going into clean air systems too.

Didn't bush say we're moving to a hydrogen economy anyway sometime in the next 25 years? I think that was part of his state of the union.

[billbears]

Dodge Hemi with 11.8 mpg and Ford Mustang with 11.8 mpg bump!! 16 mpg? I wish!

[sticker]

What was the emission output then vs. now?

[stainlessbanner]

That thang gotta Hemi? < grin >

[dighton]

Ford Model T FAQ

How many horsepower does a Model T engine have?

Up until 1926 Model T engines were about 20 horse power. For 1926/27 the horsepower was reduced by lowering the compression to compensate for lower octane fuels available at that time. This really slowed the newer cars down since they were also putting on weight due to the all steel body construction for these model years.

How fast can a Model T go?

A production Model T can reach more than 30 miles per hour on an good road. Enclosed cars are much heavier and can't go quite as fast as an open runabout. In the early twenties Ford was racing cars based on the Model T at Indianapolis at over 100 miles per hour -- a scary thought for anyone that has ever driven a Model T.

[davisfh]

I drive an F-250 Super Duty Diesel. I have no desire to
drive a Model T or anything resembling a T. I use the 250
for towing a travel trailer and I can't imagine doing that
with any sort of hybrid or other low power vehicle.

[aardvark1]

“A lot of environmental messages are simply not accurate. But that’s the way we sell messages in this society. We use hype. And we use those pieces of information that sustain our position. I guess all large organizations do that.” Jerry Franklin, Professor of Forest Ecology and Ecosystem Science at the University of Washington

[kellynla]

This whole article would almost be hysterical if it were so ridiculous. Who is their right mind would drive a Model T on the freeway at 65MPH. Does the acronym DOA compute?

[biblewonk]

In the sense of getting 1 person from point A to point B the model T is more efficient but which one would you want to travel across the country in with a large family and a trailer full of luggage?

[mpreston]

The 1909 model T weighed in at 1200 lbs with that 20 hp motor. Based on my 1950's era British sports cars I suspect emissions was not too good. If I goose the Healey you better not be standing behind the exhaust. You will get little pieces of unburnt fuel.

If we could strip today's models down to 1200 lbs I would bet gas mileage would top 30 mph. But no one would buy it. Mmmmm .... then again I might. Let's see, 50's/60's body style, convertible, no comfort features like AC, electric windows, 300 watt stereo systems, etc and a modern 200 hp engine. Sounds good to me.

- Mark

[zx2dragon]

Well, they are off for many reasons. However, I do have to say that my Ford ZX2 gets between 27-30mpg.