The Ford Model T is the grandfather of all American cars. It might not have been the first of its kind, but it was the first one built for the masses. It was one of Henry Ford's biggest pushes that helped America start down the same tracks it's traveling today. It's a car everyone knows, but not everyone knows how to drive. It predates modern driving standards, and motoring one is an alien procedure to today's drivers. Knowing that, Jay Leno thought it'd be entertaining to make his producer drive one—and he was right. Learning To Drive The Model T Jay Leno's Garage, YouTubeThe Ford Model T was built at the very beginning of the last century. The one featured in the latest entry to Leno's Garage YouTube channel is a 1925 model, making it 100 years old. At that time, cars were still a very new concept. Automakers hadn’t ironed out the basic designs yet. As such, automobiles like the Model T were built radically differently from today’s cars. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the driving controls.The modern automobile has a standardized driving experience. No matter where you are in the world, you can jump behind the wheel of any car, and the control layout will be easily understandable. That wasn’t the case back in the day. The operating systems were completely different. Before Leno could put his producer, David Swift, behind the wheel of his Model T, he had to run through a comprehensive crash course on how to control it.Jay Leno's Garage, YouTubeAt first glance, the Model T’s control interface doesn’t look too dissimilar from what we’re all familiar with. There’s a key, a couple of hand levers, three pedals, a gear shift, and a hand brake. The tricky part is that none of the controls work the way you might expect.Unlike modern vehicles, where the throttle is operated by the right pedal, here it’s controlled by a right-hand lever on the steering column. That pedal is now the brake. To the left of the throttle control lever is a timing advance lever that needs to be adjusted for starting and driving. The center pedal on the floor is the reverse pedal, and the leftmost pedal is for switching between high and low gear. The gear shift is for the two-speed differential, and while the handbrake does what you’d expect, it also throws the car into neutral. Starting the vehicle is another involved process: switching from battery power to the magneto, using a choke for the carburetor, and sometimes using the hand crank. They Don’t Build Them Like They Used To Jay Leno's Garage, YouTubeSuffice it to say, there’s a steep learning curve when putting a modern motorist behind the wheel of a Model T. Despite that, Swift does surprisingly well. He and Leno drive the car almost seamlessly alongside modern traffic. While he had a few minor hiccups at first, he handled it masterfully after a few miles. The fact that this car still runs and maneuvers on today’s streets goes to show that the Ford Motor Company really put together an amazing machine all those years ago. Just don’t expect it to keep up at highway speeds.
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