While the common image of the Model T is as an unchanging and rather droll vehicle, in its early years the “Tin Lizzie” was offered in not inconsiderable variety and in some rather exciting guises. In 1911, for instance, the Ford line included no fewer than three different two-passenger Runabout configurations, including the standard Runabout two-seater with individual seats, the Torpedo Runabout with doors, and the Open Runabout with a flat two-passenger bench seat, the latter quite a rakish vehicle by any standard and, with the brass trim then in use, rather dressy as well.

The Open Runabout offered here was acquired by Clive and Janet Cussler in 2012 from the well-regarded Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks, Alaska, known for its impressive collection of rare pre-war American automobiles; it had been purchased by the museum in 2008. Reportedly the restoration had been completed a year prior, and it still presents in extremely beautiful order throughout, with excellent cosmetic finishes clearly visible and only very minor signs of use. The body is finished in blue with French Gray striping and diamond-tufted upholstery, and equipped with a Heinze ignition coil box, brass Ford script E&J 666 headlamps and side lamps, “double-twist” horn, and a running board-mounted gas generator; all rides on natural rubber tires. Other fitments include an electric starter and a Ruckstell 3:1 rear axle, both common additions in-period that allow for easier usability on today’s streets.

Undoubtedly one of the most spirited Model Ts on the market today, this car has wonderful provenance from within great collections and terrific styling, while also benefiting from the notoriously excellent parts and information availability common to the model. It deserves to stand proudly within any stable of fine American cars—and none that does not include a fine Model T can ever be called complete.