You can call it bucket list item number 345 or what have you, but either way it was a red-letter day for your intrepid auto journalist—well, “black-letter” day may be more appropriate.

After 20-plus years spent studying and reading up on the world’s first mass-produced car, the Ford Model T, I was granted the chance to go for a ride in one. This special treat was thanks to Ford, its archives team and of course car owner Dale McDermott and driver Tom Butterworth. Butterworth is also a Model T owner, and the handful of auto scribes that were on-hand that day are indebted to him for braving the subzero temperatures of Northern Michigan and chauffeuring us about.

After the Ford Model T’s release in 1908 up to its production end in 1927, almost 15 million units were produced. To quote Henry Ford, the Model T was available “in any colour, as long as it’s black,” hence the need for an adjustment to the red-to-black adage above.

Why old car photos always seem to feature drivers and passengers dressed in all manner of body-warming garb may seem obvious, you have to ask: did they only drive in the winter in the ‘20s? The photos sure suggest that they did. Take a ride in a Model T, however, and you’ll see what those artists were on about, even if they did add a flowing scarf or two by their own accord to convey a better sense of romance and speed.

It comes from all angles; the front, sides, rear—everywhere and it’s relentless, even though we were only cruising at parking lot speeds. After my ride, I can now understand those photos, because this was an all-out assault on my cold-weather sensors.

But it didn’t matter. The ride was all that I hoped it would be, and in fact, once you got past the wind buffeting it was a surprisingly supple and comfortable ride even though you’re riding on a set of 30-inch rims. Take that, modern cars!

The seats may be small, but the diamond tufted leather is actually comfortable. The leaf springs took us through bumps with nowhere near the bounce I thought we’d feel, although we had our slow speed to thank for that. 

Being an auto journalist, I’m a gearhead and so the way the car was driven was a sight to behold in itself. There are three pedals, but they don’t do what you’d expect; they’re in fact for low-gear, high-gear and neutral. There are steering column-mounted stalks, but one of these is the throttle, the other the spark advance for the ignition. That thing that looks like it could be the gear lever? That’s the brake. 

Really, when you think about it, the only thing that does what it looks like it’s supposed to do is the wooden steering wheel. That works as advertised.