Michigan DOT still has a century-old car in its service

We have so many modern cars these days that older cars like the Ford Model T get lost in the haze, but the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has one of the last remaining Model Ts out there still in service.

This car is over 100 years old, so nobody would expect it to run well.

Except, it does — and its task is to measure enough space for Amish buggies to mark the shoulders on Michigan roads.

That’s not a very car-like job, but that’s really all it’s good for these days.

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Driving a century-old Ford Model T in 2024

Michigan Department of Transportation

Naturally, these things aren’t meant to be taken out on the road and kept in a classic car collection.

But you’d be surprised at how many of these can actually run, albeit not in a particularly promising way.

You would have to be certain of the car’s condition before driving it.

In fact, a duo in England even took a 109-year-old Ford Model T for a 45-minute drive (one-way) and brought it back during a visit to a Ford dealership.

Since we have established that this old crone can run, what exactly is the Michigan DOT doing with one of these?

Michigan DOT gave it a special purpose

The Amish people don’t travel in regular vehicles, opting instead for a more traditional method of transport, in the form of a horse and buggy.

Since cars can easily outpace buggies, these usually travel on the roads’ shoulders.

Exceptions always exist — and this jet-powered Amish buggy is likely faster than most others in the category.

Hence, the Michigan Department of Transportation uses the Model T as a standard of measurement for these shoulder lanes so Amish buggies can travel easily.

Michigan Department of Transportation

The narrow track of a regular buggy apparently matches the width of a Model T, so they likely decided, ‘Why not?’

It’s a menial task, but putting a century-old classic to use is better than scrapping it any day.

It is if you’re a car enthusiast, anyway.

Moreover, compared to modern-day cars, you would still be far behind in a Ford Model T, so this classic also travels on the shoulders and ensures the lanes MDOT created are in line.

It’s great to see at least one of these historic vehicles still out and about after all these years.