Ford Model T climbs Ben Nevis: Ford Heritage Images

Ford Model T climbs Ben Nevis in 1911 (click for full size image)

When the good Mr Clarkson decided Top Gear should do a piece about a Land Rover Discovery using its incredible off-road abilities to climb a mountain in Scotland we were all astonished that – despite a couple of hiccups on the way – he managed to get one of Land Rover’s finest up a mountain where cars were never designed to go.

What’s even more astonishing is that Ford managed to do the same 100 years go, but they used a standard Model T and choose Britain’s tallest mountain – Ben Nevis – for the stunt.

The 20 horsepower Model T was driven up Ben Nevis as a publicity stunt for Ford’s agent in Edinburgh. Henry Alexander jr – the son of the owner – took ten days to prepare the route to the halfway point with bridging planks. It then took three days to drive the car to the prepared halfway point, and a further two days to tackle the snow and stones on the way to the observatory at the top.

Just as with Jezza’s jaunt, the Model T got bogged down a couple of times en-route and had to be dragged out by rope. But Henry made it to the top and back down again to a hero’s welcome in Fort William. A quick adjustment of the brakes was all that was needed to get the Model T back on the road after its jaunt to the top of Ben Nevis, and Henry drove it back home to Edinburgh.

Quite an achievement.

By Cars UK