This model represents a 1917 Ford Model T–based tracked prototype evaluated by the U.S. Army during World War I. As America prepared to enter the war, the Army explored a wide range of experimental vehicles in an effort to understand armored warfare, an entirely new concept shaped largely by British and French experience on the Western Front.
Henry Ford’s Model T, already proven as a rugged and reliable automobile, became a natural test platform. Engineers adapted the basic chassis by fitting tracked running gear in place of conventional wheels, hoping to create a lightweight, mechanically simple vehicle capable of traversing mud, shell craters, and broken terrain. These early experiments were not true tanks in the modern sense, lacking armor and armament, but they represented an important stepping stone toward mechanized warfare.
In U.S. Army field trials, the tracked Model T demonstrated both promise and limitations. While its simplicity and ease of manufacture aligned with Ford’s industrial philosophy, the vehicle struggled with durability, traction under load, and overall military practicality. Ultimately, the Army determined that purpose-built armored vehicles were required, and attention shifted toward designs influenced by European tanks.
Although the tracked Model T never entered service, it played a role in shaping American thinking about mobility, mass production, and military vehicle design. These experiments helped lay the groundwork for later U.S. armored development in the interwar period.
This is a 1/35 scale Vargas resin model, depicting the experimental tracked configuration tested by the U.S. Army in 1917. The model captures a brief but fascinating moment when America’s most famous automobile was pressed into service at the dawn of armored warfare.
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