I had heard rumours of the existence of a large six cylinder engine in the Tea Gardens District in the mid-1990's and with my curiosity aroused I set about trying to locate it, and I eventually found it under shelter at a disused saw mill. It had already been "identified" by a Veteran Car Club member who had been shown photographs of it, as a German-made marine engine - a possibility which I dismissed in view of the fact that this engine had UNC threads which of course indicated U.S. manufacture.

It wasn't long before I'd managed to identify this engine with its individual cylinder blocks and engine number "K-2" as a 1906 Model "K" Ford. I purchased it, and set about purchasing other "K" parts in the U.S., and Canada, with the intention of restoring it.

I was informed by "K" enthusiasts in the U.S. that what I'd found were the only "K" parts ever found outside the United States, and the only substantial "K" remains to have been found since 1959. It was not only the oldest six cylinder Ford engine in existence, but it was also the oldest American built six-cylinder engine known to exist in the world!

I learned that the car from which my engine came, was purchased in New York by a visiting Australian named William Longworth, who had extensive interests in copper mining at Cobar. Mr Longworth retired to Sawyer's Point, (Now called Karuah) shortly afterwards, and he lived in a large Victorian style home, which was situated overlooking the Karuah River, where the Karuah RSL now stands. As he acquired newer cars, Mr Longworth didn't dispose of the older ones, choosing instead to keep them in case parts were of use. Following the Ford, and amongst other cars, he owned three Vulcans, a Star, a White steamer, a Baker electric, and a Delage. (His Star is now owned by our former member John Gorton, the Baker is owned by our former member John Jones, and parts of the White are in Victoria).

Mr Longworth employed a chauffeur named George Peachey, who drove him all over New South Wales in these cars (Obviously not including the Baker), inspecting his pastoral and mining interests. George Peachey and my Grandfather were good friends.

The Model "K" was gradually dismantled during the teens and twenties, and it's parts utilised in the repair of machinery on the various Longworth properties. George Peachey remembered hammering it's front axle beam into clay on the Karuah River mud flats in order to attach a mooring buoy to it.

It wasn't until the latter war years that it was decided to fit the Ford engine into a launch, the only modification necessary being to cut off the crankcase mounting arms! Work didn't continue past this stage however, as a brand new war surplus marine engines became available. I assume that it was about this time that it was moved to the saw mill.

Although I had a great deal of success in being able to purchase correct 1906 components for this car, I soon came to the conclusion that this restoration was far beyond my means and ability, and so I struck a deal with Bob. He became a model "K" owner, and I had another Talbot.

The very earliest Fords had two-cylinder engines, and the first two-cylinder model "A" to be sold was car number 4, on 27th June, 1903. During production this model's engine capacity was increased, the model's type changed to "AC", and the last of these to be sold was car number 1808 on , 11th November, 1904. The first four-cylinder model "B"s to be sold were cars numbered 3 and 4 on 20th October, 1904, and the last "B" sold was car number 479 on 29th March, 1906. The first two- cylinder model "C" was car number 1890, and it was sold on 6th December, 1904. The last "C" sold was number 2554, on 10th October, 1905. Only two two-cylinder model "D" delivery cars appear to have been built. Number 1932 was sold on 30th January, 1905 and number 2357 was sold on 11th April, 1905. The first two-cylinder model "F" was car number 2305, sold on 8th April, whilst the last "F" to be sold was car number 3570 on 22nd May, 1906. Of the 3,570 two-cylinder Ford cars built, 1,200 were "F"'s.

There is just one two-cylinder Ford owned by a member of our club, and it is Jim Eisenhauer's model "F".

The first three model "K"'s (Together with the first four-cylinder model "N"), were displayed at New York's "Armoury Auto Show" in the second week of January, 1906. A complete car was parked outside in order to provide demonstration drives, whilst a surviving photograph of the Ford stand shows a second complete car together with a bare chassis, the crankcase of which was decorated with engine turning. As Bob's engine's crankcase shows no evidence of engine turning, and as it is engine 'I number "K-2", it is almost certainly from one of the two completed cars at that show.

Recently discovered Ford records (From which I've quoted in this article), show that K-2 was sold in April 1906 to Thomas J. Northway, Rochester, New York, who was a Ford dealer, and that "K-2" was the first "K" sold.

350 model "K"'s were built during 1906, and they were all touring cars. A further 650 were built during 1907 and 1908. Some of these had touring bodies, and others had very sporty looking two seater bodies. There were many differences between the first three 1906 model "K"'s and the remaining 347 1906 cars, and there were vast differences between the 1906 and the 1907/1908 cars.

Of those 350 1906 Model "K" Fords built, just six survive, and Bob's car is the oldest of those, whilst of the 650 1907/1908 Model "K" Fords to have been built, seventeen survive. Two of those are also in Australia. Car number K-791 is a touring car owned by Francis Ransley in Tasmania, and car, number K-892 is another touring car, owned by Jim Cooper in the Northern Territory. Just twenty three 1906 - 1908 Model "K'"s survive world-wide.

Ford also introduced the four-cylinder Model "N" early in 1906, and the first of these to be sold was car number 4, on 16th July, 1906. There were variations of, and improvements to this car's design, and 2550 were sold in Model "R" guise between 1st April, 1907 and June, 1908, whilst commencing on 16th August, 1907 a further 2335 were sold as Model "S". Bob Trevan also owns a 1906 Model "N", car number 32.

The first Model "T" was sold to the "Sholle Auto. & Mfg. Co." of San Francisco on 1st October, 1908.

16,864 Ford cars were sold in the sixty-four months between 27th June, 1903, and 1st October 1908. The Model "T" proved such a success that it took just seventeen months (until 1st March, 1910), to build and sell the same number of Model "T"'s.

I'm pleased to report that Bob drove the car for the first time on Saturday, 1st June 2002. He reports that the engine runs smoothly and the car ran very nicely at 50 M.P.H. in chassis form. It is now at David Straughan's (Gold Coast), where a body (and no doubt a steering wheel rim !) are being made for it.