How to Draw a Ford Model T

The DrawCarz team welcomes you to the first guide on our site, where we will show you how to draw a Ford Model T step by step.

And the very first car on our site is the legendary Ford Model T not by accident, because it was the first car to be produced in millions of units.

This classic car was produced for many years and appeared in many different versions, which you can also draw by changing some of the body details.

How to draw a Ford Model T: step-by-step tutorial

Step 1 – Outline the main shape of the Ford Model T

This classic is very angular. It means that in this tutorial we will use a lot of straight or almost straight lines. The first step is fairly easy. All you have to do is make an angular shape for the vehicle. The body of this old car consists of a rectangular lower part and a square upper part. Try to repeat this shape as shown in our first illustration.

Step 2 – Sketch the wheels, windows, and headlights

Using the shape from the previous step, sketch the tires, old-fashioned fenders, and round headlamps. The fenders should be separate from the main body of the Model T. In the upper part of the car, add the square windows. Draw all these elements with very light lines so you can easily make adjustments later.

Step 3 – Detail the front part of your Model T

At the “nose” of your Ford Model T, carefully add the grille as a large five-sided shape. After that, sketch the vertical bars of the grille using a series of straight lines. On the sides of the grille, detail the round headlamps. This shape was very common in the early years of automotive design.

Step 4 – Draw the classic hood and fenders

Here, detail the projecting fenders, keeping their outlines smooth and flowing. Next, draw the straight hood of your Ford Model T. After that, draw the vertical louvers on the side of the hood. The hood of this car opens from the sides, which is another characteristic feature of its construction. This blocky shape was also very common on cars from the early twentieth century.

Step 5 – Detail the upper cabin of the Ford Model T

Now, trace the cabin of the old car. As you can see, this car still has a lot in common with a carriage. Refine the outlines of the square windows and the roof. Cars of this period had very simple cabin shapes, so use mostly straight lines here. Clean up the drawing with an eraser, removing unnecessary construction lines.

Step 6 – Detail the lower part of the cabin

It’s time to shape the lower part of the cabin, tracing this area with darker and bolder lines. To finish the car cabin – and in the case of this very old car, it really does look like a cabin – add the door using straight or slightly curved lines. Don’t forget the small rectangular door handle.

Step 7 – Draw the thin wheels

Now, refine the bottom edge of the Ford Model T and the rear fender. To illustrate the wheels, carefully outline their shape. To convey perspective, make the rear wheel smaller than the front wheel. Also, remember that the tires on early cars were much narrower than those on modern cars. From this point of view, the wheels should look like ellipses.

Step 8 – Add the classic spokes

Old cars like this Ford Model T had spoked wheels similar to those on old carriages. Draw the spokes as straight lines radiating from the hub to the rim. You can add more spokes to make the wheels more detailed, or use a simplified version as in our example.

Step 9 – Draw the shadows

Our drawing of a vintage Ford car is almost complete. It remains only to make this classic car look more three-dimensional. To do this, add hatching to the undersides of the fenders and other areas that receive less light. To make the old Ford look even more realistic, add highlights to the windows with long, straight strokes.

Ford Model T Video Tutorial

Ford Model T drawing basics

The Ford Model T was the first truly popular car on the planet. It was this very car that helped stimulate the American economy.

The growing number of cars such as the Ford Model T pushed the authorities in 1909 to undertake an unprecedented experiment: building a concrete mile-long section of Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

This was an important step toward the mass construction of modern roads. The Model T created thousands of jobs and helped raise the living standards of ordinary Americans.

So what does this mean for us, car designers?

As we always say, time and the world around us dictate the rules for design, so this car is entirely a product of its time.

This is evident in the simple forms of the body, which reflect the early years of mass automobile production when designers were still pioneers, in the outlines of the wheels, which in fact are not far removed from carriage wheels, and in the simple construction of such things as windows or handles.

All these details should be illustrated using simple lines, reflecting the simplicity of the technology of those years. Many straight and clear lines in combination with optional but characteristic small details can create a truly authentic and beautiful drawing of this legendary car.

So, this was the very first guide on the pages of our website, and in this tutorial we showed you the process of drawing a Ford Model T.

This is only the beginning, and our team will now continue working on new sketching guides, showing you how to draw cars of many different types and styles.

Also, you can draw a Ford Shelby, a no less legendary car and essentially a descendant of the Ford Model T.