In the spring of 2025, I was included in a secret project.
The LEGO Icons team was developing a new LEGO set based on the 1913 Ford Model T and wanted feedback from our team on the accuracy of their designs. They began to share renderings and illustrations with me for our Archives to review to ensure the accurate recreation of the unique characteristics of the Model T.
I am a huge fan of LEGO sets. My house is filled with my completed builds — including the Titanic, Eiffel Tower, Coliseum and the expected Ford models: the Bronco, Mustangs, GTs, and even the Harry Potter Anglia that flew into the Whomping Willow. My favorite thing about my LEGO builds is that I usually do them with my family, and everyone pitches in.
Working with the LEGO Team
Through the spring and summer, we reviewed several iterations of the design renderings of the Model T as Senior Model Designer Ann Healy continued to refine the car.
The LEGO team showed the care they put into every set design. Ann's research was very thorough, and her questions to us were very specific. Most of the changes we recommended were subtle, like a different angle to the fenders, confirming the Ford script was without quotes, and a single lantern on the back of the car.
During the summer, the stars and calendars aligned.
I was traveling to France to set up exhibits at the Ford VIP center in Le Mans, and I reached out to the team at the LEGO Icons group to ask if they were interested in seeing authentic artifacts about the 1913 Ford Model T to further inform the build. The answer from the LEGO Icons team was a resounding YES, and I was off to Billund, Denmark at the conclusion of the race at Le Mans.
Bringing in the Artifacts
It was a whirlwind two days in Billund. The LEGO team set up a meeting where Ann brought her prototype to show me. As the project was secret, she brought it in a closed box and unveiled it — it looked even better in person than the design renderings I had seen.
I showed Ann the original artifacts, photographs, and brochures about the 1913 Model T that I had brought. She had done all her research looking up material on the internet, so seeing the items in real life was special.
We also discussed the amazing versatility of the Model T. Yes, it was a car, but I had also brought examples of how people had customized their “Tin Lizzies” to serve in roles as diverse as snowmobiles to sawmills.
The Model T could become any functional device that the owner wanted. In many ways, it was just like the LEGO brick. The only limitation is the imagination of the user.
One 1913 document was particularly interesting: a Model T brochure. The brochure showed all the various body styles that the Model T could come in, but it also contained instruction on how to drive a car! Think about it: In 1913, how many people actually knew how to drive? This guide hoped to solve that problem.
An Incredible LEGO Experience
If seeing a developmental LEGO set was not enough, Brickmaster Jamie Berard came to the meeting room to look over the documentation I had put on display and to see the set Ann had developed. I have loved watching the LEGO Masters television show, so this was a special treat.
After meeting Ann, I was lucky to be invited to a tour of the LEGO Archives for a benchmarking session and had a fantastic lunch with LEGO Archivists and Corporate Historians. It is amazing how similar our two Archival programs are.
My trip to Billund was topped off with a visit to LEGO Idea House and LEGO House, where I was able to add a few exclusive LEGO House sets to my collection.
But my biggest takeaway through this whole process was to see the lengths that the LEGO Icons team went to ensure the historical accuracy of the kit. If they are doing it for the Ford Model T, I can guarantee you that the same level of care and dedication is given to every set.
The LEGO Icons Ford Model T will be available on LEGO.com after March 1.
Ted Ryan is heritage brand manager and archivist at Ford.
