The Model T Ford may have formed the platform for today's cars but in fact it has little in common with modern motoring.

Buildbase transport manager Phil Alexander with the company's Model TT commercial vehicle

Ask Phil Alexander what driving the Model T T commercial he is responsible for is like and he will reply "horrible."

Capable of just 18mph, and with no instruments or even a windscreen, a trip around the Oxford ring road is completely out of the question.

The accelerator is on the steering column and the two forward gears and one reverse are on the floor which means, according to Mr Alexander, if you react instinctively for the brake pedal, actually causes you to speed up. He said: "The controls are totally different to anything you would find on a modern vehicle. When you drive it you feel like you are in an old film."

Not that the transport manager for Buildbase builders merchants based in Cowley holds it against such a classic machine which still seems at home surrounded by building materials. But he is happier that at least it now has its own transporter truck which allows it to travel on promotional visits to the company's outlets around the country.

Back in 1921, when this one ton TT was built, it was the Ford Transit of its day.

A real workhorse, it was actually manufactured in Manchester and was Britain's best selling light commercial vehicle of the period costing about £120 new.

Looking at it with the benfit of hindsight, it seems almost too simple with the bodywork and wheels made of wood, while the only "luxury" is an electric starter motor meaning the engine did not have to be hand cranked every time.

But when Henry Ford designed the Model T in 1908, he wanted a car that was easy to maintain, reliable and good value for money.

The formula was a huge success with the Model T becoming the first mass-produced car in the world with about 20m examples built in more than 20 years. It is claimed the engine and bodywork of the Buildbase example are original although that is not easy to substantiate given its age.

The Model T arrived in Oxford two years ago after Buildbase took over another building firm in Essex, the owner of which was a collector and had used it for marketing. It has become a unique addition to the company fleet of 370 commercial vehicles, 220 cars and 400 fork lift trucks in the company fleet but despite its special status, it still has to conform to the rules of the road which can present a problem.

Mr Alexander said: "It will only run on leaded petrol. And finding someone who can give it an MOT is also a problem - a modern mechanic wouldn't know where to start!"

But once those hurdles are overcome, expect to see a lot more of this beautifully preserved vehicle this year now it has its own personal transport.

Mr Alexander added: "We used to have a company Porsche, but the Model T seems to attract a lot more attention because everyone can climb on it and it doesn't make any difference."