| Feature Drive | 1915 Ford Model T fuel economy run |

I'll admit that a 95-year-old Ford is an unusual choice for an economy run, but trust me, there is a reason for it. Fuel efficiency and emissions are on everyone's lips at the moment - you only have to look at the raft of zero emissions and alternatively fuelled metal in the pipeline to know that.

So when Ford challenged us to see how far we could get one of its oldest cars to travel on a gallon of petrol, it seemed like a good idea. Not only would it be a giggle, it would also be an excellent indicator of how far we've come on the economy front over the last century.

The venue was Ford's test track at its Technical Centre in Dunton, Essex. The car was a 1915 Model T Tourer - an immaculately preserved example from the company's Heritage Collection. Over 15 million Model Ts were built in the US, but lesser known is the fact that 300,000 examples were produced in the UK at Ford's factory in Trafford, Manchester - which is where the maroon example you see in the pictures came from.

First thing to do is learn how to drive the thing. Until this test, the oldest car I'd ever driven was a 1959 Cadillac, which, though cumbersome, had an automatic gearbox and two very large, easy to reach pedals.

Not so for the Model T. Perch atop its high front seat and you'll find three conventional-looking pedals in front of your feet, a tall lever on your right and a two spindly stalks either side of the steering wheel. The lever acts as a handbrake when pulled back and allows you to change gear when it's completely forward. The stalk on the left is the throttle and the one on the right adjusts the fuelling.

As for the pedals - the one on the right wakes up the none-to-good brakes and the centre one engages reverse gear. Depress the pedal on the left and the car starts moving, but you need to keep it planted to move along at any sort of lick.

The transmission is a two-speed epicyclic item, so changing into the higher gear involves backing off with the hand throttle and lifting off the left pedal simultaneously. This is followed by a shudder, a clatter and then a slight increase in speed as the higher gear engages.

Thankfully, Ford's Heritage Centre staff were on hand to give me a crash course in Model T driving. It's a surreal experience, one that I can liken only to my first conventional driving lesson - you don't really know what you're doing, or have any sort of confidence until you have a few miles under your belt. After that, it becomes thoroughly enjoyable. The old Ford has a tremendous turning circle - far better than any modern car - while the high seating position and really rather accurate steering makes it easy to position.

Next up was the task of purging the tank and adding a single gallon of fuel. This was easy enough, but it highlighted the fact that drivers used to have to keep an eye on their fuel level before and after journeys. The filler cap is located beneath the front seat cushion and the only way to tell how much petrol you have is by dunking a dipstick - the same way we check our oil levels today (though that's being replaced by in-dash electronic readouts too).

One carefully measured top-up later and the Ford was ready for the off. I was determined to get a smooth a run as possible, but the epicyclic transmission doesn't make for the most seamless of gearchanges, nor is the acceleration progressive - with only 20bhp available, it's either all or nothing.

Despite the heat from the exhaust (which is located a little too close to comfort to the driver's feet), the Model T is actually quite a comfortable car, as you're never really going fast enough to be shaken around too much. As it settled into the laps, I began to wonder if the old car would put some of Ford's newer machines to shame.

My musings were soon answered when, after almost an hour, the engine emitted its inevitable cough and quickly ground to a halt. When they realised that I hadn't stalled it, the Heritage chaps tore across the track in their cushy Focus RS to measure the final distance.

At 13.8mpg it wasn't quite as impressive as I'd hoped. Another few hours' practice and I reckon I'd have 20mpg out of it, but that wouldn't prove much. It may be lighter and wonderfully simplistic, but the fact is that a car of this vintage with a 2.9-litre engine isn't a scratch on modern metal. It's been said before, but this kind of challenge really does show how far we've come.

You've only to look at the history of the Model T to see history repeating itself, too. Like the Focus and Fiesta, it was a market leader for a long time, but towards the end of its life, tax laws of the time hit larger-engined cars hard, so it became less popular. Sound familiar?

It's slow, it's noisy, it's hot and it's thirsty. Say it like that and it doesn't sound too inviting, but I was totally smitten by the Model T's vintage charm. It's easy to see why it was so popular - especially when the alternative, to begin with, was a horse and cart. New cars may be more efficient, but they've a long way to go to match the Model T's old-fashioned appeal.