Every so often, a Ford vehicle of great significance is brought out of retirement and put back into production. No, we’re not talking Ranger or Bronco, but six Model T replicas created from scratch. To mark Ford’s 2003 centennial, more than 70 years after the last of the revolutionary vehicles left the factory, the Model T saw a brief two-year run beginning in 1999. The vehicles were completed 20 years ago this week.

While the original Model T ushered in the moving assembly line, the six Model T-100s were built by hand. Believed to be the first ground-up Model T re-creation, they were identical to the 1914 model, the first built on the moving assembly line in the first year of the $5-a-day wage for Ford’s Highland Park employees.

All parts of the replicas, from the throttle to the engine crankshaft, were new. The project was led by a veteran Ford engineer and vintage car expert, with the support of approximately 250 other engineers and suppliers – including those at Livonia Transmission Plant who reportedly built much of the powertrain – in the sourcing and production of parts.

The build team reportedly worked from original blueprints where possible, and had to estimate some specs that had been rendered illegible over time. Some parts were reportedly easier to obtain than others – a CAT scan of an original engine block was required to create a 3D model that would help establish the specs for the modern-day equivalent. Thanks to the Model T’s collectability, the assembly team was able to tap into its hobby parts market for many common parts – more than 500 of 750 total.

Some re-created parts were made using different metals – stainless steel was reportedly used for the pistons and aluminum for the valves rather than cast iron – for added efficiency and greater durability. Other updates included handcrafted bodywork from a Swedish woodworking duo, wooden wheels from an Amish craftsman, and the addition of a catalytic converter.

The re-creations drew praise from Model T hobbyists for their accuracy. The replica featured a 22.5-horsepower four-cylinder engine with a two-speed manual transmission. Top speed was 55 mph.

On Sept. 6, 2001, Ford announced it was donating four of the T-100s to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, where the public would get the opportunity to ride in the historic vehicles. Another was given to Ford of Europe for the company’s centennial events over there, later going on display at Dagenham Engine in London. The remaining T-100 stayed in Dearborn for the weeklong centennial activities. It now resides in the company’s archive collection.

Ford sold more than 15 million Model Ts between 1908 and 1927, at which point the “universal car” was retired in favor of the Model A. (We recently reviewed the Model T’s place in history as the first low-priced, mass-produced automobile here.) In 1999, the Ford Model T was named Car of the Century.