noun: a small dynamo with a secondary winding that produces a high voltage enabling a spark to jump between the poles of a spark plug in a gasoline engine.
It's possible but not likely. Keely died in 1898 while the Model T went into production nine years later in 1908. Of course the magneto would have had to been invented and built before that production time and Ford did make earlier models of cars. Wikipedia says Simms and Bosch invented the first ignition magneto.
see Chronology
- Henry Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company, 1891.
- Nikola Tesla invents high-voltage Tesla Coil, 1891.
- Henry Ford makes first self-propelled vehicle June 4, 1896.
- Keely died in November, 1898.
- Frederick Richard Simms in partnership with Robert Bosch were the first to develop a practical high-tension magneto, 1899. [wikipedia, ignition magneto]
- Magneto ignition was introduced on the 1899 Daimler Phoenix. [wikipedia, ignition magneto]
- High voltage magnetos to fire the spark plug directly, similar to coil ignitions, introduced by Bosch in 1903. [wikipedia, ignition magneto]
- Henry Ford's "Model T" first production August 12, 1908
If Keely invented the magneto for Ford it was before 1896 when Ford built his first car and Keely was still alive. This is possible but until substantiating evidence is found this story will have to remain in the category of unsupported rumor.
Deutz also developed the carburetor and a reliable low voltage ignition system in 1884. This allowed the use of liquid petroleum fuel for the first time and made the use of the engine in transportation feasible. This work was conducted in parallel to the work of Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach who also developed a carburetor which replaced the original hot tube ignition on the Daimler Reitwagen, and a magneto ignition system which formed the basis of the magneto of the Robert Bosch Corporation. Daimler continued the development of Otto's engine for transportation while Deutz switched to Diesel engines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_engine
See Also
Coil
Electric Coil
Electricity
Plasma
Spark
Stubblefield Coil
Tesla Coil
Transformer