Henry Ford's Model "T"

Henry Ford shown with Model T photo-Clymer, Floyd. Henry's Wonderful Model T 1908- 1927. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 1955., pg.84)

Henry Ford grew up on a farm in Michigan. He learned about farming machinery; how to use it and how it worked. As an adult he used this knowledge to design and build some of the first cars ever made in America. His most famous car was the Model T that he began manufacturing in 1908.

Everyone in America wanted to own a Model T, so to keep up with the orders, Henry came up with the idea of an assembly line to build the car. The Model T's chassis would be moved along a line from worker to worker. Each worker would attach parts to it. In 1914, as the workers became more efficient at this, the entire process only took two hours!

(Assembly Line Photo- Collins, Tom. The Legendary Ford: the ultimate history of America's first great automobile. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2007.)

(Assembly line photo-Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg.7)

Henry was a fair employer and a good businessman. He wanted his workers to be able to own a car that they helped to make. So he raised his worker's salaries so they could afford to purchase a Model T. This probably also made the worker's more conscientious knowing that they may be working on their own car.
He also marketed his cars in the movies. The Model T was used in silent films and was great advertising for the car company.

(Silent movie photo-Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg. 9)

The Model T became popular for many reasons. It was easy to afford for many people. The basic black model cost as little as $360. It was a reliable mode of transportation and it came in many shapes and sizes too. There were two-seaters or four-door sedans. They were also built as ambulances, school buses and other specialized vehicles.

(Two-seater Model T photo-Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg.11)

The Model T changed the way many Americans lived their lives. People could live outside the city and drive to work everyday. The farmers who lived in the rural areas could easily transport their crop to the grocers in the big city. In 1915, the Ford Company improved the lights on the car and people were even able to drive at night.

(Advertisement for Ford car parts- Clymer, Floyd. Henry's Wonderful Model T 1908- 1927. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 1955., pg. 207)

The most productive year for the company was 1923. It sold over two million Model T Fords that year. This brought many changes in America. Because so many people were able to buy cars, new roads and more fuel were needed. By 1924 more than ten million cars had been sold since the first Model T was built. Now cars, instead of horses, were the main form of transportation.

In 1926 the Model T was no longer the biggest selling car. Other car companies, like Chevrolet, had started selling cars that were faster and sleeker than the Model T. So in order to keep up, the Ford company stopped making the Model T and began making a more modern car, the Model A. This ended an era of car manufacturing. The Model T had "run it's course"* and "reached the end of the line."*


(Model T photo- Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg. 5)

*quotes used: Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002.
- photos and resources used:

Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002.

Clymer, Floyd. Henry's Wonderful Model T 1908- 1927. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 1955.

Collins, Tom. The Legendary Ford: the ultimate history of America's first great automobile. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2007.

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ford.htm