Henry Ford with the 1896 Quadracycle and the 10 millionth Ford vehicle the Model T.
Henry and Edsel Ford with the 1896 Quadracycle and the 15 millionth Ford vehicle.
While other auto makers wanted to design luxury cars, Henry Ford designed a car that anyone could afford. Here he is standing by that very car. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
1908 Model T: The Model T was simple, lightweight, durable and powerful. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1908 Model T hand cranking: Starting cars of the early 1900s required hand cranking. This was an art and also could be harmful to the person cranking. If the car backfired, the crank would reverse resulting in possible broken wrists or arms if you did not let go. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1908 Model T Engine: One of the most importaint Model T innovations was an improved engine block. The new engine block was cast in one piece called “en-bloc.” This new 4-cyliner higher-compression engine produced 22 hourspower. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
1909 Transcontinental Race: The Model T came in first in the New York to Seattle race, covering 4,100 miles in 22 days and 55 minutes averaging 7.75 mph. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
Model T’s being loaded on railcars in 1910: Ninety percent of the completed Model T’s were shipped within 24 hours, because no storage was available at Highland Park. A completed Model T was loaded on special auto carrying railcars and sent to destinations all over the United States and ultimately the world. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1911 Model T runabout driving up steps of YMCA Columbus, Nebraska: The Model T’s fame is is often associated with durability, strength, and endurance. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1912 Model T Tourer.
1911 Model T line-up ad: 1911 proved to be a stellar year for the Model T. Sales were way up and the cost of the vehicle was coming down. Ford was now the undisputed major car producer in the United States. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
1911 Model T line-up ad: 1911 proved to be a stellar year for the Model T. Sales were way up and the cost of the vehicle was coming down. Ford was now the undisputed major car producer in the United States. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
1912 Model T. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
1914 Ford Model T touring car.
1914 Ford Model T touring car
1915 Model T Town Car. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
Model T Police Car: Model TÕs were earning their respect, not only with public transportation, but also early services such as police and fire protection. Image from pages of Ford Times, Oct, 1915. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/22/08)
Henry Ford worked in one of Edison’s factories before his work on automobiles. The two became friends, and later Ford would give this Model T to Edison as well as provide a team of mechanics to keep it running perfectly. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1917 Ford Model T: In 1917 Ford introduced the first major redesign of the Model T. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Model TT Truck: In 1917, Ford announced the start up of a one-ton chassis line. This new chassis would be for the Model TT truck. The chassis was basically a Model T passenger car chassis, but it had a longer, stronger frame. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
1920 Model T Coupe: During 1920, the price of the popular Model T Turing Car was $675.00, but as months went by, the price began to go down to $575.00. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1921 Ford Model T: The 5 millionth Model T rolled off the line on May 18, 1921. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1923 Model T: 1923 was the largest production year of the Model T with about 2,011,125 cars produced worldwide, including the Nice Millionth vehicle. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company (04/22/08)
June 1924. Ten Millionth Model T come off the line: The 10 millionth Model T was produced on June 4; famed Ford racing driver Frank Kulick drove it from New York to San Francisco on the Lincoln Highway, the only coast-to-coast highway at the time. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
1925 Model T Roadster pickup: In 1925 The Model T Roadster pickup was introduced with the first factory-installed pickup bed. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
The Highland Park Plant, where these 1926 Model Ts are rolling off the line, was built to support the increased volume in Model T production. It served as the Model T’s factory for 18 of its 20 production years. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Fifteenth Millionth Ford Model T: After 19 years and more than 15 million vehicles, Model T production ended on May 25, 1927.
In 1927 Edsel Ford and his 64 year old father, Henry ford and Charles Sorensen (backset) drove the Fifteen Millionth Model T out of the Highland Park Plant and into the history books. During 20 years of production, more than 15 million Model Ts were made. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/22/08)
In 1927, Albert Luce (seen here) put a steel body on a Ford Model T chassis to make the first steel-bodied school bus. Luce, who once owned a Ford dealership, went on to found the multi-million dollar Blue Bird Body Company, building steel-bodies busses that significantly outlasted the wood-bodied variety. (07/21/2008)
Model T in Egypt: Model T’s were starting to appear all over the world and they could be found in the most exotic areas of our planet. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
The Model T was very popular with farmers because of its versatility and durability. They were converted to saw wood, power generators, pump water, or in this case haul cows to market. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/22/08)
Model T adapted to saw boards: Model T’s were known for their modificationcapability and tradesmenused its versatility for a variety of applications. One of the most popular uses was pulling power off the engine to run small portable saw mills. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
1924 Model T Truck: The Model T provided the most robust underpinnings for commercial vehicles and delivered maximum utility at a value. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Model T Runabout with tent attatched: The initial Model T’s came epuipped with only the barest necessities, but soon they were modified to facilitate camping enabling enthusiasts more mobility. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Ford Model T Street Light Maintenance Truck: Model T’s were used in different trades and were adapted for many special uses. Truck sales were a large contributor to the Model T’s success. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
The Model TT (truck) was first sold in 1908. Although no verified hauling specifications are known, this one is pictured loaded with 8,000 pounds of hay. It was probably driving well below the Model Ts top speed of 40 mph.
Model T Police Truck: Commercial use of the Model T truck was becoming more and more common. Police used the Model T as a paddy wagon to transport people who had been arrested. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
Farmer with Tractor and Model T: Henry Ford always dreamed of building a horseless machine to relieve the hardship off of the farmers. Henry Ford started Henry Ford and Son, where he built the Fordsontractor. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
Model Ts were easily converted to handle many tasks, but one of the most unique was the snowmobile conversion kit. Lumber companies in particular appreciated the added traction in the snow. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Ford’s Highland Park Plant was also known as the ‘Crystal Palace’ because of the vast expanse of windows. It is the site of the first automotive moving assembly line. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
The first factory to build the Model T was the Piquette Avenue Plant. The very first Model Ts were produced at this factory from October 1908 until December 31, 1909. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
1914 Chassis at the Highland Park Plant: Model T chassis prep area outside of Ford’s Highland Park Plant.
1924 Model T Assembly Line: The 10 millionth Model T was produced on June 4, 1927. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company (04/22/08)
1916 Model T Testing: Many experts considered the 1916 Model T to represent the last of the old style Model T’s.From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Model T Ambulance used in WWI: In support of America’s involvement in World War I, Ford Motor Company produced 5,745 military ambulances for the U.S. Army Medical Corps utilizing the Model T chassis. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company.
Ford Model T Production Traford Park.
The moving assembly line became operational at the Highland Park Plant in 1913. Thanks to this and many other innovations, the time it took to build a Model T dropped from up to 14 hours to about 1.5 hours. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
$5 per 8-hr workday: Ford instituted a new labor policy, which made American economic history. The work day was cut from 9 hours to 8 hours per day and everyone was paid a minimum of $5.00 per day. This stabilized the workforce at Ford and attracted the best labor from all over the country. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (4/22/08)
Model T painting 1914: Henry Ford is alleged to have proclaimed, “You can have any color you want, as long as it is black.” The Model T was only available in black and would only be offered that way until 1925. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company. (04/21/08)
Model T Advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company
Model T advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company (04/22/08)
Model T advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company (04/22/08)
Model T Advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company
Model T Advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company
Model T Advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company
Model T Advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company
Model T Advertisement. From the collections of The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company
