Henry's Dream

While running some errands yesterday I drove down one of the local secondary highways and saw, coming towards me, a procession of old Fords. These weren't just any old Fords they were Ford Model T's, and every last one of them looked just like the day it rolled off the (first) automotive assembly line. I couldn't help but smile because I knew what the special occasion was that had brought out the old Lizzies on this crisp autumn morning. Yes, it was a very special day indeed for the Model T.

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By 1908 the world's fledgling automotive industry was producing less than 100,000 vehicles per year, with about half of those made in North America. One century on, for better or for worse, the global auto industry now manufactures more than 70 million units annually...and it all goes back to Henry Ford's original “Tin Lizzy”.

Prior to the introduction of the T the industry was composed of automotive tinkerers and mostly self taught mechanical designers each of whom had their own visions as to what the horseless carriage should be. Ford was also in this crowd and he mucked about for more than 10 years with various designs of tourers and racecars (and bankruptcies) before coming up with a dream. A dream that eventually became the Model T. He first presented this dream in a speech to the Detroit Businessman's Association on November 12th, 1907.

Excerpt:

“I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces.”

Now at the time Ford had absolutely no idea as to how he would accomplish this monumental task but just over 10 months later, in the latter half of 1908, the very first Ford Model T rolled out the factory doors to an eagerly waiting world.

The newly introduced T was unlike any other car of it's day in that it's simplicity and practicality was mind numbing. It's relatively inexpensive price of only $850 was also a jaw dropping feature when compared to the competition's pricing of $2,000 and upwards. Ford's policy of paying a good wage paid off with the ability of his workers being able to buy a Model T after only 5 months of pulling wrenches in the factory, so a solid customer base was ready made for Henry's cars.

With the introduction of the assembly line in 1913 Model T production time was brought down from 12.5 hours per vehicle to only 93 minutes. This vast increase in efficiency enabled Ford to further lower his prices to the point that, by 1925, one could purchase a new Model T for only $260. There were many other ingenious cost saving measures implemented by Ford as well such as the fact that, once broken down, the crates engines were shipped in just happened to be the exact same size as the floorboards required for the T.

But besides the low price what was so endearing at the the time about the Model T was how remarkably tough and durable it was. It's frame and moving parts were made from lightweight, high-strength vanadium steel. The (kidney shaking) transverse leaf springs and solid axles it utilized, along with it's high ground clearance and super slim tires, allowed it to conquer the primitive rural roads of the day with great prowess. The T came with an ultra simple yet ultra dependable drivetrain that consisted of a 3.0 liter inline 4 cylinder engine of sidevalve design, a 2 speed planetary transmission and a crude but durable banjo style rear differential.

Although the T's engine only produced about 20 horsepower the car's light weight permitted that minuscule power to achieve a top speed of about 45 miles per hour while delivering an honest 25 plus miles per gallon in the process. Once you figured out how to “crankstart” the car without breaking your thumb or wrist it was a relatively easy vehicle to operate and would go almost anywhere until you came to a hill. The placement of the gas tank on the cowl, to permit a gravity only fed fuel system, meant that quite often you had to back up a hill to keep the carburetor supplied with fuel. This was just one of the many idiosyncrasies that the Model T exhibited. And while the car's mechanical brakes worked adequately, they were bothersome inasmuchas they seemed to always need adjusting. Still the Tin Lizzy was well received by the buying public who fell in love with the dependable mobility and new-found freedom it offered them.

Available for the most part in 2-door models the Model T could be had in various styles such as touring, roadster, roadster pickup, 1 ton truck (open or closed cab), coupe, wagon or convertible. A 4 door wagon was also available. During World War I the versatile T saw military service as transports and ambulances on the front lines, amongst many other varied duties.

People the world over had their lives changed, and in not a small way, by Ford's Tin Lizzy during it's production run from 1908 through 1927. But while there were more than 15 million of them eventually made - in the end it was Henry Ford himself who was to bring down the venerable Model T. His pioneering ideas and engineering genius of the early days slowly transformed into complacency over the years to the point where he would not allow any changes or improvements to the car other than an electric starter and lighting, believing this to be all the motoring public wanted or needed.

Competitors, on the other hand, now had offerings of more luxurious cars with better engineering, hydraulic brakes and a shift away from the bone jarring transverse leaf suspension. This all ate away at the T's market share to the point that, by 1927, rival Chevrolet was now producing over 1.7 million units compared to Ford's diminutive 350,000.

It was with great reluctance on the part of Henry Ford that production of the Model T was finally halted on May 26th, 1927. But by then she had earned her place in history.

Yes it was Henry's dream, the Model T, so primitive by today's standards that put us all on the road and helped our modern motorized lifestyle get under way. It was for this reason that back in 1999 a distinguished panel of international automotive journalists voted the T as “The Car of the Century.” She was the buggy that got the world moving and some of them are still around today. These surviving dinosaurs of the automobile's early days hold a place of reverence in the hearts of car lovers everywhere.

So what was the occasion that brought those old Tin Lizzies out onto the road yesterday? It was exactly 100 years ago to the day that the very first Ford Model T was built, and they were all en route to a car meet celebrating the event.

Happy Birthday Liz.


     1908 Ford Model T

 
 
Ron

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Edit note: Previous picture crashed

This post has been edited at member's request.Ron,

Ron...this is a truly inspiring story, and well written old friend.

If only the entrepreneurs of today had such noble ideas and ideals as Henry Ford. I wonder what history will record a hundred years from now on the inventions of today...oh boy!

Thanks for sharing this great story.

“ Lionheart
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