360Ford launches the Model T, the car for the many
On 1 October 1908, the Ford Motor Company in Detroit began selling the Model T, a simple, tough car priced at $850. In 1913, Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line, which cut production time and prices sharply. More than 15 million Model Ts were built by 1927, putting much of America on wheels.
In the early 1900s, cars were expensive, handmade machines for the wealthy. Henry Ford wanted to build a car that ordinary families could buy.
The Model T went on sale on 1 October 1908 at $850. It was light, strong and easy to repair, with high clearance for rough country roads. Drivers nicknamed it the 'Tin Lizzie'.
Demand was huge. In 1913, at his Highland Park factory in Michigan, Ford introduced a moving assembly line, bringing the work to the workers. The time needed to build a car fell from about 12 hours to about 90 minutes.
As output rose, the price fell, to about $260 by the mid-1920s. In 1914, Ford also doubled many workers' pay to $5 a day, so they too could afford the cars they built.
When production ended in 1927, more than 15 million Model Ts had been made. Mass production spread to industries around the world, and the car reshaped cities, roads and daily life.
- 1903
- The Ford Motor Company is founded
- 1 October 1908
- The Model T goes on sale
- 1913
- The moving assembly line begins
- 1927
- Model T production ends
Sources: The Henry Ford museum · Ford Motor Company · Britannica.