"Any colour - so long as it's black." -Henry Ford
The Model T was first introduced on April 1st, 1908. Although it wasn’t the first car to be produced, it was the first car to be produced in large volumes. It was more affordable to the public because Henry limited the features of the Model T. Henry's idea was that the Model T should be solely produced for transportation. There was only one design and one color, black, available. It's affordability to the public allowed more people to be able to purchase one. In 1918, over one half of the cars on the road in the
The use of the Model T was more practical than using a bicycle or a horse drawn carriage. The Model T provided faster transportation than the carriage or bicycle. It was more convenient than having to care for a horse. Driving the Model T was very economical only requiring gasoline and the occasional tune up. In 1908, gasoline was $0.28 a gallon and the Model T got 25 miles per gallon of gas. It was "Ford built tough", designed for durability and traveling over the rough roads.
The wide spread use of the Model T helped developed more sophisticated roads and a transportation infrastructure. Before the roads were very short and poorly built, usually of trees or bricks. After the Model T, roads were built of better quality using asphalt. Longer and more elaborate roads were built. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway was the first cross country road from San Francisco to New York City that was paved. With more convenient transportations, cities were able to trade and inform each other much quicker. Cities were able to expand due to the improved ability to travel from one place to another.
Today, Ford Motor Company is still a leader in the automotive industry. They are in 200 markets on six continents. With the introduction of new car models, like the Mustang in 1964, their products remain consumer favorites. Ford Motor Company is the parent company of Lincoln, Mercury, and Volvo.
An original 1908 Model T
A 1964 Ford Mustang
A 2010 Ford Mustang Concept Car
