Henry Ford's Model T, which changed the world's automobile industry, is a 100 years old.
American auto giant Ford Motor Company is observing the 100th anniversary of the Ford Model T in a year-long series of celebrations to honour the iconic vehicle.
The Ford Model T made its debut on October 1, 1908. It was the world's first low-priced, mass-produced automobile that was reliable and could be maintained easily. The car, whose production finally stopped on May 26, 1927, sold more than 16.5 million units, making it the 7th best-selling car ever in automobile history.
On December 18, 1999, the Ford Model T was named 'Car of the Century.' Henry Ford called the Model T 'the Universal Car.' It was also called the Tin Lizzie.
The Model T was equipped with a 20-horsepower, side-valve four-cylinder engine and two-speed planetary transmission on a 100-inch wheelbase. The car had a top speed of about 70 km per hour. The car weighed 550 kg. It had a fuel consumption of between 6 and 9 km per litre.
Ford established the Ford Motor Company to manufacture automobiles in 1903, and began to produce a few cars a day at the Ford factory in Detroit. He then set up a massive industrial complex along the Rouge River in Dearborn, Michigan, and then went ahead to revolutionise the way automobiles were produced. Although he did not invent the automobile or the assembly line, Henry Ford was the first person to apply the assembly line technique to produce cars.
He combined the techniques of precision manufacturing, division of labour and an assembly line -- where workers remained in one place, adding one component to each car as it moved past them on the line -- to make cars. Workers received the spare parts through a conveyor belt at specifically timed intervals to keep the process smooth and efficient.
This transformed the way cars were produced. It reduced the time taken to assemble each vehicle and drastically lowered costs. It also made Ford Motor Company the world's largest auto maker.
In 1914 Ford produced 308,162 cars. The company's web site says that this was more than all the 299 other auto manufacturers combined! By the time the last Model T was built in 1927, Ford was manufacturing a car every 24 seconds. The first Model Ts were sold for $825. This was much cheaper than what other cars cost then.
Remarkably, over the years, Ford continued to steadily lower its price, thanks to its manufacturing efficiencies. The Ford Model T was also the world's first truly global car. By 1927, it accounted for almost 57 percent of all the cars manufactured the world over.
American auto giant Ford Motor Company is observing the 100th anniversary of the Ford Model T in a year-long series of celebrations to honour the iconic vehicle.
The Ford Model T made its debut on October 1, 1908. It was the world's first low-priced, mass-produced automobile that was reliable and could be maintained easily. The car, whose production finally stopped on May 26, 1927, sold more than 16.5 million units, making it the 7th best-selling car ever in automobile history.
On December 18, 1999, the Ford Model T was named 'Car of the Century.' Henry Ford called the Model T 'the Universal Car.' It was also called the Tin Lizzie.
The Model T was equipped with a 20-horsepower, side-valve four-cylinder engine and two-speed planetary transmission on a 100-inch wheelbase. The car had a top speed of about 70 km per hour. The car weighed 550 kg. It had a fuel consumption of between 6 and 9 km per litre.
Ford established the Ford Motor Company to manufacture automobiles in 1903, and began to produce a few cars a day at the Ford factory in Detroit. He then set up a massive industrial complex along the Rouge River in Dearborn, Michigan, and then went ahead to revolutionise the way automobiles were produced. Although he did not invent the automobile or the assembly line, Henry Ford was the first person to apply the assembly line technique to produce cars.
He combined the techniques of precision manufacturing, division of labour and an assembly line -- where workers remained in one place, adding one component to each car as it moved past them on the line -- to make cars. Workers received the spare parts through a conveyor belt at specifically timed intervals to keep the process smooth and efficient.
This transformed the way cars were produced. It reduced the time taken to assemble each vehicle and drastically lowered costs. It also made Ford Motor Company the world's largest auto maker.
In 1914 Ford produced 308,162 cars. The company's web site says that this was more than all the 299 other auto manufacturers combined! By the time the last Model T was built in 1927, Ford was manufacturing a car every 24 seconds. The first Model Ts were sold for $825. This was much cheaper than what other cars cost then.
Remarkably, over the years, Ford continued to steadily lower its price, thanks to its manufacturing efficiencies. The Ford Model T was also the world's first truly global car. By 1927, it accounted for almost 57 percent of all the cars manufactured the world over.
