*** biographies : Model-T Ford








Model-T Ford

Model-T Ford
Figure 1.--Heny Ford and the Model-T put an automobile within in the buying power of the average worker. The consequences of this were virtually incalcuable. This occurred not where edlse, eben in the industrialized European countries. One of the results was an unprecedented mobility. Here we see a boy about 1920 on a family outing out into the country. The family Tin Lizzie can be seen in the background.

Henry Ford is best known for the the Model "T" Ford, affectionately known as the Tin Lizzie, and his innovative assembly lines which enabled the mass production of the automobile. The Model-T was an amazing accomplishment. While it was nothing like the luxurious cars made by other automakers. Ford wanted to produce the universal car. And h dud just that. It was affordable, simple to operate and maintain, and durable. It was a technological marvel. Getting down the price while maintaining the car's reliability involved considerable ingenuity with many innovations. It was a revolutionary vehicle. The steering wheel was placed on the left side, permitting passengers easy access in and out of the car. The Model-T was also the first to have the engine block and the crankcase cast as a single unit. It was also the first to have a removable cylinder head for easy access. And the first to make extensive use of the lightweight but still strong alloy known as vanadium steel. The Model T also had a innovative transmission making shifting gears much easier than other cars. While often derided as a clunky, primitive car it was actually highly innovative. Ford's innovations, would fundamentally change urban life. The first Model T came with a tool kit, placed the gas tank under the front passenger seat, and offered a windshield as an option. This was soon standardized. It had to be cranked to start it. Not only was the Model-T a technological marvel, but sane was true of assenbly-line production permitting mass production. It was not Ford that invented the automobile or the assembly line. Ford's genius was to put the two together and in the process transformed America more than any other industrialist. It was Ford who first set up an assembly line to mass produce automobiles. From 1909 to 1927, the Ford Motor Company built more than 15 million Model T cars. The Model "T" brought the automobile within the price range of the average American worker. Not understood at the time was the enormous consequence of this development. The Model-T and mass-production would change the face of America and cities as was a key step in creating the American car-culture. Cities began to develop around the automobile which became the very center of the country's economy and had profound consequences for the American life style, affecting work, leisure, sexuality, architecture, music, movies, and much more. Both the automobile and mass-consumerism played a key role in making modern America. It also led to a massive expansion of the automobile industry and American industry in general. Besides the economic and social ramifications, the industrial juggernaut that Ford and the Model-T helped create would be a central factor in defeating the totalitarian powers that arose after World War I.

Horse Power

For nearly 6 millenia, the horse was a centeral figure in hunnan civilization. It was a major cintribution in exopanding gthe power available tio humanity. The automobile was in invented by Karl Benz in Germany (1886), but gthev first casrs were unrelable and underpowered. This was followed by more reliable and better power cars--but all very expensive. Workers were hard put to purchzasev bicycles. The horse still dominated land transport beyond the railways into the 20th century. Horse power still dominated the lives of everyday people, both on the farm and in the cities. It was Henry Ford that would change that and put power in the hands of the average man. And no matter how powerful car engines would become, they would all be rated in horsepower.

Nick Names

Henry Ford is best known for the the Model "T" Ford, affectionately known as the Tin Lizzie, and his inovstice assembly lines which enabled the mass production of the automobile.

Innovations

The Model-T was an amazing accomplishment. While it was nothing like the luxurious cars made by other automakers. Ford wanted to produce the universal car. And he dud just that. It was affordable, simple to operate and maintain, and durable. It was a technological marvel. Getting down the price while maintaining the car's reliability involved considerable ingenuity with many innovations.

Technology

Technology is not usually associated with the Model-T because it was so basic and inexoensive. Technology is us usually assiciated wuth big, powerful cars. Thiswas the case in Europe. But actually it takes technology to create a basic car that wiorkers could aford. And it is no accudnt that it ioccurred in merica. Thev Model-T was a revolutionary vehicle wuith highly advanced technology. The steering wheel was placed on the left side, permitting passengers easy access in and out of the car. The Model-T was also the first to have the engine block and the crankcase cast as a single unit. It was also the first to have a removable cylinder head for easy access. And the first to make extensive use of the lightweight but still strong alloy known as vanadium steel. The Model T also had a innovative transmission making shifting gears much easier than in other cars. While Euriopeans derided as a clunky, primitive car, Ford's Model-T it was actually highly innovative.

First Model-Ts

The first Model T came with a tool kit, placed the gas tank under the front passenger seat, and offered a windshield as an option. This was soon standardized. It had to be cranked to start it.

Assembly Line

Not only was the Model-T a technological marvel, but the sane was true of assembly-line production permitting mass production. It was not Ford that invented the automobile or the assembly line. Ford's genius was to put the two together. It was Ford who first set up an assembly line to mass produce automobiles. And in the process transformed America more than any other industrialist. The first Model Ts were built at the Piqette Avenue Plant. It was here thar=t Ford created the idea of the 'moving assembly line'. The Piquette Avenue Plant was, however, very small and not adaptable to what Ford had in mind. So with the profits flowing in from Model-T sales, he quickly moded to Highland Park (1910). This was the first factory designed and built to accomodate assembly line roduction. And it wiuld be here ghat most Model-Ts were built. The highl;and Park factory was designed by Albert Kahn, the most underappreciated geniys in American industrial history. The industrial powe that Ford and Kahn unldeased would play a role in World War I and even more so in World War II. The Model-T story ended at Highland Park. Buy Ford and Kahn would go on to even greater fame at River Rouge with the Model-A and Willow Run with the World War II B-24 bomber.

Prodution

From 1909 to 1927, the Ford Motor Company built more than 15 million Model T cars. They were bought by average Americans including workers at a time that European workers were using bicycles, that is the better off European workers. The Model "T" brought the automobile within the price range of the average American worker. Not understood at the time was the enormous consequence of this development, not only for the workers who manufactured and purchased it, but also for farmers. The Model-T and the tractors that followed it also revolutionized farm life. And Fiord and his Model-T would eventually imopact every corner of gthe globe in both war and peace.

Impact

Ford's innovations, would fundamentally change urban life. The Model-T and mass-production would change the face of America and cities as was a key step in creating the American car-culture. Cities began to develop around the automobile which became the very center of the country's economy and had profound consequences for the American life style, affecting work, leisure, sexuality, architecture, music, movies, and much more. The Model-T meant freedom. In the Model-T you could go where ever you wanted, even before America had a modern highway system. The Model-T could go places where many modern cars can not take you. Both the automobile and mass-consumerism played a key role in making modern America. It also led to a massive expansion of the automobile industry and American industry in general. Almost instantly after the first Modek-T rolled off the Ford assembly line, we begin to see them in every corner of America. Yhed average man could affird one. The photograph record is full if images of Model-Ts and their oroud owners and fmily. A good exmple is little Earl Wood and his dad's Model-T. Besides the economic and social ramifications, the industrial juggernaut that Ford and the Model-T helped create would be a central factor in defeating the totalitarian powers that arose after World War I. This meant not only the NAZIs and Japanese militarists, but eventually the Soviets as well. In World War II Sherman tanks and B-24 bombers that would roll off the Ford Assembly lines.







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Created: 6:21 AM 5/13/2010
Last updated: 11:10 AM 7/9/2023