When assembly-line production was introduced, it allowed the price to drop drastically from $850 in 1908 to less then $300 in 1925. This first car ever produced became one of America's folkloric symbols. It realized Henry Ford's dream to "demoralize the automobile".
From 1913 to 1925 the car was only sold in black. The engine was simple yet effective, and the cylinder head was detachable for easy access and repair. Later, Ford thought that if he mass-produced the car in different body styles and a different range of colours, it would interest and satisfy a larger mass of people. So, after a while, the Model T started to be offered as a 5-seat touring car, a 2-seat runabout and a 7-seat town card. All models were uni-formally mounted on a 100-inch wheelbase chassis.
 |
| 1916 5-seat touring car |
 |
| 1911 2-seat runabout car |
 |
| Manufacturing the Model T
The car's engine had a maximum speed of 65 to 70 km|hr. After the 1920's, some of the engines even had battery-powered starters. It had only two gears and another one for reverse; 3 in all. The gears were controlled by foot pedals, nothing like the hand-lever we all know of today. It also had a 10-gallon fuel tank, which was located under the front seat.
Some interesting facts about the Model T:
-Its reverse gear was much more powerful than the two front ones, and this sometimes resulted in climbing a steep hill backwards.
-Between 1913 and 1917, more then 15 million Model Ts were manufactured and sold by Ford Motor Company.
-It had numerous deficiencies, some of which were;
~It's uncomfortable ride at higher speeds
~Rattling noises
~Not such a visually-pleasing appearance.
not mentioned. (1996-2014). Model T. Available: http://www.history.com/topics/model-t. Last accessed 8th january 2014. |
No comments:
Post a Comment