Model T: An Invention of Great Proportions

Alex Hoehn

In this paper, I seek to discuss the invention of the Model T. According to an article on
Inventors.about.com, Ford incorporated the Ford Motor Company in 1903, proclaiming, I will
build a car for the great. Henry Ford invented the Model T on October 1, 1908 in the United
States. The Model T had a nickname of the Tin Lizzie and it changed the way Americans lived.
Henry Ford spent close to two years designing the Model T. He built his knowledge off the
production of earlier cars, like the Model N. More than fifteen million Model Ts were built in
Detroit and Highland Park, Michigan, but was also assembled at a Ford plant in Manchester,
England. The Ford Motor Company continued building the Model T until 1927, when other auto
makers began creating new models which were more advanced than the Model T. I argue that the
Model T was the most influential invention of the Industrial Revolution. I will prove this by
discussing the design and functions of the Model T, analyzing the affordability of the car, and
evaluating the mass production of the vehicle
First, I will discuss the design and functions of the Model T. According to History.com,
The Model T was offered in several body styles, including a five-seat touring car, a two-seat
runabout, and a seven-seat town car. Also, the car originally was designed in multiple colors,
but ended up only being created in black. The engine was simple and efficient, with four
cylinders in a single block. The engine generated twenty horsepower and the car had a top speed
of 40-45 miles per hour. The engines were started by a hand crank. However, some cars were
equipped with battery-powered starters. The gas tank had a capacity of ten gallons and was
located under the front seat. The Model T had to also be frequently be driven up steep hills

backwards. This shows how the designs and functions of the Model T were beyond its time and
proved to be influential during the industrial revolution.
Next, I will analyze the affordability of the car. According to a primary quote on
galegroup.com Ford said, And let me say right here, that I do not believe that we should make
such an awful profit on our cars. A reasonable profit is right, but not too much. So it has been my
policy to force the price of the car down as fast as production would permit, and give the benefits
to users and laborers, with resulting surprisingly enormous benefits to ourselves. The assembly
line allowed Ford to sell his cars at a price lower than his competitors due to the efficiency of
assembly line system. The system allowed the price of the car to be lowered from 850 dollars in
1908 to 300 dollars in 1925. Due to the incredibly affordable price, more than 40 percent of the
cars in the United States were Model Ts. Other details that affected the price were the material
costs and design changes over time. From 1909 to 1927, the Model T sales reached to a
staggering 14,689,525 dollars. This shows how the affordability of the Model T was also
influential to the Industrial Revolution.
Lastly, I will evaluate how the mass production of the Model T was crucial during the
Industrial Revolution. According to History.com, On this day in 1913, Henry Ford installs the
first moving assembly line for the mass production of an entire automobile. His innovation
reduced the time it took to build a car from more than 12 hours to two hours and 30 minutes. By
1914, the assembly process for the car had been reduced so much it only took 93 minutes to
assemble a Model T. That same year, Henry Ford produced the most cars than any other of his
rival companies combined. The car became so successful that Ford did not have the need to
purchase any advertising for the vehicle because it became a normality in society. 9,000 to
10,000 were being produced in a day and over two million were produced every year. Model T

engines continued to be produced until 1941 and almost 170,000 were built after the car
production stopped. This shows how influential the mass production of the Model T was to the
society during the Industrial Revolution.
To summarize, the design and functions, affordability, and mass production of the Model
T made the car the most influential invention of the Industrial Revolution. The car moved at a
top speed of 45 miles per hour, which was well above its competitors. In addition, it had a gas
tank that could hold 10 gallons. The affordability of the car just reaching 300 dollars was
incredible for the time. Henry Ford made the car available and affordable to the common man.
Last, Ford in the end, produced over 15 million Model Ts which proved staggering for the
period in time where people were usually poor. Ford made the Model T so everyone could have
one, whether people were wealthy, poor, or middle class. What if Ford Automotive did not create
the Model T? Where would the market for cars be? Or would we have a market for cars
anymore?