Released to the public on October 1, 1908, and continuing in production until May 26, 1927, Henry Ford’s Ford Model T is credited with changing the foundational culture of American life and the world.
Though the first Ford Model T rolled off the factory lot 105 years after the internal combustion engine-powered car was first designed in 1803, and some 19 years after the four-cycle, gasoline-powered car was first produced, it was Henry Ford’s “Tin Lizzie” that is credited with transforming the automobile from some exotic toy of the uber-rich into a staple of American culture.
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Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. (the guy who formed GM out of Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac and Oldsmobile and was first CEO of GM) in his book “My Years With General Motors,” bitches that Ford could deliver a Model-T for $280, but his Chevy cost $600+.
ReplyDelete"exotic toy of the uber-rich" They have not forgotten or forgave us that. Why do you see where it is heading today, they want us out of cars and into city concentration areas to slave labor and control.
ReplyDelete'59 Chevy Biscayne had HUGE back seat-if you were a college guy and owned one you had no problem getting into the fraternity of your choice, as long as you were willing to loan it out to your brothers whenever a willing lady was available.
ReplyDeleteWho got to clean it out the morning after the night before "loan-out"?
DeleteMy brother and I could get down on the floor of the backseat and play Monopoly with plenty of room. And those cars weight 5000 ponds or so, much heavier than todays, and were no longer than many large sedans of today. If my 283 engine(1957 Chevy) was tuned up with fresh plugs (all that I did about once a month) i could get 29 MPG. What do new cars with all the plastic and cramped space and computers get for gas mileage today? 15 to 20 MPG?
DeleteMy 2001 F-150 weighs in at 4000 pounds and gets 22 mpg on the highway. Most newer cars get better, much better than that.
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