The Model T Ford abruptly ended the horse-and-buggy era and put Americans in seemingly perpetual motion.
September marks the 100-year anniversary of the national debut of the Model T Ford, a simple automobile in technological achievement and appearance, somewhat dumbed down for the masses, but nothing less than a revolutionary changer of society.
The disruptive Model T was a turning point. Its affordability gave the masses mobility they could never have dreamed of, enlarging each owner’s world by more than a factor of 10 as it increased the distance a person could travel in a day from being dependent on how far his horse could go to how much gas he had in his tank. Citizens were truly freed, moving when and where they wanted, day or night. They could find better jobs that were unthinkably far away, visit relatives and friends in inaccessible locations, cut the cost of college by commuting and build more affordable housing outside the center of town.
The Model T also revolutionized industry, creating a system of assembly lines that far exceeded any past production concept, cutting much of the cost of building cars by replacing craftsmen with rote assembly-line workers.
No automobile has or will ever come close to what the Model T did over its amazing production run that lasted until 1929, with more than 14 million sold. Proportional to population, no other automobile has approached such sales and penetration. The Tin Lizzie—usually painted black and offering only elemental engineering—was offered in many models on the same chassis, yet never really changed with the times. Flush with early success, Henry Ford failed to recognize that as drivers became more adept and traveled farther, more amenities were desired. His refusal to acknowledge that his customer base was changing eventually weakened his market share and allowed other automakers to become successful too.
Inexpensive, reasonably durable and offering replaceable parts, the ungraceful, boxy T became a dinosaur in only two decades, as the industry Ford had done much to create raced past him. Nonetheless, the achievement was lasting. The Model T did more to alter our civilization than any latter day computer maker, cell phone inventor or Internet service. The Model T compressed time, reordered our sense of distance, led us to create grand cities and sprawling suburbs, and significantly speeded up our ride.
Originally published in the October 2008 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
