Model T

American car (1908–1927)

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Model T
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Overview

What happened

On April 17, 1903, Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company, revolutionizing the automotive industry with the introduction of the assembly line product...

Date

April 17, 1903

Key people

Henry Ford

Why it matters

This article provides a detailed and engaging account of the Ford Motor Company's founding and its impact on the automotive industry.

What was Model T?

The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relatively low price was partly the result of Ford's efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual handcrafting. The savings from mass production allowed the price to decline from $780 in 1910 (equivalent to $26,952 in 2025) to $290 in 1924 ($5,448 in 2025 dollars). It was mainly designed by three engineers, Joseph A. Galamb (the main engineer), Eugene Farkas, and Childe Harold Wills. The Model T was colloquially known as the "Tin Lizzie".

Model T
Related books
Ford model T Michael Allen · 1987 Ford Model T Manual Ford Motor Company · 1949 Illustrated Ford model T & model A buyer's guide cover Illustrated Ford model T & model A buyer's guide Paul G. McLaughlin · 1994 Ford Model T Coast to Coast Tom Cotter · 2018 Ford Model T catalog of accessories Gordon Schindler · 1991
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Background and consequences

The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, ahead of the BMC Mini, Citroën DS, and Volkswagen Beetle. Ford's Model T was successful not only because it provided inexpensive transportation on a massive scale, but also because the car signified innovation for the rising middle class and became a powerful symbol of the United States' age of modernization.

1908 Ford Model T advertisement
1908 Ford Model T advertisement
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Related on thisDay

Ford Motor Company Founding — April 17, 1903

Henry Ford's $28,000 investment spawned the Ford Motor Company in 1903 Detroit, revolutionizing the automotive industry with assembly line production.

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Ford Motor Company Founding — April 17, 1903Wikipedia source
Cite this page
MLA

“Model T.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/model-t/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Model T. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/model-t/

Chicago

“Model T.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/model-t/.

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