1910 Ford Model T

The early Ford automobiles were expensive, which Mr. Henry Ford didn't agree with, so he was sent away with a $900 gratuity and a roll of blueprints for a simple, cheap car. After finding a new backer, Mr. Alexander Malcolmson - a Detroit coal merchant, Henry built a new vehicle called the Model T. The 'T' was the 20th letter of the alphabet and Henry had rendered many of the preceding nineteen letters in metal. The early Ford Model T's had nickel brightwork, brilliant colors, and elaborately-shaped bodies that had little to production economies and much to the styles and public expectations of the day. Power was from a 177 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine with removable cylinder heads, a design that was revolutionary in the day and made it practical for owners to clean their valves and piston crowns of the carbon buildup. It had a 3.75 inch cylinder bored and offered 22.5 inch rating under the ALAM (Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers) 1000 fpm piston speed rating formula. The ALAM did not give Ford a license under the Selden patent. Ford was selling a lot of cars, and after the ALAM realized this, they sued for Selden patent royalties. In 1911 Henry won, bringing an end to a ludicrous patent monopoly.

In the end, the Ford Model T changed the way Americans lived and became a cultural icon. It offered a faster and more reliable use of transportation at an affordable and attainable price. Over the years Ford continued to add further improvements to their line, they began this move by shifting the steering wheel from the right hand side of the car to the left. The 20 horsepower engine had a top speed of over 40 miles per hour.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019