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1903 Ford Model A Two

The Model A two-cylinder Runabout was Henry Ford's first-series production automobile, sold after the establishment of the Ford Motor Company (June 16, 1903). Built at a former wagon factory on Detroit's Mack Avenue, a total of 670 examples were built. For many years, it was unrecognized by the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers, but through perseverance, Henry Ford prevailed, and by January 1911, it was granted status by prevailing in court over the monopolistic Selden Patent Group.

1903 Ford Model A Two photo
Runabout with Tonneau
Chassis #: 30
View info and history
Auction entries : 3
This was not Henry Ford's first gasoline-powered vehicle, as he had developed a primitive quadricycle powered by a twin-cylinder engine in the closing years of the 19th Century (in 1896). The motorized buggy proved to be fairly reliable, but Ford never intended for it to be mass-produced. When someone offered him $200 for the car, he accepted and used the money to finance the building of his second car. Several race cars followed, and in November of 1901, Henry organized the Henry Ford Company. When his backers hired Henry Leyland to speed up progress and production, Ford became angry and left the company. He dabbled briefly with more race cars with Barney Oldfield before turning his attention to building a motor car for the public.

Ford's approach to building automobiles was to make them simple, inexpensive, and reliable, and his Model A was the first Ford automobile to embody these principles.

Ford's business teeterred on the verge of extinction, having exhausted his credibility with investors and having a cash balance of $223.65 in early July 1903. When three customers made the first payments to the company on July 13, 1903, the pressure subsided slightly. Henry Ford and James Couzens had gambled on having product ready and customers signed up at the exact moment cash ran out. Needless to say, the company survived.

1903 Ford Model A Two photo
Runabout
The Ford Model A rested on a 72-inch wheelbase, weighed approximately 1,250 pounds, and was powered by an opposed two-cylinder engine that displaced 100 cubic inches and produced a stated eight horsepower. The transmission was a two-speed planetary unit with a chain drive differential. A band brake brought the wooden spoke wheels to a stop. There was wheel steering and a live axle suspension with full-elliptical leaf springs at the rear. The two-passenger runabout had a base price of $850 and the runabout with a tonneau boosted the price by $100.

The Ford Model A had its engine positioned under the passenger seating, driving to the rear axle by chain.

It is believed that after engine number 300, the bore size was increased and engine output increased to 10 horsepower. Other Ford cars soon followed, including the Model B, and the large Model K, which Henry himself detested for its size and expense. In 1908, the Model T was introduced.


by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2024

Related Reading : Ford Model A History

was first used by Ford in 1903 and also known as the Fordmobile. This was the first vehicle produced by the Ford Motor Company, and its first owner was Dr. Ernst Pfenning of Chicago, Illinois, who purchased the Model A on July 23, 1903. Production of the first generation Model A lasted from 1903 through 1905, with 1750 examples being produced. Automobile production was new and experiments with....
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1903 Ford Model A Two Vehicle Profiles

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1903 Model A Two
$955-$3,500
1903 Ford Model A Two Price Range: $855 - $955

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Model A / Fordmobile

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
72.00 in.
2 cyl., 100.40 CID., 8.00hp
$850 - $850
72.00 in.
2 cyl., 100.40 CID., 8.00hp
$855 - $955

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