1904 Ford Model A/C

As the 19th century was coming to a close, Henry Ford was developing his first gasoline buggy. Like other motorized vehicles from this era, it was a primitive quadricycle equipped with a twin-cylinder engine. It would be several years before commercial motorcar production got underway. The Ford Motor Co. was founded in 1903 and the first commercial vehicle was the twin-cylinder-engined Model A. The engine was positioned under the passenger seating, supplying power to the rear axle by a chain. Unlike the contemporary mass-produced vehicles from Oldsmobile, the Ford Model A used wheel steering with full-elliptic suspension. The 100.4 cubic-inch engine had two opposed cylinders, a cast-iron block, mechanical valve lifters, and a Schebler carburetor that was later replaced by a Holley unit. The engine was backed by a planetary tranmission. The two-passenger runabout was priced at approximately $850 and rode on wooden spoke wheels. Production was at a disused wagon works in Mack Avenue, Detroit.

Between 1903 and 1904, Ford produced approximately 1,500 examples of these voiturettes. Around the production of engine number 300, it is believed that the bore size was increased and horsepower increase from 8 to 10 bhp. Additional modifications included a block that was split horizontally to enable access from the top and bottom of the engine, a larger radiator, larger water jackets, six 'drip feed' oilers, an enlarged flywheel, and an improved rear axle. Open differential units assisted with the rear-drive and braking system. These 'enhanced' Model A vehicles are now commonly known as the 'AC.'

The Model 'AC' was later succeeded by an aesthetically different (but technically similar) model known as the Model C. Like many other American manufacturers of this era, the new Ford had its radiator gracing the front of the automobile, although the engine remained amidship. To improve convenience, the petrol tank was also moved to the front, with access through the top of the 'bonnet' for the larger capacity 9-gallon unit.

In August 1904, Henry Ford formed a new Canadian company in Windsor, which began to produce Model C cars at a plant in Walkerville, Ontario. They received a design that incorporated side access doors that replaced the previous rear entrance style of bodywork. This change meant the engine was needed to sit further forward in the frame of the car, resulting in increased seating capacity in the rear and a small protrusion of the front cylinder into the front seating area, now covered with a panel. Initially, a foot step was used to reach the steps but was later replaced with full running boards.

After 870 units had been delivered, the Model C was replaced by the Model F. The Model C was priced at approximately $900.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2021