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1907 Ford Model S

Henry Ford built a self-propelled vehicle named the Ford Quadricycle in 1896. A second experimental vehicle was completed in 1898 and on August 5th of 1899, with capital from Detroit lumber baron William H. Murphy, the Detroit Automobile Company was formed. This venture was short-lived, as it was dissolved in January of 1901 due to several issues including poor quality and higher-than-expected prices. Henry's next business venture was the Henry Ford Company formed on November 30th of 1901. This too was short-lived and the Henry M. Leland was brought in to help save the ailing company. Although the company bore his name, Henry left; Leland renamed the company the Cadillac Automobile Company.

In October of 1902, Ford built a racing special dubbed '999,' named after a New York Central Railway train that set records in 1893. On October 25, 1902, Barney Oldfield drove the 999 wide open and defeated Alexander Winton, W.C. Bucknam, and Charles Shanks at the Grosse Pointe racetrack in Michigan. It had a potent four-cylinder engine that displaced 18.8-liters and produced approximately 70 horsepower.

Having proven his engineering prowess once again, Mr. Ford proved he was an equally competent businessman, securing backing from a Detroit-area coal dealer named Alexander Y. Malcomson for another business venture, this time the Ford & Malcomson, Ltd. The company was re-incorporated as the Ford Motor Company on June 16th of 1903 with John S. Gray serving as president.

The Ford Motor Company's first factory was located on Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan and their first vehicle was aptly named the Model A. Its two-cylinder engine displaced 100.4 cubic inches, produced eight horsepower, and was paired with a planetary transmission. The runabout was priced at $850 and the addition of a tonneau cover boosted the price by another $100. Sales were brisk with around 600 units sold by the year's end.

The following year, an improved version of the Model A was introduced, called the Model A/C, with a larger, 10-horsepower engine. The Model C was introduced in 1904 and production continued into 1905 along with the new, more powerful four-cylinder Model B. The more economical Model C sold better than its Model B sibling, but features of both were integrated into the new Model F, introduced by the end of 1905.

The inexpensive Model N debuted in 1906 and was very popular. Its four-cylinder engine displaced 149 cubic inches and produced approximately 18 horsepower. Ford's lineup at the time included the Model F priced at $1,100, the Model K at $2,500, and the Model N runabout at $600. By this point in history, Ford had relocated into a larger facility on Piquette Avenue in Detroit, and the introduction of the Model K had been strongly suggested by his stockholders. Since lower priced Model N vastly outsold the Model K, Ford redesigned the exterior of the Model N and introduced two new models in 1907 and 1908, the Model R and the Model S.

Both were offered with runabout bodies (the Model S was also available as a roadster) and similar mechanical specifications including the 149 CID inline-4 engine. Priced at $700 for the Model S Runabout and $750 for the Model S roadster, only the Model N Runabout (at $600) was less expensive. These low-priced, durable, and easily repairable models further convinced Mr. Ford of the direction he should steer his company towards. Setting his sights on volume, Ford would introduce the Model T in October of 1908, and a record 15 million units would eventually be built, putting 'America on wheels' in the process.

The Model S set the stage for the legendary Model T and its importance cannot be overstated. It sold for less than virtually all of its competitors, yet was one of the most reliable automobiles produced anywhere in the world. Approximately 6,060 (as few as 5,764) examples of the Model S were built until the arrival of the Model T. Approximately 2,350 were runabouts and 3,710 were roadsters. The Model S was the second most popular Ford product behind the Model N.

The Model S rested on an 84-inch wheelbase which it shared with the Model N and Model R. Its four-cylinder engine had a cast iron block, mechanical valve lifters, and a Holley carburetor. The two-speed Planetary transmission had a disc clutch, floor shift controls, and chain drive.


by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2022

Related Reading : Ford Model S History

The Ford Model S was the predecessor the famous Model T that put America on Wheels. The Model S was positioned between the Model N and the R. Its bodywork was more elaborate than the Model N. With a base price of %24700, it was a very affordable and practical machine. Production lasted from 1907 through 1909 with a total of 3750 examples produced. Most of the Model S vehicles were two- or three-seater....
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1907 Ford Model S Vehicle Profiles

1907 Ford Model S vehicle information
Runabout

Chassis #: 1948
Engine #: 1948

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Model S

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
84.00 in.
4 cyl., 149.00 CID., 18.00hp
84.00 in.
4 cyl., 149.00 CID., 15.00hp
$700 - $750

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