Why Is the Model T Car So Important?

The Model T was an automobile built and sold by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 until 1927. For a variety of reasons, the Ford Model T is considered extremely important to the history of the automobile.

Production Techniques

The Model T was the first automobile to be built using an assembly line. Previous cars built by Ford and the other early automobile companies were manufactured one at a time. This allowed Ford to churn out large numbers of cars each day.

Cost

Because of these efficient production techniques, Ford was able to sell the Model T at a price that many Americans could afford. The 1908 model cost $825 and the price of the car went down as production became even more efficient.

Popularity

Because Ford was able to produce so many Model Ts and because the car's price made it so affordable, the Model T was a very popular car. Over the 19 years that the Model T was produced, 15 million of the cars were produced -- a production run surpassed only by the Volkswagen Beetle, according to the Henry Ford Showroom of Automotive History.

References

• Frontenac Motor Company: History of the Ford Model T
• Henry Ford Showroom of Automotive History: The Model T