Ford’s model T car remained unchanged for 19 years!

Henry Ford was a man who once grew rich by manufacturing for 19 years the same car in the same model and the same color. The car was his remarkable model T. Model T Ford made its first public appearance in 1908. Though other automobile companies—Ford’s competitors—issued new model every year, the model T remained unchanged, except for minor improvements. But people preferred model T because it was cheap (as low as $ 265 at one time), easy to drive and durable.

Henry Ford was in the automobile business five years before he started producing the Model T in his factory in the Highland Park suburb of Detroit. Standardised parts, mass-produced were a prime reason for the cheapness of the Model T. Model T parts were available almost everywhere and in some of the world’s most out-of-the-way places. Attracted by their simplicity as well as their economy, people bought a large number of cars. For a long time Ford could not make enough of them to meet the demand.

Model T’s rattled through the towns and cities and along the country roads. Farmers installed tractor wheels and did their ploughing with Model T’s. They removed a tyre, attached a belt and ran buzz saws, pumped water, churned butter, and generated electricity. Railroads put flanged wheels on Model T’s and used them as inspection cars. Movie companies made Model T’s collapsible and used them in Keystone cop comedies.

Henry Ford did indeed made a lot of money out of the Model T. He became, in fact, one of the two or three wealthiest men in the world. Moreover, the Model T brought fantastic returns to his original stockholders before he bought them all out. In all $ 28,000 was invested in the Ford Motor Co. by 12 people, and in 10 years they made back a quarter-billion dollars.

But in the mid 1920’s, the Model T began to meet sales resistance. Other makes with their lively colours and annual model changes, were catching the fancy of the public.

At last the Model T had to give way to mechanical progress. When the new Model A Ford appeared with stylish lines and in vibrant colours, it made the front page of practically every newspapers in the USA.

On May 26, 1927 the 15,000,000 Model T rolled off the assembly line. Shortly afterwards production of the Model T’s stopped entirely.