Before the Model T, automobiles were considered a symbol of frivolity, expensive toys for the well-to-do with little practical use.
But aided by mass assembly-line style production, Henry Ford began making a high-quality, affordable vehicle in large quantities. In the same 12 hours it took his competitors to build a single automobile, often with inconsistent results, Ford was able to produce 8 identical Model Ts. The finished product cost roughly half as much as most other cars in the market.
By 1914, a worker in one of Ford's very own US factories could buy his family a Model T with just four months' wages, a milestone that Ford had set from the beginning.
By 1918, a decade after the Model T's launch, it enjoyed a roughly 50 per cent market share in the US, completely unprecedented for a single vehicle.
About 15 million Model Ts were manufactured during a twenty-year span, making the Model T the largest selling auto of all-time at the time, a record that lasted for more than 40 years.
Today, despite its recent struggles, the Ford Motor Company is still thoroughly woven into the fabric of American society, a veritable US institution. Many in the US find it unthinkable that one day soon FMC may be forced to permanently shut its doors.
This long-standing respect and prestige owes a lot to Henry Ford and his Model T.
Image: Ford Model Ts are on display during a week-long 100th anniversary celebration of the Model T in Richmond, Indiana on July 24, 2008. | Photograph: Sam VarnHagen/Reuters
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