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... introduced the moving assembly line, where parts were put on conveyor belts and moved from work station to work station. He sold more than 15, 000, 000 Model T's from 1908 to 1927. More than half the cars in America during this time period were Model T's. "The appearance of the Model T is generally regarded as the milestone in the transition of the car from its role as a 'toy of the rich' to a 'tool of the people. '" The advent of the Model T allowed new levels of society to buy and experience the benefits of owning a car. The Model T or "Tin Lizzie " as it was otherwise known was the culmination of all earlier efforts to, in effect, build the perfect car. Unlike in Europe, where the auto remained a luxury, the Model T became 'everyman's car', and changed the American cultural landscape.
The Model T first appeared in 1908, and was produced with almost no change until 1927. About 15, 000, 000 Model Ts were sold in this time period. The engine of the Model T was a four cylinder, four cycle, water cooled L-head unit. It had 22. 5 horsepower.
The transmission provided two forward speeds and reverse. The driver controlled the forward speeds with the left pedal, the reverse with the center pedal and the transmission brake with the right pedal. There was a lever to operate the rear wheel brakes. By combining the use of the pedals and the lever the driver could control the speed of the car. The car weighed a little more than 1, 200 pounds. The wheels were wooden spoke wheels mounted on clincher tires.
The body was made of wood and metal and the seats were upholstered in tufted black leather. The car had three doors, two in the back, and one in the front opposite the driver. There was a folding windshield, a collapsible top, a horn and kerosene tail and side lamps. There was no spare tire. The gas tank was beneath the front seat. The advertising campaign for the Model T read as follows: "The same old Ford Company has been manufacturing Ford cars designed by Henry Ford, since the very earliest days of the industry.
The first automobile ever seen in Detroit was a Ford. One of the first half dozen built in America was designed and built by Ford; 40, 000 Ford cars have since been built and all have made good. There never was a Ford failure - there never was an unfulfilled Ford promise and the years have built up a reputation for Ford that it would be folly to risk at this late date. " The mass production techniques of the Model T were applied to other industries to manufacture their products more efficiently. An example of this is the production of gas powered farm equipment, such as the tractor. The whole concept of manufacturing was turned on its ear. Assembly lines and mass production became the norm.
Another major event with far reaching consequences occurred in the car industry in 1908. William G. Durant, a former carriage maker, formed General Motors, combining Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, Oakland and seven other companies. The rise of the company was slow but steady. One of the biggest contributions of General Motors to the development of the car was the invention of the electric starter in 1912. This made the starting and operation of a car much easier and much safer.
General Motors achieved success in the 1920 's, when the popularity of the Model T waned. Today General Motors is the nation's largest auto manufacturer. By 1908 the automobile industry was a success. Modern manufacturing techniques, the gasoline powered engine, affordable fuel and acceptance by the American people all combined to make the automobile part of our world. There were many people in addition to those mentioned in the report who contributed to the success of the automobile. Listed below are some of these people with a brief description of their contributions: David Buick - developed the original Buick, the first car to demonstrate and popularize the valve-in-head engine, now used in all American cars.
Louis Chevrolet - chief engineer of the first Chevrolet motor cars. These were six cylinder, heavy, beautiful and expensive cars. Chevrolet has made more transportation vehicles than any other manufacturer. Walter Chrysler - founder and first president of the Chrysler Corporation. He added Dodge to the Chrysler Corporation.
He was president of Buick and vice president of GM. James Coupons - early business manager of Ford Motor Company. He held Ford's respect, was pivotal in the financial dealings of the company. He helped hold together the company during the manufacture of the Model T. John and Horace Dodge - produced parts for Oldsmobile and Ford.
Developed the Dodge motorcar, the motor cars used by the United States Army. Charles F. Kettering - developed the first electrical self starter now used in all cars. A force in demanding the establishment of automotive research as equally important as manufacturing and marketing cars. Henry Leland - developed the Cadillac and the Lincoln. His machine shop produced motorcar parts with excellent precision.
Introduced the concept of interchangeable parts. He invented the electrical system of the motorcar. Charles W. Nash - executive of Durant-Dort Carriage Company, became president of Buick and General Motors. Established the Nash Motor Company.
James W. Packard - designed and introduced the Packard in 1899 in Warren, Ohio. The Packard became the American luxury car between the two World Wars. It was sold for 59 years from 1899 to 1958 C. Harold Wills - engineer and designer who worked with Henry Ford to develop the Model T.
He urged the use of lighter steel alloys in making cars. He created the Willis-St. Clair car, one of the luxury cars of the 1920 's. John N. Willys - founded and ran the Willys Overland Company for twenty years. He sold more cars in competition with the Model T than any other company.
Alexander Winton - designed and produced the third successful internal combustion motor car. The Winton was the first luxury car to be produced in the US before World War I. It was produced from 1896 to 1925. From Horse to Horsepower is an appropriate name for this era. In 1865, the common method of transportation was the horse and buggy. By 1908, it was apparent that the automobile was the transportation of the future.
The automobile had radically changed America, and has become a symbol of modern times. Today over seven million automobiles are produced in the U. S. as well as over three million trucks and buses. The automobile industry is the leading manufacturing industry in the Unites States and is the primary customer of many other industries. For instance the auto industry buys 15 % of all steel, 62 % of all lead, and 65 % of all the rubber manufactured and processed in the United States.
About thirteen million Americans are employed by the auto industry and related businesses. The automobile has a spawned many other industries and created millions of other jobs. Examples are the Federal Highway Systems, state and local road systems and the workers who care for these roads. A familiar example of a small business developed because of the automobile is snow plowing, a very lucrative part time occupation in this part of the United States. All this is the result of the ingenuity and creativity of the turn of the century automotive pioneers. Bibliography 1) Berkebile, Donald & Oliver, Smith The Smithsonian Collection of Automobiles and Motorcycles, Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1968 2) Burness, Tad, The Auto Album, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. 3) Crabb, Richard, Birth of a Giant, New York: Chilton Book Company, 1969 4) Hill, Frank The Automobile How it Came, Grew, and Has Changed Our Lives, New York: Dodd, Mead and co. , 1967. 5) Hendry, P.
G. Vintage and Veteran Cars, New York: Arco Publishing Company, Inc, 1974 6) Ludvigsen, Karl & Wise, David The Encyclopedia of the American Automobile Secaucus, , NJ: Chartwell Books, Inc. , 1977. 7) Pettifer, Julian & Turner, Nigel Automatic, Great Britain: Little, Brown & Company, 1984. 8) Sedgewick, James Early Cars London: Octopus Publishing, 1962. 9) The World Book Encyclopedia, Chicago: World Book, Inc. , 1997
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Research essay sample on Model T Henry Ford
