For all his quirks, Henry Ford was a great American. He
loved Americana. He gave the American middle class a new way to travel and in
so doing, complete freedom of movement – affordably. He was friends with other
great inventors, including Thomas Edison. Reluctantly, he helped Roosevelt beat
the Axis powers in WWII as part of the Arsenal of Democracy.
The Pick of the Day for the Fourth of July is a 1912 Ford Model T Runabout roadster with a pickup box offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Norwalk, Ohio. This is the car that revolutionized the way goods are manufactured with the everyday owner in mind.
The first year of the conveyer assembly line was actually 1913.
Ford incorporated it, but some of the credit must go to Ford employees Clarence
Avery, Peter E. Martin, Charles E. Sorensen, and C. Harold Wills
for conceptualizing the process. By 1927, when production ended for the Model T
to make way for an all-new Model A, the first mass-produced car represented
nearly half of all cars on the road.
Ford actually lowered the price of the car each year because of realized savings in manufacturing, which was passed onto the consumer. He sold the cars through a network of franchised dealerships and came up with creative financing to get people behind the wheel. The result was 16.5 million Model Ts sold. Its record for the best-selling car in the world stood for 45 years.
In 1914, Ford also paid his assembly-line employees nearly
double that of his competitors. A $5 a day wage seemed crazy, but it helped
Ford attract the best workers – who in turn would be consumers of the product.
His competitors would then need to raise the pay rate for retention of their
best employees.
According to the seller’s description, “This is a spectacular
brass-era Model T. Frame-off restoration to very high standards. Finished in
proper red. Black button-tufted seat. Black cloth top. Speedometer. Clock.
Brass Moto-Meter with Dog Bone. Brass Ford script step plate. E&J brass
headlamps, side lamps and tail lamp.”
The dealer also says that a modern acetylene tank is mounted
behind the seat and provides gas for the working headlamps. There are a few
other “modern features” including an accessory electric STOP lamp, a running-board-mounted tool box and both
battery and magneto, making for easy crank starts. The powertrain is a 177 cid
4 -cylinder engine through a planetary transmission.
“This Ford would be
great for HCCA (Horseless Carriage Club of America), AACA (Antique Automobile
Club of America) and MTFCA (Model T Ford Club of America) shows, tours and club
events. Ready to drive, show and enjoy,” the seller notes.
It’s a real slice of ingenuity. Grit. Americana. The asking
price is $55,900. A far cry from the $800 sticker nearly 110 years ago.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
