The Model T

The Revolutionizing Car

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     The Model T, or the "Tin Lizzie" was the change in the way that Americans worked, lived and most importantly: traveled. The Model T was the very first car to be owned by millions of Americans because Henry Ford changed the way that cars were made.

     The Model T was built by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. More than 15 million of these cars were made and at times, made up forty percent of the cars owned in the United States. The car was available in multiple different body styles but always on the same chassis. There was also an array of colors to pick from in the beginning but as Henry Ford got more and more efficient, there became only one color and that was black. That is because it was the fastest drying paint in the world, which sped up production, but it only came in black.

     The car could get up to speeds of about 40-45 miles per hour on the 20 horsepower engine. The transmission consisted of a reverse gear and two forward gears controlled by pedals instead of the stick that we would see today. Finally the gas tank was located under the front seat which may seem odd but the gas was fed to the engine by gravity so the cars would usually have more power driving in reverse because of physics which also means that people drove their Model T's up steep hills backwards.