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Fact File about the Invention of the Model T: Invention: Model T *** Date of Invention: 1908 *** Name of Inventor: Henry Ford *** Lifespan of Inventor: 1863 - 1947 *** Nationality of Inventor: American *** Historical Period: Second US Industrial Revolution / Victorian (1850 - 1914) *** Category: Transportation *** Country of Origin: America *** Facts about the Inventor, Henry Ford, and the invention of the Model T *** Fact 1: Who invented the Model T? The Model T was invented by Henry Ford in 1908 during the Second US Industrial Revolution era of inventions (1850 - 1914). Fact 7: Who invented the Model T? Following his education his first job was in 1879 as an apprentice machinist at the James F. Flower & Bros shipbuilding firm in Detroit. He completed his apprenticeship with the Detroit Dry Dock Company and in 1882 returned to the family farm and took a course to study bookkeeping at Goldsmith, Bryant & Stratton Business College in Detroit. Fact 9: Who invented the Model T? Henry Ford lived in an exciting time, known as the Second US Industrial Revolution. He was inspired when Thomas Alva Edison (1847 - 1931) invented the first practical incandescent light bulb in 1879 and the country was about to undergo a massive change due to the invention of electricity. Even more amazing was when, in 1886, the first gasoline car was invented by Karl Benz Fact 10: Who invented the Model T? In 1888, Henry Ford married Clara Ala Bryant and briefly returned to farming to support his wife and son, Edsel Bryant Ford (1893-1943). Fact 14: Who invented the Model T? The Ford Model A, right red, 2-seat runabout also known as the Fordmobile, was the first car produced by company. The company manufactured 1,750 cars but it was more expensive than its main competitor, the Oldsmobile, which was produced by the Olds Motor Vehicle Co. founded by Ransom E. Olds. Fact 15: Who invented the Model T? Henry Ford steered the company with new ideas and began improving the Ford Model A. Many new models were designed and manufactured up to the Model S. The first Model T automobiles were produced on October 1, 1908. Fact 16: Who invented the Model T? The light, fast, and strong original Model T automobiles were made of Vanadium steel, had 9 different body styles and came in 4 colors; grey, green, blue, and red - not black. The Ford Model T car was designed to appeal to the masses and the first selling price was $825. The Ford Model T car became commonly known as the "Tin Lizzie", the word 'Lizzie' was a slang word of the period used to describe a reliable servant. Fact 17: Who invented the Model T? The Model T cars were easy to operate and drive, inexpensive to repair and the engine was capable of running on gasoline, kerosene, or ethanol. The Ford Model T became so popular that it was selling faster than the company could make them. Henry Ford began searching for ways to speed up the manufacturing process of the car and came to the decision that the Assembly Line technique, invented by his old competitor Ransom E. Olds, was the way forward. Fact 18: Who invented the Model T? Henry Ford improved the ideas pionered by Ransom E. Olds by installing conveyor belts on the Ford Assembly Line. The moving platforms of the Ford conveyor system enabled the chassis of the Model T automobile to be towed by a rope that moved it from station to station in order to allow workers to assemble each part. Fact 19: Who invented the Model T? Henry Ford introduced the assembly line method in 1914 which reduced the production time of a Model T car from 12 hours 8 minutes to just 1 hour 33 minutes. He also slashed the prices of his Model T cars to just $260. Fact 20: Who invented the Model T? The Ford Assembly Line technique enabled Henry Ford to cut prices of the Model T, but another reason for the price reduction was by using black paint. Fact 21: Who invented the Model T? The black paint color used on the Model T was the most durable and also dried the fastest, speeding up production. Henry Ford's most famous quote was "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants - so long as it is black!" Fact 22: Who invented the Model T? By 1918 over 50% of all the cars sold in the United States were Ford Model T cars. Ford offered nine Model T body style designs consisting of the Model T roadster, the Model T runabout, the Model T touring car, the Model T roadster torpedo, the Model T town car, the Model T coupe, the coupelet, and the 4-door and tudor sedans. Fact 23: Who invented the Model T? Henry Ford and his Model T car together with the cost efficient assembly line, car ownership, and the freedom it offered, affordable to many Americans in the 1920's. Fact 24: Who invented the Model T? Henry Ford died on April 7, 1947 of a cerebral haemorrhage. He will always be remembered as the innovative businessman who revolutionized American society with his invention of the Model T automobile. |