“You can have any color as long as it’s black”. This was an iconic quote from Henry Ford about his creation of the Model T. Although the Model T was not the first car created, it revolutionized all of America. The Model T was marketed to the middle class, it increased the productivity of the work force as well as the economy, and its design made it the most reliable car of its time. I would like to address that the dream of owning a car in the early 19th century, became a reality for the middle class. There were numerous cars before the creation of the Model T, but only the rich could afford them. At the beginning of its era the Model T was priced at $805 and later it began to decrease as low as $260. It was a car that was affordable to anyone, but primarily the middle class. The Model T put “America on wheels”. With over 15 million units sold, the common American could travel independently to wherever he or she chose. There was no need to be on a bus and wait an hour until you could finally reach your desired destination. The Model T took away those hassles and made Americans independent. …show more content…
An addition to transportation, the use of a car made it possible for an American to work far from home. Car owners were no longer restricted from working in a local area. They could venture forth for miles to reach or obtain a job. Distance was no longer an issue and America started to expand its horizons. In order to keep America on wheels, the establishment of gas stations, auto repair shops, and the expansion of roads started to become necessities to car owners. Jobs were being created, the economy was roaring, and the Model T was a large part of
* Model T became a popular car because of low price, cheap (mass production) and easy maintenance
Other manufacturers were content to target the wealthy American could buy, not even considering the middle or lower class. Ford developed a design and a method of making the cars that steadily and continuously reduced the cost of the car, the car being the Model T. Instead of pocketing the money from the cars Ford used it to make better and more efficient ways to build a car. As a result, Ford Motor Company sold more cars and steadily increased its earnings. Henry Ford somehow managed to change people from the looking at an automobile as a luxury, and more like a convenience
Henry Ford, whose name arouses recognition to this day, was one of the most well known figures in the automobile industry. He had created the assembly line to use within manufacturing in order to increase productivity, and consequently, reduce the prices of automobiles. With these famously low prices, it wasn’t uncommon to see cars, such as the 1920 ReVere Touring Car, parked around cities (Doc D). Finally, most American persons would be able to afford a personal vehicle. Due to the growth in this particular industry, employment opportunities had opened up for the common man, with the demand for car factory laborers. It seems, that with this advancement, America was better
One thing can be certain: For better or for worse, the automobile changed the face of America forever. The Automobile had profound economic impact. Americans could now commute to work from outside the cities, allowing for a greater number of Americans to work (Document 1). Those who commuted to work would also have better living
The automobile industry put American citizens into action. Mass production was a big component in the success of automobiles. Although successful, it became very repetitive. Skilled workers who were once worshipped, were no longer needed. Henry Ford was described as racist, bitter, but he brought success to citizens in the 1920s. Ford started the Ford Motor Company in 1903 with the help of a limited amount of workers in a shed. It was not until 1914 where custom-made cars turned into many cars, such as the Model T, moving down an assembly line. The Model T was a very popular car that benefitted cheap labor and easy mobility for its owners. Ford became a billionaire from the help of the federal government’s actions. At this point, the government decided that funds should be spent more on roads. Automobiles introduced
Threats of substitutes: In U.S., an automobile was considered as necessity so for every adult there was car on roads. Even for inter-city travel more than 70% time cars were used. Buses, trains and other means didn’t have much impact. The growing array of higher priced imported models had negative effect.
The automobile has had a profound impact on the United States. It has brought us
During this time the average family could now consider going out and buying an automobile. Before, only the rich were able to buy a car due to their outrageous price. I cannot imagine life without someone in my family owning a vehicle. It may not affect people in the cities because they have other means of transportation, but in rural areas like we live, a car is essential.
Technology has been the focal point in both generations, establishing many revolutionary changes that altered the nation’s future ahead. The 1920’s were the beginning of a new age, originating the inventions of the television, the Ford Model T. automobile, the Jukebox, and many other essential items. The Model T. created by Henry Ford changed the whole aspect of transportation, providing Americans with the freedom to travel more at a much more affordable cost. The History.com Staff state in the article The Roaring 20’s that, “...the most important consumer product of the 1920s was the
Imagine how life would be if our society did not have cars. Today, our society is dependent on cars for our daily routines. From transporting our food, clothes, and technology to just going to the store across the street, cars are a very important part of our society. In the 19th century, only the wealthy and upper middle class had access to automobiles, and they only used cars for fancy transportation and to show off their money. This was due to the extreme prices of cars in the 19th century. With these high prices not many people could afford them, especially not the working class. Henry Ford revolutionized the automotive industry in the
The model T was the first affordable car for all people in America. It was a huge step in the advancements of Americans and allowed people to get things done a lot faster than the old ways of
Without the automobile trucks would be unable to bring food and other important items to the cities. Another reason the automobile has changed society for the better is that it has created many jobs that revenue millions of dollars yearly due to the different types of jobs such as building highways, truckers delivering items from state to state and busses that people for daily. There are many ways that the automobile has changed the history of it, rather having it become a necessity into every day life. It has become a personal admiration toward some groups of people collect them.
Henry Ford created the Model T with the goal of producing a car that could be marketed to the middle class. Up until this point the average car produced cost around $2,000, which exceeded the price range of most Americans. Ford saw the middle class as an economic opportunity, a chance to create more costumers while still manufacturing the same product. His decision was not based exclusively on the lucrative market of the middle class though, but also on his humanitarian belief that citizens deserved the opportunity to purchase a car, as it would allow them to “enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces." Not surprisingly, when Ford created the Model T the working class flooded factories with
In 1908 Henry Ford had constructed the Model T; the time it took him to create this automobile was 13 days. Now eager to achieve more, Ford knew that he needed a place to construct these cars. He also knew that to sell mass amounts he would have to sell cheap, and buy parts and supplies even cheaper (Douglas, 25). The construction of the first Ford Motor plant used the world’s only conveyer belt. This was part of the Fords plan to build fast, when he constructed the assembly line cars were pumped out in as fast as 15 minuets, this was down from 19 days. Ford was able to make the automobile a car for everyman, a working man with a family.
It created a better way of transportation, produced opportunities to new forms of leisure and added to the building up of the city. The Model T also added great success to the Ford Motor Company. Not only did Ford contribute his automobile, but he introduced ideas like the assembly line and through the popularity of the automobile built up industries like oil and rubber(American). Henry Ford was a man who contributed a lot to the people of his time, but not everyone felt the same way about him.