Ford · 1903–1904
Ford Model A
The original Ford Model A is the first car produced by the Ford Motor Company, beginning production in 1903. Ernest Pfennig, a Chicago dentist, became the first owner of a Model A on July 23, 1903; 1,750 cars were made in 1903 and 1904 at the Ford Mack Avenue Plant, a modest rented wood-frame building on Detroit's East Side, and Ford's first facility. The Model A was replaced by the Ford Model C during 1904 with some sales overlap. The horizontal-mounted flat-2, situated amidships of the car, produced 8 horsepower (6 kilowatts). A planetary transmission was fitted with two forward speeds and reverse, a Ford signature later seen on the Ford Model T. The car weighed 1,240 pounds (562 kg) and could reach a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). It had a 72-inch (183 cm) wheelbase and sold for a base price of $750. Options included a rear tonneau with two seats and a rear door for $100, a rubber roof for $30 or a leather roof for $50. Band brakes were used on the rear wheels. However, it was $150 more than its most direct competitor, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, so did not sell as well. The 1904 model came as a two-seater runabout for $800 or the $900 four-seater tonneau model with an option to add a top. The company had spent almost its entire $28,000 initial investment funds with only $223.65 left in its bank account when the first Model A was sold. The success of this car model generated a profit for the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford's first successful business. Although Ford advertised the Model A as the "most reliable machine in the world", it suffered from many problems common to vehicles of the era, including overheating and slipping transmission bands. The Model A was sold only in red by the factory, though some were later repainted in other colors.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Ford Quadricycle · Successor: Ford Model B
All Ford Model A data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Ford Model AC
1904 Model A cars were equipped with the larger, 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) engine of the Model C and were sold as the Model AC. The Model AC can be visually distinguished from the Model A by its larger six-by-three-bar radiator.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Ford Model A
- Manufacturer
- Ford
- Production
- 1903–1904
- Predecessor
- Ford Quadricycle
- Successor
- Ford Model B, Ford Model C
- Body style
- 2-seat runabout, rear-entry 4-seat tonneau
- Engine
- Flat-2 1668 cc 8 hpKimes
- Transmission
- 2-speed planetary
- Wheelbase
- 72 in
- Kerb weight
- 1240 lb
- aka
- Fordmobile, Ford Model AC
- Designer
- Henry Ford
- Top speed
- 48 km/h
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1167651CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_A_(1903%E2%80%9304)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1357234070 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1903-ford-rc.jpgPublic domain · Photo: DougW at English Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.