Ford · 1903–1932
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).
Generations & variants
Photos
Sources
- Wikidata / Wikipedia profiles — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/cars/Q1167651CC0 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.