Ford Model T Introduced
Henry Ford introduced the Model T, the first affordable automobile for the general public
October 01, 1908
The Car That Changed Everything
When Henry Ford introduced the Model T in October 1908, he wasn't just launching a new vehicle — he was changing the way people lived. The Model T was simple, reliable, and designed to be affordable for ordinary Americans. It could handle rough country roads at a time when most roads were unpaved. Ford priced the car at $825 in 1908, still expensive but far cheaper than most automobiles of the era. Within a year, demand was outpacing supply, and Ford was looking for ways to produce more cars, faster, and at lower cost.
The Assembly Line Revolution
In 1913, Ford introduced the moving assembly line at his Highland Park plant in Michigan. Instead of workers moving around to build each car, the car moved along a conveyor belt and each worker performed one specific task. This innovation slashed production time dramatically. The time to build a Model T dropped from over 12 hours to about 93 minutes. As production costs fell, so did the price of the car. By 1924, a Model T cost just $260. Ford also famously raised worker wages to $5 per day, enabling his own employees to afford the cars they built.
A Nation on Wheels
The Model T transformed American society in ways that went far beyond transportation. It spurred demand for gasoline, roads, rubber, and steel. Suburbs began to grow as people could live farther from city centers. Small towns became connected to larger markets. By the time production ended in 1927, over 15 million Model Ts had been built — a record that stood for decades. The automobile age that Ford launched reshaped urban planning, culture, and the economy. Use the date calculator to see how many years have passed since the first Model T rolled off the line.