Ford Model T Research Paper

When Henry Ford created the Ford Motor Company, his goal was to make the automobile a need rather than a luxury that was affordable for the average American family. The car that accomplished that goal was the Model T. When Ford’s Model T was released in October of 1903, the main key to it’s success was that a new type of alloy, which is a mixture of two metals, called Vanadium was used instead of regular steel because it was lighter and stronger. The revolutionary alloy had been used in some European automobiles, but it had never been used by US car manufacturers. (citation) Ford implemented Vanadium into the Model T’s predecessor, the Model N, but it was not widely used until the Model T was produced. Vanadium used in the Model T was not only stronger and lighter than previously used …show more content…
Due to all of these features that no car had before, the Model T proved to be a major success. Not only was Ford making huge profits, but it was also helping local economies greatly because there was a Ford dealership in nearly every town with more than 2,000 people in it totaling to more than 7,000 dealerships nationwide selling the Model T. (citation) In 1908, Ford sold 6,000 Model T’s, which was considered a massive success, but by time production of the car was ceased in 1927, it had sold more than 15,000,000 models nationwide. (citation) Nearly two thirds of all cars on the road in America were Model T (citation). Another impact of the Model T was that since so many more families owned automobiles, it put increased pressure on the government to improve the roads throughout the country. The production of the vehicle came to an end as a result of more modern and stylish cars being released from Ford’s competitors made the Model T begin to look outdated, prompting the automaker to replace it with the Model A. (citation) While the Model T’s days were over, it would leave a lasting legacy as the car that accomplished Ford’s goal of creating an affordable car for