The First Ford Model A

Oscar’s Gift Reading Guide: Day 17

The First Ford Model A

“Most people were arriving in wagons or on horseback, but a few brand new red Ford Model A motor cars were parked on the side of the barn, as well as the banker’s big green luxury Packard.” ~ Oscar’s Gift

1903 Ford Model A Runabout
1903 Ford Model A Runabout. Photo: Henry Ford Museum
1904 Packard Model L Touring Car
1904 Packard Model L Touring Car. Photo: Henry Ford Museum

When we think of Ford Model A cars, we usually think of the ones manufactured in the late 1920s and early 1930s, after the introduction of the Model T:

1931 Model A Ford Deluxe Tudor Sedan
1931 Model A Ford Deluxe Tudor Sedan

However, in 1903-1905 Henry Ford’s first production model was also known as the Model A, and when the first three cars were ordered in July of 1903, the company had a bank balance of less than $250 and an uncertain future. Watch video of one of those automobiles, the oldest Ford car known to be in existence, purchased and restored by Henry Ford’s great-grandson:

See other examples of what cars looked like in 1905, then learn about Henry Ford’s beginnings in this opening segment of  “The American Experience: Henry Ford”:

 


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