Henry Ford and the Model T

Steve Pike, director of the Memphis Pink Palace Family of Museums, with another Memphis Moment: Henry Ford founded a car company, and changed our lives forever.  His goal was to build a car that most families could afford, and he succeeded.  The first Model T was sold on October 1, 1908.  

To lower costs, Ford used standardized parts, mass production, and an assembly line.  In 1914, it took 93 minutes to assemble a car.  By 1925, new Fords rolled out every ten seconds.

After making more than 15 million Model Ts, Ford ended production of the beloved “Tin Lizzies” in 1927.  Even he admitted it was time for a change in style and for another color besides black.  The Model T was succeeded by the new, improved Model A.

If you would like to see a Model T and learn more about all of our regions history, visit the Pink Palace Family of Museums, or on Facebook, or at memphismuseums.org.