Built Ford Tough

So I’m reading a book called “American Road,” by Pete Davies. It’s about a trans-continental road trip taken in 1919. Paved roads were a luxury back then, one of the reasons for the trip. I’ll tell you more about it when I’m done. Today I want to talk about one of the car companies.

Ford. Founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, its first car was sold on this day that same year, for a base price of $750. It was named simply the Ford Model A.



It came as a two seat runabout, or a four seat tonneau (that’s a hard or soft cover) with the option for a few other accessories. They were all painted red at the factory; some were repainted after. It was advertised to be “the most reliable car in the world,” although it had many troubles common to cars of that era, such as overheating and slipping transmission bands. Finally, despite the fact that its direct competitor was only $600, it turned a profit, Mr. Ford’s first successful business.