Ford Model A (1903–04)
| Ford Model A | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Also called |
Fordmobile Ford Model AC |
| Production | 1903–1904 |
| Designer | Henry Ford |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style |
2-seat runabout rear-entry 4-seat tonneau |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Flat-2 1668 cc (101.788 cu in) 8hp.[1] |
| Transmission | 2-speed planetary |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 72 in (1.8 m)[2] |
| Curb weight | 1,240 lb (562 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Quadricycle |
| Successor |
Ford Model B Ford Model C |
The original Ford Model A is the first car produced by Ford, beginning production in 1903. Ernst Pfennig, a Chicago dentist, became the first owner of a Model A on July 23, 1903.[3] 1,750 cars were made from 1903 through 1904 during Ford's occupancy of its first facility: the Ford Mack Avenue Plant, a modest rented wood frame building on Detroit's East Side. The Model A was replaced by the Ford Model C during 1904 with some sales overlap.
The car came as a two-seater runabout for $800 or the $900 [4] four-seater tonneau model with an option to add a top. The horizontal-mounted flat-2, situated amidships of the car, produced 8 hp (6 kW). A planetary transmission was fitted with two forward speeds and reverse, a Ford signature later seen on the Ford Model T. The car weighed 1,240 lb (562 kg) and could reach a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). It had a 72 inch (1.8 m) wheelbase and sold for a base price of US$750. Options included a rear tonneau with two seats and a rear door for $100, a rubber roof for $30 or a leather roof for $50. Band brakes were used on the rear wheels.[1] However, it was $150 more than its most direct competitor, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, and so did not sell as well.[3]
The company had spent almost its entire $28,000 initial investment funds with only $223.65 left in its bank account when the first Model A was sold. The success of this car model generated a profit for the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford's first successful business.[5]
Although Ford advertised the Model A as the "most reliable machine in the world", it suffered from many problems common to vehicles of the era, including overheating and slipping transmission bands. The Model A was sold only in red by the factory, though some were later repainted in other colors.[6]
Model AC
Some 1904 Model A cars were equipped with the larger, more powerful engine of the Model C and were sold as the Model AC.
References
- 1 2 Kimes, Beverly (1996). standard catalog of American Cars 1805–1942. Krause publications. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
- ↑ http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7472/Ford-Model-A-Two.aspx
- 1 2 Lacey, Robert (1986). Ford: The Men and the Machine. Little, Brown and company. ISBN 0-316-51166-8.
- ↑ ad in Automobile Review magazine, Chicago, Dec. 15, 1903, p. 10
- ↑ "Early Ford". Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ↑ Auto Museum Online - 1903 Ford Model A
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ford Model A (1903). |
| Ford Motor Company vehicle timeline, North American market, 1903–1942 — next » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Runabout | Model A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model AC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Touring | Model B | Model F | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model K | Model T | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model N | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model S | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | Model T | Model A | Model B | Model 18 | Model 40 | Model 48 | Standard | Standard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| De Luxe | Deluxe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pickup Truck | Model TT | Model AA | Model BB | Model 48 | Standard | Standard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Model T | Model A | Model B | Model 18 | Model 40 | De Luxe | Deluxe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bus | Transit Bus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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