[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/henry-ford-only-wanted-to-make-the-model-t\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/henry-ford-only-wanted-to-make-the-model-t\/","headline":"Henry Ford Only Wanted To Make The Model T","name":"Henry Ford Only Wanted To Make The Model T","description":"Coming close to ruin, Ford\u2019s stubbornness was a harsh lesson learned. Here\u2019s an interesting fact about the legendary Henry Ford and the equally-important Model T car of the early 1900s; Henry Ford did not want to make a car after the Model T and this almost led the company to financial ruin. Known today as someone who was essentially the founder of the car industry, Henry Ford was in fact totally focussed on perfecting the Model T to the point […]","datePublished":"2021-01-27","dateModified":"2021-09-09","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Henry-Ford-Only-Wanted-To-Make-The-Model-T-feature-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Henry-Ford-Only-Wanted-To-Make-The-Model-T-feature-1.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/henry-ford-only-wanted-to-make-the-model-t\/","about":["BLOG","Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":444,"keywords":["Henry Ford","Model T"],"articleBody":"Coming close to ruin, Ford\u2019s stubbornness was a harsh lesson learned.Here\u2019s an interesting fact about the legendary Henry Ford and the equally-important Model T car of the early 1900s; Henry Ford did not want to make a car after the Model T and this almost led the company to financial ruin.Known today as someone who was essentially the founder of the car industry, Henry Ford was in fact totally focussed on perfecting the Model T to the point of obsession. Introduced in 1908, the Model T was probably the greatest achievement in car manufacturing history. It was the first affordable automobile and transformed the way regular people got from A to B and also introduced the world to the concept of moving assembly lines. Produced from 1908-1927, around 15 million Model Ts were sold, a sales figure that is still impressive by today\u2019s standards, nevermind 100 years ago.ModelTMitch, CC BY-SA 4.0 https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsNow, for a car to be produced for 19 years is a very long time now and even back in the early 1900s, it was a long time. While the Model T was going steady, competition quickly crept in offering innovations that Henry Ford seemed to have little interest in.Henry\u2019s son, Edsel, had to consistently fight to convince his father to produce the Model A and move on from the outdated Model T.Ford was optimised so severely around the production of the Model T that when it came to producing the Model A, it took around six months and $250 million to retool the factories, scrapping around 40,000 tools that were specific to producing Model Ts.It is said that were it not for the decision to finally move onto the Model A, Ford may have just failed completely as a company due to the sheer stubbornness of Herny Ford.Ivan Radic, CC BY 2.0 https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsOther interesting facts about Henry and Edsel include that he was awfully tough on Edsel, sabotaging his efforts in several instances. From him belittling him in front of other employees and executives to him undoing Edsel\u2019s work at the company, it is known that the two did not have the best relationship.Some even say this abusive relationship towards his son is what led to his poor health later in life, dying at age 49 in 1943 as Ford went on to prosper, likely thanks to, at least partially, Edsel\u2019s input.Let us know what you know about Ford\u2019s interesting history, in the comments!If you enjoyed this, you may also like: \u2018Aston Martin Lagonda: Weird Car of The Month\u2019"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Henry Ford Only Wanted To Make The Model T","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/henry-ford-only-wanted-to-make-the-model-t\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]