Autoblog

This Day in History: Ford Model A goes on sale

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:58:00 EST

The Ford Model A doesn't get the historical respect of its 15-million-unit predecessor, the Model T, nor is it as beloved as the 1932 Ford V8 which followed. But when the Model A went on sale on December 2, 1927, it was an important transitional model for Ford.

Following the unparalleled success of the Model T, Ford had been reluctant to develop a new model, or even upgrade the T with features that were increasingly driving customers to other brands. The Model A was the first Ford to feature modern controls, with clutch, brake and throttle pedals, and a gearshift lever sprouting out of the center of the front floorboards.

Selling for as little as $365, the Model A was a huge success. Ford built almost five million units over five years. Had it not unveiled the A when it did, the Blue Oval might have met the same fate as many auto manufacturers of the 1920s that didn't see the other side of the Great Depression.

Surprisingly enough, this 84-year-old car can actually provide somewhat serviceable transportation today, although with limitations. While its four-cylinder engine provides fuel economy in the high 20's, Interstate travel is a bit beyond its meager 40 horsepower output. Mechanical drum brakes are the weakest point in the A's specifications, with a lack of climate control rating a distant second.

For more on what it's like to drive an A everyday, check out the 365 Days of A blog.

This Day in History: Ford Model A goes on sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Model T convoy to revisit Britain's highest mountain

Noah Joseph — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Ford, UK

Having a Ford Model T ascend a mountain might sound like a crazy idea, but in 1911 it was a marketing coup. Ford had just arrived in Britain and to prove its worth, a corporate sales agent named Henry Alexander drove a Model T to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland - Britain's highest mountain. The 4,406-foot ascent took five days, and he Alexander was greeted at the peak by the motor press pool of the day. Then he drove back down in just three hours.

A hundred years later, Ford of Britain is celebrating its centenary and will commemorate the Ben Nevis ascent with a convoy of over 60 Model Ts driving back to the mountain. Among them the very last unit to roll off the revolutionary assembly line. Unfortunately, environmental conservation prohibits driving up the mountain these days, but a group of volunteers will disassemble a replica Model T, carry it up the mountain and put it back together at its peak in celebration of the original feat. Now that's dedication. Follow the jump for the full press release.

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Ford Model T convoy to revisit Britain's highest mountain originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 May 2011 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: 15% of Tata Nano reservations being cancelled due to slow fill rate

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, India, Tata

Tata Nano Europa in Geneva - click above for high-res image gallery

When you're talking about the Tata Nano, you're talking about the cheapest car in the world. And on the Subcontinent's booming economy, lots of folks are looking for their first automobile. When we say "lots" we mean millions, maybe tens or even hundreds of millions. All of which would make the Nano a highly logical choice, sort of like when Americans couldn't stop buying Ford's Model T. Only thing is, old Hank Ford ensured that there was a very steady stream of cheap cars for people to buy. Tata appears to be struggling with a different approach.

As a result of slow deliveries, the Hindustan Times notes that 15% of Tata Nano orders placed so far have been canceled. To put that in perspective, just over 200,000 people have placed orders for the bare bones transportation device. Meaning slightly more than 30,000 people have canceled their orders. Unlike the Model T, India's market is currently flooded with alternatives. Sure they cost more, but as one dealer points out, "People don't mind shelling out a bit more to get their car immediately." For their part, Tata is blaming capacity issues at its Pantnagar plant, but officials say they will deliver 100,000 cars by Q4 2010.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Tata Nano Europa

[Source: Hindustan Times]

REPORT: 15% of Tata Nano reservations being cancelled due to slow fill rate originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European university designs 2015 Model T concept

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Green, Ford

Click above for high-res renderings of the 2015 Ford Model T concept

The original Model T was a game-changer. Its modular design allowed the Tin Lizzy to be mass produced on an assembly line and was the car that put America on wheels. So it might strike you as odd that the Blue Oval chose a design penned by a European university as the best modern interpretation of what a Model T would look like in 2015. For their efforts, the team of eight students and engineers earned the ika (Institute of Automotive Engineering Aachen) from Aachen University in Germany $25,000 in scholarship funds.

Any modern vehicle must take the environment and its emissions into account, and the new T concept is no exception. With three occupants -- the driver is front and center with a passenger on either side -- and a small pickup bed in back, the concept is definitely ready for work. Other body styles would be possible on the modular architecture. If produced, the University estimates it would cost $6,780 to build in base form and would let off 100 g/km of carbon emissions per kilometer, with hybrid and electric versions costing more and emitting less. It's a good design, but we could do without the upright, retro-style front grille.

Gallery: 2015 Model T design contest

[Source: Ford]

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European university designs 2015 Model T concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Ford, Motorcycle

Click above for more images of the 1923 V-Twin powered Model T

Ford's ubiquitous Model T has seen its fair share of modifications over the years. Often powered by an engine other than what was originally designed for the large engine bay, countless variations of the hot rod theme have made Henry Ford's original mass-market vehicle a highly desirable machine to customize. Today, we've stumbled across an entirely new way to power the T, and it's just too cool not to share. Behind the custom spiderweb grille of this 1923 Ford Model T is a 1200cc V-Twin engine taken from the frame rails of a Harley-Davidson Sportster. Considering how little this vehicle is likely to weigh, the air-cooled twin cylinder mill with Screaming Eagle mods is probably plenty powerful to get the vehicle out of its own way. The owner used quite a few HD cues in the overall design and as many original parts from the donor bike as was possible. Note the dual rear shocks suspending the rear axle -- those are from the Sportster, as well as the foot pegs which now see duty as the gas and brake pedals. Nice work.

Gallery: Harley-Powered Model T

[Source: eBay Motors via The Kneslider]

eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 May 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Design students envision a modern Model-T

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Contests, Green, Crossover, Ford

Photo: KEVIN A. WILSON, Autoweek

Recently, Ford Motor Company sponsored a contest with the goal of modernizing the iconic Model T, a car which revolutionized motorized transportation the world over. The winner of the competition, a 24-year-old junior at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit named Dong Trang, came up with an electric crossover of sorts. That's fitting, according to Peter Horbury, head of design for Ford in the Americas, because Henry Ford's original Model T sat high off the ground and had a modular design, capable of hauling people and their stuff at the same time.

What the modern-day designs don't share with their forebear is retro looks. Each of the modern T adaptations features fairly sleek styling and alternative power that goes along with our modern-day energy and emissions problems.

Trang's design is rather unique, featuring solar panels on the vehicle along with an energy-capturing suspension design that would help recharge the on-board batteries. Those batteries are also removable to provide power outside the vehicle. The seating arrangement is modular, allowing for up to four occupants or offering increased storage capacity. The rear hatch is also capable of folding away to offer a small pickup bed. Click past the break for some videos of Trang talking about his design.

[Source: Detroit Free Press, Autoweek]

Continue reading Design students envision a modern Model-T

Design students envision a modern Model-T originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 May 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Model T takes on a HUMMER in hill climb

Chris Tutor — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Hummer

It wasn't a fair fight at all, but for funsies, a vintage-car hill-climb allowed Forbes Magazine to enter a late model HUMMER H2. You know, just to see how the 316-hp, 4WD SUV would do against, say, a 100-hp 1921 Model T driven by a 70-year-old man. Like we said, it wasn't fair at all.

The HUMMER climbed the 475-foot-tall hill in 10.74 seconds and didn't even break a sweat. Among those not surprised at the HUMMER's prowess was Gary Le Fever, the Model T driver who was waiting at the top of the hill for the H2. Le Fever and his 86-year-old Ford had finished the climb in 9.96 seconds!

Not a huge difference in a conventional match-up, but considering the participants, an amazing triumph for the Model T's engineering simplicity over the HUMMER's hefty muscle.

BTW, the photo is for illustration only. The hill climb was, we understand, much larger.

[Source: Forbes]

Model T takes on a HUMMER in hill climb originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The very first car: 1769 Cugnot Steamer

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:51:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc.

Quick...what was the world's first self-propelled vehicle? Model T? Curved dash Olds? Not even close. Benz Patent-Motorwagen? Duryea? For most reference sources, you'd be a lot closer. But to find the correct answer, you'd have to go back more than 100 years before any of those ever set wheel to road. As Supercars.net tells us, the very first self-propelled vehicle was in fact a steam car designed by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot in 1769. Yes, you read that right - seventeen-sixty-nine. Seven years before the American Revolution. Amazing.

It was commissioned by the French Minister of War, Etienne-Francois, who probably wanted something more practical than horses for hauling large artillery. Cugnot and another military mechanic, Brezin, assembled the first car at the Paris Arsenal. The biggest challenge was to redirect the lateral motion of a steam engine into forward motion. They placed the engine and boiler above the front wheel and used two pistons to push notched discs on each side of the front wheel. It must have been extremely difficult to steer.

Even the lowliest of electric vehicles from the modern era could best the steamer's 4 km/h top speed or 15 minute range, but the five ton tow capacity was quite respectable and after further development, a 4 passenger version was even introduced. One thing the Cugnot vehicle lacked, however, was brakes. Perhaps an oversight by the team, but it should come as no surprise that besides being the first self-propelled vehicle, it was also the first vehicle to be in an accident. By 1771, the project was mothballed. Although others fiddled with steam powered vehicles in ensuing years, it wasn't until Gottlieb Daimler developed the internal combustion engine 115 years later, that automobiles became viable again. Follow the read link for the full writeup and many more high-res images.

[Source: Supercars.net]

The very first car: 1769 Cugnot Steamer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Piquette plant becomes National Historic Landmark

Joel Arellano — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics

With apologies for the late notice, last month, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton designated the Ford Motor Co. Piquette Plant, birthplace of the Model T car, as a National Historic Landmark. Said Norton in a statement: "National treasures are exceptional places that shed light on our history and help explain our past."

Less than 2,500 sites have received the National Historic Landmark designation. The Model T Automotive Heritage Complex, aka 'T-Plex', was pleased with Secretary Norton's announcement.

"That area is the cradle of the automotive industry," said Jerald Mitchell, founder and CEO of T-Plex. "It's already in a city historic district, a state historic site, and on the National Register of Historic Places. The landmark status is the most exclusive."

We at Autoblog can't help but agree and offer our congratulations.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford Piquette plant becomes National Historic Landmark originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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