Categories: This Day

December 10, 1915 – The 1,000,000th Ford

Ford Model T c.1915

Henry Ford had one goal: put the world on wheels. To be able to provide the masses with a car both reliable and affordable by the average worker, Henry had to solve two complex problems. First, he had to create the car, in a brand new industry, that was simple to operate and required basic knowledge to care for. Second, he had to make a lot of them. His answer to issue A was the Model T, introduced in 1908. By focusing on one model he was able to enhance the efficiency of production, but the company still struggled to make enough to make them appealing to the average Joe’s bank account.

In 1909 a hair over 10,000 of the vehicles left the factory. By the end of 1912 Henry had all but perfected automobile manufacturing in a traditional sense. That year 68,773 units sold, allowing prices to drop from $825 in 1909 to $560 in 1912. Then, inspiration struck after observing production workers at a slaughter house and a brewery.

Model T assembly line, 1915.

Bottling plants and slaughter houses moved product, not people, during operation. Ford implemented changes to his factories to reflect this style of manufacturing, thus solving the second roadblock to his goal. Ford’s revolutionary moving automobile assembly line came to life December 1, 1913. Model T

s began to roll out of the factory in record numbers; 1914 saw 202,667 built.

The mass production of the Model T only got faster, leading to a major milestone. On this day in 1915, the 1,000,000th Ford car left the factory. It had taken 7 years since the beginning of Model T production and 12 years of total Ford production, to get to this point. In the 12 more years the Model T would remain the staple of the Ford lineup, some 14 million more would be made. The last one left the factory on May 26, 1927, priced at just $360.

The last Model T Ford made is said to be the 15,000,000th, which is now part of the Henry Ford Museum. By Jackdude101 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brian Corey

Recent Posts

April 16, 2014: Mazda Honors a Quarter-Century of Driving Joy with the 25th Anniversary MX-5 Miata

By Alexander-93 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132180377 On April 16, 2014, the vibrant…

6 days ago

April 15, 1964 – Who bought the first Mustang?

On this day in 1964, two days before the official Ford Mustang on-sale date, one…

7 days ago

April 8, 2004: A Million Strong – The Skoda Fabia and the Legacy of Czech Ingenuity

Skoda Fabia VRs. By Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - Skoda Fabia vRS, CC BY…

2 weeks ago

April 7, 1947- Henry Ford dies

Henry Ford, with son Edsel, standing with the 15 millionth Ford and the original Quadricycle.…

2 weeks ago

April 6, 1904 – VW Beetle & Porsche 356 designer Erwin Komenda is born

Sure, Ferdinand Porsche often gets the credit for the Volkswagen Type 1, but let's not…

2 weeks ago

April 5, 1951 – Dean Kamen, Segway inventor, is born

Dean Kamen on a Segway, one of his many inventions. By Jared C. Benedict on…

2 weeks ago