Categories: This Day

October 7, 1913 – Model T moving assembly line starts

The world changed forever on this day in 1913 when Henry Ford’s Highland Park assembly plant switched on the continuously moving assembly line for the Model T chassis. The design, which would permanently go into use on December 1 for the whole vehicle, cut assembly time of a Model T from 12 and half hours to just six. It would soon be slashed to just 93 minutes, making it possible to reduce the price of each unit.

Get this framed here.

When Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 he called it an automobile for the masses, however with a price tag of $850 it still fell pretty far out of reach for most middle class Americans. The rapid increase in productivity resulting from the assembly line allowed Ford to lower the price to $360 by 1916. At the height of manufacturing a new Model T rolled off an assembly line every 24 seconds and prices fell to below $300. 

Brian Corey

Recent Posts

December 15, 1969 – The last Plymouth Superbird

The story of the Plymouth Superbird and its development is fairly well-known, so we won't…

3 days ago

December 14, 1987 – AMC Eagle production ends

1983 AMC Eagle Wagon. By Christopher Ziemnowicz The history of American Motors Corporation (AMC) begins…

4 days ago

December 13, 1939 – The first Lincoln Continental

A first generation Lincoln Continental When Edsel Ford requested a personal luxury vehicle to use…

5 days ago

December 12, 2000 – GM announces end of Oldsmobile

At the time Oldsmobile closed its doors in 2004 it was the oldest surviving American…

6 days ago

December 11, 1990 – The 1990 I-75 Fog Disaster

The 1990 Interstate 75 fog disaster stands as one of the most tragic and impactful…

7 days ago

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

Ford Model T c.1915 Henry Ford had one goal: put the world on wheels. To…

1 week ago