Early Ford

Early Ford Models from the years 1903 – 1908

The car that started mass motorization was the American Ford Model T. This car was so tremendously successful that many people tend to forget that the Ford Motor Company had a history before the Model T. Starting from 1903 with the Model A (shown above) founder Henry Ford and his team went through 19 letters of the alphabet before the Model T was introduced in 1908. Some of these cars were experimental or special models that never went into production. Ultimately 8 models reached production status before the Model T: the models A, B, C, F, K, N, R and S. When Henry Ford started the company that was to become world's second largest car manufacturer he promised to "build a motor car for the great multitude which will be so low in price that no man will be unable to own one". In this tour I will show you around the cars Ford put on the road before the fulfillment of his promise.

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 - 1908 The Ford Motor Company came into life in 1903, after some less successful attempts by Henry Ford to start car production. The new company counted 12 investors and a starting capital of $28,000. All hopes were aimed at the Model A, introduced that same year, to get the company running. The first sale was made in July 20, 1903, a month after the company's incorporation and by then finances were down to a mere $223.

After that first sale the Model A's popularity and production rapidly picked up, and between 1903 and 1905 about 1750 of these cars left the converted wagon factory in Detroit which was Ford's first production base. For the time this was a good result and it formed a solid foundation for further expansion of the company. The Model A was a basic two-seater that could be converted to a four-seater tonneau model like you see here as an option. This conversion was made by adding the rear seat arrangement on top of the slanted rear side of the two-seater bodywork.

The engine of the Model A was fitted under the front bench and drove the rear wheels by chain. It produced 8 HP out of its two cylinders, which were placed opposite to each other, enough for a top speed of 28 mph. Wheelbase was a short 72 inches/183 cm. During its production cycle the Model A sold for $750, the tonneau version required an additional $100. The cars were sold without a top as standard, but a rubber top could be had for an extra $30, and a leather one for $50. Ford described this car as "the most perfect machine on the market" and "so simple that a boy of 15 can run it", that last statement was important since most cars on the road in that era required a lot of technical knowledge to keep them running. The Model A rendered the Ford Motor Company a profit of $36,957 in the first three and a half months of its existence, so apparently these statements were successful. In December 1927 another Ford Model A was introduced: the car which succeeded the Model T after 15 million of them were produced. The Ford Motor Company felt that this new car was so important to the company and such a big change, that they had to restart the model designations.

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 – 1908

In 1904 the Model B was introduced, a more luxurious touring car. Its styling and lay-out was more modern than that of the Model A, with the engine in front and a proper radiator. The 4-cylinder in-line engine produced 24 HP, three times more than the 2-cylinder Model A unit. This was in line with the price of the Model B: $2000, almost three times as much as that of the Model A. The gas headlights were an extra. The last of the Models B was sold in 1906, and about 500 were produced in total.

The Model C of 1904 was an updated version of the Model A. It had a more modern look and a slightly larger engine than the Model A. The Models A and C were produced next to each other for a while, and Models A could be had with the engine of the Model C, making them Models AC. The model C engine, again a "flat" 2-cylinder unit, delivered 10 HP, and the wheelbase of the Model C was 6 inches/15 cm longer than that of the Model A. The "hood" in front was ornamental; the engine remained beneath the front bench as in the Model A. The Model C sold for $850 as a two-seater, the tonneau model as you see here was $100 more expensive. Again, the extra rubber top requested an additional $30 and the leather one $50. The canopy top you see on this model was non-standard and fitted after it was sold. From 1904 till 1905 approximately 800 Models C were made.

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 - 1908 First production model after the Model C was the Model F, although there was a delivery car based on the Model C that was designated Model E by some, but Ford catalogs simply describe it as "Delivery Car". The

Model F was again a development of the original Model A and its younger Model C brother. The Model F was larger and more luxurious than its predecessors, and had a four-seater phaeton body with running boards as standard. It came into life in 1905 and it was last sold in 1906 after about a 1000 were made. The car on the picture is dated 1909, 3 years after the official production had stopped. Probably this car was an unsold leftover that changed hands much later than planned, which explains the more recent start of its history. This is not uncommon for the early Ford models.

In the Model F the flat twin engine was still located under the front seat, but the front sported an elaborate ornamental hood to make it look more modern. The wheelbase had grown by another 6 inches compared to the Model C, now totaling 84 inches/213 cm. This model sold for as much as $1000, also a 25% increase to the original price of the two-seater Model A within two years. But this is not a fair comparison, since the Model F is much more car... The Model F ended Ford's first model cycle that had started with the Models A with serial numbers from 1 to 870, followed by the Models AC and C with serial numbers from 670 to 2570 and concluded by the Models F commencing with serial number 2575. All these models were numbered more or less sequentially to each other.

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 - 1908 1906 saw the introduction of what is considered Ford Motor Company's first failure: the Model K. This

model sort of replaced the Model B and was aimed at the luxury end of the market. It boosted a new 6-cylinder engine that churned out 40 HP and the chassis had a 114 inch/290 cm wheelbase. It could be ordered with standard touring (seen here) or roadster bodywork. So why was this Model K a failure? Apparently there were two reasons for that: the high price ($2500 to $3000 depending on trim level) and the lacking quality of the car. Also the fact that Ford had mainly concentrated on affordable cars since the start in 1903 and therefore had neglected to create an appealing image for its cars, wouldn't have helped matters (something that remained a problem until the Lincoln marquee was acquired in 1922).

Still the Model K holds an important place in Ford history: it is believed to be the reason that Ford didn't produce 6-cylinder engine cars again until 1941 and it formed the catalyst in the process of Ford becoming a mass producer of cheap cars. As a result of the failure of the Model K Alexander Malcomson, one of the founding partners of the Ford Motor Company and a champion of producing luxury cars left the company. This gave Henry Ford the opportunity to become the major shareholder and president of the company in 1906, free to choose his own strategy. Maybe the Model K was a failure, but this roadster version still makes a pretty picture. It was clearly aimed at the American sports car market. The Model K was produced from 1906 till 1908, and 900 of them were made which makes "failure" kind of a relative verdict for this model. It was more so that the sales didn't match up to the expectations rather than it was a poor seller.

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 – 1908

This angle shows the odd third seat behind the front seats, a feature that more Ford roadster models showed in those years. Also notice the extremely long steering column protruding into the interior. That must have been a safety hazard, imagine what would happen to the chest of the driver of this car in a frontal collision...

Also in 1906 the new Model N was introduced, the car that replaced the Model A, C and F series. It was to become a big success, with 7000 of these cars built between 1906 and 1908. The Model N was small and nimble, easy to drive and affordable at a price of $500, half of the price of the model F. Most Models N were sold with two-seater "runabout" bodywork, like you see on the picture. These cars had rudimentary fenders without splash aprons or running boards. Some Models N had special bodywork of varying types. The Model N showed signs of the things to come and lead the way to the Model T. It was fitted with a 4-cylinder in-

line unit that cranked out 15 HP, an engine much more modern that the old flat twin. The engine was placed in front and a shaft drove the rear wheels. Below the crank starter you see the water pump in the radiator. Wheelbase of this model was the same 84 inches/213 cm as the old Model F. The Model N was real basic transport, without many luxuries. Gas headlights (not shown on this picture) and convertible tops, were extras. But the car was rugged and practical and established Ford as a manufacturer of dependable, inexpensive cars for a broad market.

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 – 1908

The Model R was an upgraded version of the popular Model N and had a short production run from April to October 1907. In this short while about 2500 of these cars were sold, enough to make you wonder why production stopped so soon. The Model R featured the chassis and engine from the Model N, but with minor adjustments. The body was a bit larger and had running boards and improved fenders. It sold at $750, 50% more than the Model N. Apparently the added luxury was worth it.

The direct predecessor to the Model T was the Model S, again an adaptation of the Model N, which slotted in between the Model N and R. Most notable difference was the extra third seat behind the front bench that came as an option. This model sold for $700 in its most basic form. The usual extras as gas lamps and a convertible top were supplemented by all kinds of other stuff ranging from fancy paint jobs to expressive horns and umbrella holders like you see on the car in this picture. Came in handy if you hadn't opted for the top and was surprised by a sudden shower while driving...

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EARLY FORD MODELS 1903 – 1908

The bodywork of the Model S was more elaborate than that of the N or the S. It had a cowl-like cockpit where the N and S had just a wooden board and was fitted with improved fenders, complete with running boards and splash screens. The model S was sold from 1907 till 1909, totaling some 3750 cars. Almost all of them were two or three seater runabouts.

Here you see a Model S complete with top, third seat and a swooping horn, but without the gas lamps. It has a nice vintage look to it, but still it's amazing to see how fast the developments went from the first Model A in 1903 to this Model S five years later. 1908 also saw the introduction of the Model T which was again a big step forward . It must have been very exciting to be pioneer in an era in which such big steps forward could be made in such a short time. Can you imagine that in 1913, only ten years after its humble beginnings, the Ford Motor Company produced half of all cars in the United States? I think the only modern day equivalent to that could be found in the computer industry. As for cars it is disappointing to see how little progression has been made in the last decades compared to those tumultuous years at the beginning of the 20th century. This information was taken from http://www.ritzsite.net/FORD_1/01_eford.htm. Photos from a Dutch museum.