As well as the actual 1924 Model T my father-in-law left to me in his will last year, was a collection of books on the subject of the Tin Lizzie. And I’ve been having an absolute ball poring over them, even if they’re a bit USA-centric when it comes to production numbers and such.
But the stuff I’ve read also confirms that old Henry Ford himself was equal parts genius and task-master and, at all times, an exceedingly logical and pragmatic fella. Not saying he was perfect, what with his goon squads dropping in after hours on workers to make sure the house was tidy and the bible recently read, but a sharp thinker nonetheless.
Part of the proof of that is the way Ol’ Hank managed to drastically reduce the price of the T over its lifetime. The Runabout model peaked in price in 1910 (really, the second year of production) at $850 (US dollars, of course) and then steadily fell back to earth to arrive in Ford showrooms in 1925 with a price-tag of just 260 of those same US-dollars. Think about that. Imagine buying a Holden Commodore in 2000 for $40,000 or paying $10,000 for exactly the same car if you were prepared to wait until 2015 for it to be built.
Now, you might imagine that ifcar many folks could even contemplate. Seems like there’s a bit to be said for keeping punters’ shortlists as short as possible.
