Ford Motor Co. is marking the 100th anniversary of the Model T, the first low-priced car that introduced motoring to the masses, at a time when Americans are cringing at the cost of filling their gas tanks and the U.S. auto industry is struggling with plant closings and layoffs.
But a weeklong celebration of the Model T promises to offer some nostalgic balm.
About 750 of the iconic vehicles were on display yesterday in what is being called the largest gathering of Model Ts since they left the factory.
"It is certainly one of the most historically significant cars of the 20th century and maybe the single most important American car," said John Heitmann, a history professor at the University of Dayton who has taught classes on automobile history and its impact on American life.
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Henry Ford realized there was a big market for cars - and not just for the wealthy - and that people would keep buying them, Mr. Heitmann said.
A century later, Ford and other Detroit auto makers are struggling as buyers shun trucks and sport utility vehicles for more fuel-efficient models and high gas prices and a slow economy keep sales low.
The Model T gathering in Richmond, home to the nearby Model T Ford Club of America, aims to be more than just an antique car show; rather, it hopes to be a reminder of Ford's groundbreaking automobile.
The first production Model T Ford was assembled in Detroit on Oct. 1, 1908. In a span of 19 years, Ford would build 15 million cars with the Model T engine.
The Model T was likely the most important vehicle in causing social change in America, Mr. Heitmann said.
It helped transform the nation's cities, enabling residents to move farther away from the trolley lines and helping create the first ring of suburbs, he said.
Henry Ford and the Model T also changed the face of the U.S. labour force, as Mr. Ford raised wages to attract and keep workers at his factories and employed immigrants and minorities. F (NYSE) rose 4 cents (U.S.) to $5.48.
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