Engineering:Ford Model A (1903–04)

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Ford Model A
1903-ford-rc.jpg
Overview
ManufacturerFord
Also calledFordmobile
Ford Model AC
Production1903–1904
DesignerHenry Ford
Body and chassis
Body style2-seat runabout
rear-entry 4-seat tonneau
Powertrain
EngineFlat-2 1668 cc (101.788 cu in) 8 hp[1][2]
Transmission2-speed planetary
Dimensions
Wheelbase72 in (1.8 m)[3]
|uk|Kerb|Curb}} weight1,240 lb (562 kg)
Chronology
PredecessorFord Quadricycle
SuccessorFord Model B
Ford Model C

The original Ford Model A is the first car produced by the Ford Motor Company, beginning production in 1903. Ernest Pfennig, a Chicago dentist, became the first owner of a Model A on July 23, 1903;[4] 1,750 cars were made in 1903 and 1904 at the Ford Mack Avenue Plant, a modest rented wood-frame building on Detroit's East Side, and Ford's first facility. The Model A was replaced by the Ford Model C during 1904 with some sales overlap.

Ad for the Model A from a December 15, 1903 newspaper

The car came as a two-seater runabout for $800 or the $900 [5] four-seater tonneau model with an option to add a top. The horizontal-mounted flat-2, situated amidships of the car, produced 8 hp (6 kW). A planetary transmission was fitted with two forward speeds and reverse, a Ford signature later seen on the Ford Model T. The car weighed 1,240 lb (562 kg) and could reach a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). It had a 72-inch (1.8 m) wheelbase and sold for a base price of US$750. Options included a rear tonneau with two seats and a rear door for $100, a rubber roof for $30 or a leather roof for $50. Band brakes were used on the rear wheels.[1] However, it was $150 more than its most direct competitor, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, so did not sell as well.[4]

The company had spent almost its entire $28,000 initial investment funds ($796,756 in 2019 dollars [6]) with only $223.65 left in its bank account when the first Model A was sold. The success of this car model generated a profit for the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford's first successful business.[7]

Although Ford advertised the Model A as the "most reliable machine in the world", it suffered from many problems common to vehicles of the era, including overheating and slipping transmission bands. The Model A was sold only in red by the factory, though some were later repainted in other colors.[8]

Ford Model AC

1904 Model A cars were equipped with the larger, 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) engine of the Model C and were sold as the Model AC.[1] The Model AC can be visually distinguished from the Model A by its larger six-by-three-bar radiator.[9]

References

Bibliography