1886-1920 Economy car

1902 oldsmobile curved dash runabout

the first car marketed (well off not rich) ordinary person , first economy car , 1901–1907 oldsmobile curved dash - produced thousands, on 19,000 built in all. inspired buckboard type horse , buggy, (used small two-seat pickup truck) popular in rural areas of u.s. had 2 seats, less versatile vehicle inspired it. produced after fire @ oldsmobile plant, when prototype saved nightwatchman named stebbins, (who later became mayor of detroit), , product available company produce, on feet.

although cars becoming more affordable before launched, 1908–1927 ford model t considered first true economy car, because few previous vehicles @ bottom of market horseless carriages rather practical cars. major manufacturers @ time had little interest in low-priced models. first real cars had featured fr layout first used french car maker panhard , did model t.

henry ford model t, 1921



ford assembly line, 1913. magneto assembly line first

henry ford declared @ launch of vehicle -

i build car great multitude. large enough family, small enough individual run , care for. constructed of best materials, best men hired, after simplest designs modern engineering can devise. low in price no man making salary unable own 1 - , enjoy family blessing of hours of pleasure in god s great open spaces.

model t on new road



exploded ford model t @ henry ford museum



agricultural extension agents in eastern oregon, 1915

the ford model t large scale mass-produced car; innovation, along attributes required simple inexpensive design, allowed first car exemplify ideals of economy car. although followed panhard mechanical layout, used epicyclic gearbox more later automatic gearboxes, rather panhard manual type gearbox, in developed form still in common use today. innovations involved in making successful design in production , materials technology; particularly use of new vanadium steel alloys. model t production leading example of taylorism school of scientific management, (also known fordism), , production techniques evolved @ highland park ford plant opened in 1910, after outgrew piquette avenue plant. river rouge plant opened in 1919, technologically advanced in world, raw materials entered @ 1 end , finished cars emerged other. innovation of moving assembly line, inspired dis-assembly plants of chicago meat packing industry, reduced production time twelve , half hours, hour , thirty-three minutes per car. black colour available because paint dry in required production time. continuous improvement of production methods, , economies of scale larger , larger scale production, allowed henry ford progressively lower price of model t throughout production run. far less expensive, smaller, , more austere hand-built pre-first world war contemporaries. size of model t arrived at, making track width of ruts in unsurfaced rural american roads of time, ruts made horse-drawn vehicles. designed large degree of axle articulation, , high ground clearance, deal these conditions effectively. had under stressed 177 cu in (2.9 l) engine. set template american vehicles being larger comparable vehicles in other countries, later on have economy cars scaled narrower roads smaller engines.

in 1912 edward g. budd founded budd company, specialized in manufacture of pressed-steel frames automobiles. built on railroad experience. in 1899 had taken knowledge of pressed steel railroad industry. worked pullman company on contract pennsylvania railroad, building first all-steel railcar.

in 1913 in uk, 1018 cc bullnose morris oxford first model launched morris motors. 1302 made. oxford available two-seater, or van chassis short allow four-seat bodies fitted. made extensive use of bought in components, including many u.s. reduce costs. 1915-1919 morris cowley (about 1400 produced) powered new continental engine bigger stronger better finished version of first oxford. post–first world war oxford deluxe version of that, made plainer, 1915-1919 cowley. larger cars 50% bigger engines 1913 oxford. 1925 cowleys , oxfords 41 per cent of british private car production , limousine , landaulet bodies 14/28 oxfords supplied ex-factory. morris added commercial vehicle operation , bought wolseley motors following year. cecil kimber, morris employee, founded mg (morris garages) aiming sell more morrises. after second world war morris motors, having swept in riley, merged austin motor company forming british motor corporation.

in 1913 british trojan company had prototype ready production. had two-stroke engine 4 cylinders arranged in pairs, , each pair shared common combustion chamber - doubled-up version of later called split-single engine. pistons in each pair drove crankshaft coupled v-shaped connecting rod. arrangement work, necessary connecting rod flex slightly, goes against normal practice. claim each engine had 7 moving parts, 4 pistons, 2 connecting rods , crankshaft. connected two-speed epicyclic gearbox, simplify gear changing, , chain rear wheels. solid tyres used, though these antiquated car use, prevent punctures , long springs used give comfort. before production start war broke out , 1914 1918, company made tools , gauges war effort.

in 1914 ford producing half million model ts year, sale price of less us$500. more rest of u.s. auto industry combined , ten times total national car production of 1908, year of cars launch. in year ford made headlines increasing minimum wage of workers $2.83 nine-hour day $5.00 eight-hour day, combat low workforce morale, , employee turnover problems because of repetitive , stressful nature of working on production line, , more radically, turn semi-skilled workers potential customers.

the ford model t first automobile produced in many countries @ same time. first world car , since being produced in canada , in manchester, england starting in 1911 , later assembled in germany, argentina, france, spain, denmark, norway, belgium, brazil, mexico, , japan.

at new york motor show in january 1915, william c. durant head of chevrolet (and founder of gm), launched chevrolet four-ninety, stripped down version of series-h, compete henry ford s model t, , went production in june. aim directly @ ford, durant said new car priced @ us$490 (the source of name), same model t touring. introductory price us$550, however, although reduced us$490 later when electric starter , lights made us$60 option. henry ford responded reducing model t us$440.

in 1916 edward g. budd s first big order budd company dodge brothers, purchased 70,000 bodies, mounting steel bodies onto conventional chassis frames.