July 23, 1903

On this day in 1903 the Ford Motor Company sold its first automobile, the Ford Model A.

Henry Ford

The Ford Model A, released in 1903

Henry Ford was born in 1863. From early on he sought to create cars that middle-class Americans could afford. He wished to take automobiles from an expensive luxury to an accessible convenience for all. He was born on a farm in Michigan but left home at only 16 to move to Detroit. There he began repairing and constructing engines as he worked for a division of Edison Electric. He built his first car workshop in the city in 1896.

The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Ford, along with eleven investors. After forming the company their first car, the Model A, was assembled at Mack Avenue plant.

From Model A to Model T

Although the Model A was the first automobile sold by the Ford Company it was the Model T, which debuted in 1908, that brought the company its notability. The Model T had the steering wheel on the left, an enclosed four-cylinder engine and an enclosed transmission, and had a suspension that used semi-elliptic springs. Most importantly it was simple to drive and affordable to the "everyday" man. It sold for $825 (about $27,000 today).

An ad that ran in the Saturday Evening Post for the Model T, released in 1908

Sales skyrocketed as Ford created huge publicity for the new automobile and dealers across the country publicized the Model T and the concept of automobiling. In time, Ford developed the moving assembly belts at his plants, which increased production enormously. By 1916 the car's price had dropped to just $360.