Ford holds the most fondness: A broad statement

Among the brands of cars manufactured in America, Ford holds the most fondness. A broad statement? Yes. But it is clear that early Fords made before World War II triggered an interest among car collectors and the general public that endures today. A percentage of serious car historians can converse intelligently about the pre-Model T Ford, and most say earlier versions were precursors. Henry Ford’s idea, in spite of the fact it was meddled with by corporate officials, was to mass-produce a car that would put anybody on wheels at a price as low as possible. Henry was not alone in that idea. Ransom Olds and several makers of highwheeled vehicles, such as the Holsman, caught that idea by the time the Model T Ford bowed in 1908 as a 1909 offering. Success carries an aura of legend, and when the Model T Ford seemed to scale new peaks in car production year after year, it overshadowed previous Ford efforts and towered over the small production figures of competitors. Given the tens of thousands of Model T Fords that popped from the assembly line each year, the company claimed, in effect, the lion’s share of total car manufacturing in the world. Unlike anyone before him or since, Mr. Ford had mastered industrialization and harnessed its power for motive personal transport. Little wonder that the Model T became a darling among car collectors in the 1930s and 1940s. The spindly, low-priced car echoed the past. Through 1927, new and used Model T Fords had been everywhere, doing just about anything, being fixed or repaired daily, but still made to go. Such facets make a diamond from the rough. Many of those Fords seemed to last about as long as a diamond, too, far from being quitters on the road. It was a practical jewel, that Model T. Early brass versions gave way to painted radiators as newer models witnessed a whole realm of extras made by aftermarket companies. It’s common to hear someone say, “There’s a Model T,” when a touring car with the Maxwell nameplate or that of Franklin, Dodge, or even Chevrolet putts into a car show. For many people, the Model T is the generic sign of automotive success. Even the best of times wind to their end, and so it was with the Model T when Henry Ford was finally convinced to design a successor, the Model A. When it bowed in 1928, the launch made news. Dealers danced for joy, some literally, since Ford had suspended production to concentrate on the new model. Mr. Ford and his son, Edsel, encouraged a magnificent launch for the car with well-aimed and tasteful publicity and marketing, mixed with tons of anticipation. No longer were jokes needed to sell a Ford. “Henry made a lady out of Lizzie,” ran the lyrics to a popular song. Henry’s new Ford had style and class — and dealers no longer faced a drought in sales. Ask people to list memorable cars made before the war, and many will mention the Ford Model T, even though they may have never seen one. More than a few may mention the Model A. Ask little children, and they might even mention the Model T. A legend has qualities that endears it among generations. Henry Ford didn’t just create a thriving business; he put a face on the car industry itself. His name and image became so engrained in society that there was sentiment to nominate him for U.S. president. Few car makers have had such a connection between their cars and their corporate head. The Ford V-8, the Model B, and other models may be esteemed by segments of car collectors and historians, but it was the Model T and Model A that made the company before the war. Harlow may have driven a Packard, Gable may have liked Duesenberg, and at least one of the Warner Brothers may have toured in chauffeured luxury in an astronomically expensive Brewster-bodied Rolls-Royce, but even these massively impressive cars did not stick to the mind of American culture as did Henry’s T or A. People admired V-16 Cadillacs and Marmons in their day, and some still praise those cars, but they were not the image carriers of a bygone age as was the low-priced cars from Henry. Fondess — early Fords garnered it, hands down. As many hobbyists would agree, those Model T’s and Model A’s demand esteem and respect, not so much for what they were and are, but for what they epitomize.