It's a big year for a little car, as the Ford Model T turns 100 years old in 2008. The first production model built for sale was turned out on October 1, 1908. (Some people cite September, but that's the date Ford gives, and I guess they should know.)
It's hard to believe today just what effect this car had on North America. Henry Ford didn't invent the assembly line, as some believe, but he did revolutionize the process when he made it move seamlessly between the workers. That moving line meant a lot of cars could go out the door very quickly -- more than 15 million, in fact, before production ended on May 26, 1927.
It's doubtful Henry ever said "any color the customer wants, as long as it's black", especially since the early ones came in several colors; the story goes that they finally went to black because that color dried the fastest and so the line could keep moving. They were spindly and flexible and so worked very well on the very poor roads of the day, and they were relatively inexpensive. And if you've ever had the chance to ride in one, as I have and can attest, the Tin Lizzy's bare-bones performance is all part of the charm.
There are a number of events planned for the car's centenary, and the big one right now seems to be the T Party 2008, put on by the Model T Ford Club of America this coming July in Indiana. You can find out all about it here.
