In short
On October 1, 1908, Henry Ford's factory in Piquette Avenue, Detroit, rolled out the first Model T—a car designed to be affordable, reliable, and built for ordinary Americans rather than the wealthy. At $825, it cost less than half the price of competing automobiles and launched an era of mass personal transportation that would reshape cities, suburbs, and American life itself.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
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As it was happening
17 voices, 6827 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Model T production begins
The first Model T rolls off the line at Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. Priced at $825, it features a 20-horsepower engine, manual crank start, and interchangeable parts designed for easy repair.
Voices from this moment (10)
Ford Motor Company press statement
Sep 15
“I will build a motor car for the great multitude.”
The New York Times
Oct 1
“Ford's New Low-Priced Automobile: Mass Production Method to…”
The Detroit Free Press
Oct 2
“Ford Motor Company Launches Production of Revolutionary…”
Motor Age
Oct 20
“The Model T: Ford's Answer to the Motorcar Question”
6 more voices - captured but not shown in this slot.
As it was happening
17 voices, 6827 days.
Day 16 · October 1, 1908
Model T production begins
The first Model T rolls off the line at Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. Priced at $825, it features a 20-horsepower engine, manual crank start, and interchangeable parts designed for easy repair.
“I will build a motor car for the great multitude.”
- Ford Motor Company press statement, Sep 15
“Ford's New Low-Priced Automobile: Mass Production Method to…”
- The New York Times, Oct 1
“Ford Motor Company Launches Production of Revolutionary…”
- The Detroit Free Press, Oct 2
“The Model T: Ford's Answer to the Motorcar Question”
- Motor Age, Oct 20
“American Motor Innovation: Ford's New Mass-Production…”
- The Times (London), Oct 15
“These flimsy motor contraptions will rust and break down in…”
- Synthesized from period accounts - anonymous carriage industry response, Horseless Age magazine, Nov 15
“The practical American has shown his capacity to solve the…”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Roosevelt's public statements on American industry, Dec 15
“The Ford factory system represents a new principle in…”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Burton's automotive journalism, Detroit Free Press, Oct 20
“Eight hundred dollars is steep for a working man, but if…”
- Synthesized from period accounts - rural Michigan testimony, contemporary trade journals, Nov 1
“The first Model T rolls off the line at Piquette Avenue…”
- Model T production begins, Oct 1
Day 108 · January 1, 1909
First full year of production
Ford produces 10,607 Model Ts in the 1908-1909 fiscal year, establishing immediate market demand for the affordable automobile.
“Ford produces 10,607 Model Ts in the 1908-1909 fiscal year,…”
- First full year of production, Jan 1
Day 742 · September 27, 1910
Highland Park Plant opens
Ford moves production to the larger Highland Park facility in Michigan, expanding capacity and enabling higher output volumes.
“Ford moves production to the larger Highland Park facility…”
- Highland Park Plant opens, Sep 27
Day 1582 · January 14, 1913
First moving assembly line
Ford introduces the continuous moving assembly line, reducing assembly time from 728 minutes to 93 minutes per vehicle and cutting labor costs dramatically.
“Ford introduces the continuous moving assembly line,…”
- First moving assembly line, Jan 14
Day 1938 · January 5, 1914
$5 day announcement
Ford announces he will pay workers $5 per day—roughly double the prevailing wage—to reduce turnover and boost productivity, shocking the business world.
“Ford announces he will pay workers $5 per day—roughly…”
- $5 day announcement, Jan 5
Day 2633 · December 1, 1915
One millionth Model T produced
Ford reaches the production milestone of 1 million vehicles, cementing the Model T as the best-selling automobile in the world.
“Ford reaches the production milestone of 1 million…”
- One millionth Model T produced, Dec 1
Day 4491 · January 1, 1921
Peak market dominance
The Model T captures 55% of all U.S. automobile sales, with Ford producing more cars than all other manufacturers combined.
“The Model T captures 55% of all U.”
- Peak market dominance, Jan 1
Day 6827 · May 26, 1927
15 millionth Model T produced
Ford halts Model T production after building 15 million vehicles over 19 years, the best-selling automobile of the era. Production shifts to the Model A.
“Ford halts Model T production after building 15 million…”
- 15 millionth Model T produced, May 26
The numbers.
4 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Original price
$0 USD
Production by 1927
0 million units
Assembly time per vehicle (1913 moving line)
0 minutes, down from 728 minutes
Front pages.
3 outlets carried the story: The New York Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Times (London).
Media coverage
What the world was reading.
4 pieces, ranked by how much they shaped the discourse.
The New York Times
Newspaper · United States · Oct 1, 1908
"Ford's New Low-Priced Automobile: Mass Production Method to Begin"
Synthesized from period reporting - Henry Ford announced the commencement of Model T production at his Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit, promising to deliver an affordable motorcar to the average American family at an unprecedented scale.
- Oct 2, 1908
The Detroit Free Press
Newspaper · United States
"Ford Motor Company Launches Production of Revolutionary Automobile Design"
Synthesized from period reporting - Detroit's Ford Motor Company commenced manufacturing of the Model T, a stripped-down yet durable vehicle engineered for the common worker, with estimates suggesting tens of thousands could be produced annually.
- Oct 20, 1908
Motor Age
Magazine · United States
"The Model T: Ford's Answer to the Motorcar Question"
Synthesized from period reporting - The automotive trade press hailed Ford's methodical approach to producing an engine and chassis of proven simplicity, positioning the Model T as the definitive solution to affordable personal transportation.
- Oct 15, 1908
The Times (London)
Newspaper · United Kingdom
"American Motor Innovation: Ford's New Mass-Production Strategy"
Synthesized from period reporting - London's business circles took note of Henry Ford's audacious plan to democratize motoring through standardized assembly, a departure from European craft-based automobile manufacturing.
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Model organism
en.wikipedia.org