ABSTRACT
On March 18, 1908, the Ford Motor Company sent advance catalogs to its dealers describing its new model, designated by the letter T, to be available for sale on October 1. The realization of Henry Ford's dream of a motorcar for the masses, the Model T evoked an immediate and enthusiastic response. Praise was heaped on the car by dealers and the press. Advance orders flooded in from individuals as well as agents. By May 1, 1909 sales were running so far ahead of production that Ford stopped taking orders for nine weeks. The tough, reliable, powerful, easy-to-drive and -maintain car was an incredible value at $825, a price which fell throughout its history. Combined with generally rising earnings of employees through the 1910s, these prices brought automobility within the reach of Americans of even modest means, including many industrial workers.
