ZAP’S FACTS!
CARS

The Ford Model T put America on wheels by costing less than a horse.

Henry Ford's assembly line cut Model T build time from 12 hours to 90 minutes - and dropped the price to $260.

2 min read
The Ford Model T put America on wheels by costing less than a horse.
THE FULL STORY

When Henry Ford started selling the Model T in 1908, cars were expensive toys for rich people. A typical car cost as much as a small house. Ford had a different idea - he wanted to build a car that an average worker could afford. The Model T launched at around $850, already cheaper than most rivals.

Then Ford changed manufacturing forever. In 1913, his factory introduced the moving assembly line. Instead of teams of workers wandering around a stationary car, the car moved past stations where each worker added one part. Build time dropped from over 12 hours to about 90 minutes per car.

The price kept falling. By the 1920s, a Model T cost just $260 - less than many horses with a saddle. Over 15 million were sold by 1927. The Model T didn’t just sell well; it created modern suburbs, road trips, and the gas station industry, and it shaped how factories everywhere build things today.

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