From Alpha Romeo and BMW to Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Yamaha and Zenvo, the automobile industry, especially car and its ancillaries, have always been regarded as a key to foster economic growth. Interestingly, the revolution from hooves to steam cannot be attributed to any particular gearhead. The idea certainly occurred well before it was dreamed of by Homer in the Iliad, circa 8th century BC. Leonardo De Vinci conceptualised idea of self-propelled vehicles in the 15th century while for some the honour goes to Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler.
Europeans might have invented cars. But, it was Americans who democratised it. Henry Ford was very clear about his dream car. “It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one.”
Thanks to his vision and to the talent he recruited, notably the designers Childe Harold Wills, Joseph A. Galamb and Eugene Farkas, on this day in 1908 was born the first Ford Model T at Detroit’s Piquette Avenue Plant. It changed forever the way average Americans live, work and travel, making car ownership a reality for them.
Model T was a move away from bespoke and individual handcrafting. During a visit to one of the Ford’s plant, I was told of how Henry Ford was inspired by the assembly line production in a Chicago slaughterhouse. He scripted its perfect marriage with his expertise in automobile. The first Ford Model T went on sale on 1st October, 1908. Within ten years over half of the cars sold in America were Ford Model T. Assembly line production allowed the price of the touring car version to be lowered from $850 in 1908 to less than $300 in 1925. In 1914, ‘any colour so long as it is black’ policy was implemented for colour options. It is often stated Ford suggested the use of black from 1914 to 1926 due to low cost, durability, and also as black paint colour dried the fastest, speeding up production.
On May 26, 1927, Henry Ford watched the 15 millionth Model T roll off the assembly line at his factory in Michigan. Model T became an American folkloric symbol.
Model T may seem insane by today’s standards; the pedal placement is the opposite of what we’re using today. Many important controls are in weird places. Gasoline was fed to the engine using gravity and the Model T could not climb steep hills if the tank was low on fuel. (You’ll be amazed to know of how owners managed. Read on!) Also, reverse gear offered more power than forward gears. Such deficiencies, along with its homely appearance, sputtering, then revving up and then unabated rattling, made the Model T subjects of songs, jokes, poems and stories. The Ford Model T was also the car of choice for comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.
In December 1999, the Global Automotive Elections Foundation named Model T as the Most Influential Car of the 20thCentury. Do you fancy owning a Model T? In 2008, it was estimated that about 50,000 to 60,000 Ford Model Ts remain roadworthy. Well, a miniature of Model T Touring, which I brought from Henry Ford Museum store, adorns my living room.
Welcome to another bout of ‘Nutty’s Infotainment. YAYS!’
And your time starts NOW!
Which product was colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie, Leaping Lena, or flivver?
Ford Model T
In Ford Model T, petrol was fed to the engine using gravity and hence it could not climb steep hills if the tank was low on fuel. What driving technique was used for tackle this?
It was driven up a steep hill in reverse. Also, in Model T, reverse gear offered more power than forward gear.
In 1971, a concert was organised at Madison Square Garden when sitar maestro Ravi Shankar told George Harrison about a massive refugee crisis in a South Asian nation ravaged by floods, famine and civil war. Along with a bunch of their famous friends — including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and Leon Russell — they brought into being what is widely acknowledged as the first-ever “star-studded benefit concert.” What was the concert called?
The Concert for Bangladesh.
Three of Fidel Castro’s sons are named after which king?
Alexander the Great
The world’s first website, http://info.cern.ch, was launched on 6 August 1991. Name the British scientist who is supposed to have invented the World Wide Web (WWW).
Tim Berners-Lee
This attribute of theirs was common to five out of the last nine US presidents - Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. In ‘The Simpsons,’ character Ned Flanders set up a shop to recognise their plight. They are also called “southpaws”. 13th August is celebrated as an International Day to recognise them. Who are they?
Left-handers or lefties.
Name the well-known candy invented in 1941 and named after Forrest E. Mars and R. Bruce Murrie.
M&M
In 1989, which country saw the Velvet Revolution, a non-violent bloodless transition, to overthrow its Communist government leading to a start of a democratisation process?
Czechoslovakia
Name the only fully silent film to win an Oscar for best picture.
Wings in 1929.
Identify the place below.
(Answer next week. Answer to last week’s photoquiz: Neil Armstrong)
INFLUENTIAL: In December 1999, the Global Automotive Elections Foundation named Model T as the Most Influential Car of the 20thCentury.
