Description: Photograph showing a Ford truck parked in front of a dealership. According to the caption at the bottom, the car was priced at $195.00 in 1923 by D.Q. Jennings Used Cars. The name of the dealership is advertised on a hanging sign in the background. The caption below the photograph reads: "1923 Ford Iron Panel NO 3180 195.00." In 1909, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford introduced the Model T. This automobile became the most popular and affordable car available to the American people during the 1910s and the 1920s. In 1912, the Model T sold for six hundred dollars. Twelve years later, thanks to Ford's use of the assembly line, interchangeable parts, and unskilled labor, the Model T's price had dropped to just 290 dollars, making it easily affordable for the typical American. Helping to keep the price low was Ford's unwillingness to provide consumers with any frills on the Model T. Every Model T left the factory painted black, reducing the cost of paint and helping Ford to reduce the car's cost. Between 1909 and 1927, Ford only made two major changes to the Model T's design-adding roofs to the cars and equipping the autos with self-starters. The Model T and automobiles in general dramatically altered life in the United States and in Ohio. Cities quickly grew in geographic size, as workers, who formerly resided near their places of employment, moved to the suburbs. Schools became larger, as children could be bused long distances to receive their education. Social activities, such as dating, changed as people could travel greater distances to movie theaters, art galleries, and other entertainment venues. Promiscuity increased, as teenagers escaped the watchful eyes of their parents. Americans also increasingly went into debt as they purchased automobiles on credit. The first automobile dealer to sell cars on a deferred payment plan operated his business in Toledo, Ohio. Ford quickly employed a similar tactic to convince more consumers to purchase his Model T. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC1261_003
Subjects: Cars; Trucks; Transportation; Automobile equipment & supplies; Industrialists--Ohio;
Places: Steubenville (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio);