For better or for worse, Ford's Model T put America (and arguably the world) on wheels. The iconic Tin Lizzie celebrates its 100th birthday in 2008, and Ford has planned a series of events to honor the car. The multi-purposeful Model T was the vehicle that could do anything, and in 1913 Ford's moving assembly line raised production and lowered costs to the point that almost anyone could afford one. The tough, versatile vehicle was named the Car of the Century by a panel of journalists and experts in 1999, and could be considered the precursor of the modern SUV--though it actually got better fuel economy than the average Hummer.The flivver's birthday party kicks off at the Amelia Island Concours, where a special collection of Model Ts will be displayed on the "Field of Dreams." The Model T will be the automotive guest of honor at the 2008 Amelia Island event.
Ford has also worked with the Model T Club of America to host the "T Party 2008" in Richmond, Indiana। This event, scheduled for July 21-26, is expected to bring together the largest gathering of Model Ts since the car's initial production run. Over seven hundred vehicles are already signed up, with Model Ts coming from Europe and Australia. Considering that over fifteen million Model Ts were produced, the number will probably rise. Over ten thousand owners and enthusiasts are expected to attend.
Press Release
DEARBORN, Mich., March 5, 2008 – The car that put the world on wheels, the Ford Model T, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008 and Ford is planning a year-long series of celebrations to honor the iconic vehicle.
Celebrations will officially commence at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Amelia Island, Fla., March 7-9. Ford has many other regional events in the works for a year filled with celebrations, including a special Model T display at the West Coast’s largest Ford enthusiast car show - the Fabulous Fords Forever! event at Knott’s Berry Farm Amusement Park in Anaheim, Calif., on Apr. 20th. In July, Ford Motor Company will be the title sponsor of the Model T Ford Club of America’s “T Party 2008” that will be held in Richmond, Ind.
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
Among the fine collection of automobiles that will be displayed at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours this weekend will be a class of special Model Ts featured on the “Field of Dreams,” one of the premier locations at the event. This display will recognize this historic automobile and its contribution to America’s emergence as an industrial power in the early 1900s.
Close to 20,000 spectators and automobile aficionados will attend the weekend’s Concours activities, helping Ford kickoff the Model T centennial celebration.
“T Party 2008”
Ford Motor Company, with support from Ford Motor Company Fund, is the title sponsor for the “T Party 2008” celebration hosted by the Model T Ford Club of America, which plans to bring in close to 1,000 Model Ts for this significant milestone.
The “T Party 2008” will be held July 21-26 in Richmond, Ind., and is expected to be the largest gathering of Model Ts since they left the factory. The weeklong centennial celebration will draw over ten thousand Model T owners and enthusiasts from around the world. More than 700 Model Ts are already registered for the event, including entries from England, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
“The support and response we’re receiving around the T Party has been phenomenal. The Model T Ford Club of America has been looking forward to celebrating this milestone for many years,” said Jay Klehfoth, chief executive officer, Model T Ford Club of America. “We’re thankful for Ford’s support in helping bring this event alive to the thousands of Model T enthusiasts who will join us from around the world.”
One hundred years ago, the Ford Model T changed the world with its technology and the same concept has lived with Ford ever since.
“The Ford Model T is rightly credited with putting the world on wheels, and its influence can still be felt today,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “We’re proud to join in the celebration of one hundred years of fantastic Ford heritage and innovation with Model T enthusiasts from around the world, and we look forward to carrying the legacy and spirit of the Model T into the future.”
For more information on the “T Party 2008” centennial celebration, please visit www.tparty2008.com. Additional Model T centennial celebration events are being planned and will be announced later this year.
Ford Model T Facts
October 1, 1908 marks the anniversary of the first Model T built for sale.
The Model T was the first low-priced, mass-produced automobile with standard, interchangeable parts.
The Model T was equipped with a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine with a top speed of about 45 miles per hour, weighed 1,200 pounds, and achieved 13-21 miles per gallon.
The moving assembly line for the Model T revolutionized manufacturing in 1913.
More than 15 Million Model Ts had been sold by May 26, 1927, when a ceremony marked the formal end of Model T production.
Henry Ford called the Model T “the universal car,” a low-cost, reliable vehicle that could be maintained easily and could successfully travel the poor roads of the era.
On Dec. 18, 1999, the Ford Model T was named “Car of the Century” by a panel of 133 automotive journalists and experts who began with a list of 700 candidates in 1996 and sequentially narrowed the nominees through seven rounds of balloting over three years.
Source: Ford
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