Ford Model A

This is the eightieth Ford ever built and therefore probably one of the oldest surviving Fords in the world.

This is the eightieth Ford ever built and therefore probably one of the oldest surviving Fords in the world. The engine and chassis of this Ford Model A are not yet made by Ford itself, but by Dodge Brothers. The car has an early semi automatic transmission, with two forward gears and one reverse. The top speed is about 70 km/h. The standard bodywork is a two seater buggy, but a tonneau can be fitted at the back: a body section with two extra seats and a small door at the rear. This option costs one hundred dollars at the time. It was a close call whether the Ford Motor Company would have to close its doors again shortly after it was founded in 1903. The investments in the new company were so high that there was too little cash in reserve and everything depended on the sale of the first production model, the A. Fortunately, that turned out well. A doctor from Chicago paid 850 dollars for the first A and after that the orders poured in. Ford eventually sold more than 1,700 examples of the Model A and even exported them to Europe, Australia and South Africa.