Ford Model A (1927–31) See also: Ford also: Ford Model A (1903–04)
throttle, and gearshift. Previous Fords used controls that had become uncommon uncommon to drivers of other makes. makes. The Model A’s fuel tank was situated in the cowl, between the The Ford colloquia uially lly called called the AFord Model Model A (also colloq engine compartment’s compartment’s fire wall and the dash panel. It had Model Ford or the A , and A-bone among rodders among rodders and and a visual fuel gauge, and the fuel flowed to the carburetor customizers), customizers ),[2] was the second huge success for the Ford the Ford by gravity. A rear-view mirror was optional.[1] In cooler Motorr Comp Moto Company any,, after its predece predecessor ssor,, the Mod Model el T. First First climates, climates, owners could purchase an aftermarket an aftermarket cast cast iron produ produced ced on Octo October ber 20, 1927, 1927, but not sold sold until until Dece Decemmunit to place over the exhaust manifold to provide heat to ber 2, it replaced the venerable venerable Model T, which had been the cab. A small door provided adjustment of the amount produced produced for for 18 years. This new new Model A (a (a previous of hot air entering the cab. The Model A was the first car model had model had used the name in 1903–04) was designated a to have safety have safety glass in glass in the windshield. [6] 1928 model and was available in four standard colors. The Soviet The Soviet company company GAZ GAZ,, which started as a joint a joint venBy 4 Febr Februa uary ry 1929 1929,, one one mill millio ion n Mode Modell As had had been been sold sold,, ture between ture between Ford and the Soviet Union, made a licensed and by 24 July, two million.[3] The range of body styles version versi on 1932–1936.[7] This This serve served d as the the basis basis for the FAI ran from the the Tudor Tudor at US$50 US$500 0 (in grey, grey, green green,, or blac black) k)[3] and BA-20 and BA-20 armored cars which cars which saw use as Soviet scout to the the Town Town Car Car with with a dual dual cowl cowl atUS$12 atUS$1200 00..[4] In March March vehicles in the early stages of World War II. II. 1930, 1930, Model Model A sales sales hit hit three three milli million, on, and ther theree were were nine nine body styles available. [3] In addition to the United the United States, States, Ford made the Model A in plants in Argentina in Argentina,, Canada Canada,, France France,, Germany Germany and and the Mode Modell A prod produc ucti tion on ende ended d in Marc March, h, 1932 1932,, afte afterr United Kingdom and Kingdom and Denmark Denmark.. 4,858,644 had been made in all body styles. [5] Its successor was the Model B, B, which featured an updated 4- In Europe, where in some countries cars were taxed accylinder engine, engine, as well as the Model 18, 18, which intro- cording to engine size, Ford in the UK manufactured the duced Ford’s new flathead new flathead (sidevalve) V8 engine. engine . Model A with a 2,033 cc (124.1 cu in) engine providing providing a clai claime med d outp output ut of just just 28 hp (21 (21 kW; kW; 28 PS). PS).[8] However, the engine equated to a British fiscal British fiscal horsepower of horsepower of 14.9 [9] hp (11.1 kW kW;; 15.1 15.1 PS PS)) (compa (compared red to the the 24 hp (18 kW kW;; 1 Featur tures 24 PS 24 PS)) of the larger engine) and attracted a punitive annual nual car car tax tax levy levy of £1 per per fisca fiscall hp in the the UK . It ther theref efor oree Prices for the Model A ranged from US$385 for a roadwas was expe expens nsiv ivee to own own and too heav heavyy and thirst thirstyy to achi achiev evee ster to US$1400 for the top-of-the-line Town Car. The volume sales, and so unable to compete in the newly deengine was a water-cooled L-head water-cooled L-head inline 4-cylinder with 4-cylinder with veloping mass market, while also too crude to compete a displacement displacement of 201 cu in (3.3 l). This engine provided provided as a luxury product. European manufactured manufactured Model Model As 40 hp (30 kW; 41 PS). Top speed was around 65 mph failed to achieve the sales success in Europe that would (105 km/h). km/h). The Model Model A had a 103.5 in (2,630 mm) greet greet their their smalle smallerr succes successor sor in Englan England d and Germa Germany ny..[10] whee wheelba lbase se with with a final final drive drive ratio ratio of 3.77:1 3.77:1.. Thetransmis Thetransmis-sion was a conventional 3-speed sliding gear manual manual un unsynchronised unit with a single speed reverse speed reverse.. The Model A had 4-wheel mechanical 4-wheel mechanical drum brakes. brakes. The The 1930 and and 2 Histori His torical cal contex contextt of Model Model A de1931 models were available with stainless steel radiator velopment cowling cowling and headlamp housings. The Model A came in a wide variety of styles including: Coupe (Stand Coupe (Standard ard and Deluxe Deluxe), ), Business Business Coupe, Sport Coupe, Coupe, Roadste Roadsterr Coupe Coupe (Standar (Standard d and Deluxe Deluxe), ), Convertible Cabriolet vertible Cabriolet,, Convertible Sedan Convertible Sedan,, Phaeton (Standard and Deluxe), Tudor Sedan Tudor Sedan (Standard (Standard and Deluxe), Town Car, Fordor Fordor (2-window) (2-window) (Standar (Standard d and Deluxe Deluxe), ), Fordor (3-window) (Standard and Deluxe), Victoria, Station Wagon, Wagon, Taxicab, Taxicab, Truck, and Commercial. Commercial.
From the mid 1910s through through the early 1920s, Ford dominated the automotive market with its Model T. However, during the mid-1920s, this dominance eroded as competitors, especially the various General Motors divisions, caught caught up with Ford’s mass production production system and began to outcompete Ford in some areas, especially by offering more powerf powerful ul engines engines,, new conven convenien ience ce featur features, es, or cos[11][12][13] metic customization. Also, features Henry features Henry Ford considered to be unnecessary, such as electric starters, starters, were gradually shifting in the public’s perception from
The Model A was the first Ford to use the standard set of driver driver controls controls with with conve conventio ntional nal clutch clutch and brake brake pedals, pedals, 1
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REFERENCES
luxuries to essentials.
gan. The car required minimal service, including a flat tire and transmission work in Nicaragua, and is now Ford’s sales force recognized the threat and advised housed in the Henry Ford Museum.[18] Henry to respond to it. Initially he resisted, but the T’s sagging market share finally forced him to admit a re- Charlie Ryan’s song "Hot Rod Lincoln" featured a Model placement was needed. When he finally agreed to begin A with a Lincoln flathead V12 and other modifications. development of this new model, he focused on the mechanical aspects and on what today is called design for manufacturability (DFM), which he had always strongly 4 Gallery embraced and for which the Model T production system was famous. Although ultimately successful, the development of the Model A included many problems that had 5 References to be resolved.[14] For example, the die stamping of parts from sheet steel, which the Ford company had led to new [1] Kimes, Beverly (1996). standard catalog of American heights of development with the Model T production sysCars 1805-1942. Krause publications. ISBN 0-87341tem, was something Henry had always been ambivalent 428-4. about; it had brought success, but he felt that it was not the best choice for durability. He was determined that [2] Bianco, Johnny, “Leadfest” in Rod & Custom, 9/00, p. 86. the Model A would rely more on drop forgings than the Model T; but his ideas to improve the DFM of forging [3] Gauld, p. 693. did not prove practical. Eventually, Ford’s engineers per[4] Gauld, p. 694. suaded him to relent, lest the Model A’s production cost [15] force up its retail price too much. Henry’s disdain for cosmetic vanity as applied to automobiles led him to leave the Model A’s styling to a team led by his son Edsel, even though he would take credit for it despite his son doing more of the work. It was during the period from the mid-1920s to early 1930s that the limits of the first generation of mass production, epitomized by the Model T production system’s rigidity, became apparent. The era of “flexible mass production” had begun.[16][17]
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Film and media
The Model A was well represented in media of the era since it was one of the most common cars. Model kits are still available from hobby shops in the 2000s, as stock cars or hot rods.
[5] “Model A Production Figures” . Model A Ford Club of America. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
[6] “Directory Index: Ford/1930_Ford/1930_Ford_Brochure_02”. Oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2011-11-20. [7] Sorensen 1956, pp. 206–208. [8] Werner Oswald. Deutsche Autos 1920-1945 p. 416 ISBN 3-87943-519-7 [9] Clutton, Cecil, Paul Bird and Anthony Harding. The Vintage Car Pocketbook ; The Motoring Encyclopaedia (1935?) [10] “0 – 100...We celebrate a century of Ford in style....”. Auto Express . Issue 724: 56–62. date 2–8 October 2002. Check date values in: |date= ( help) [11] Sorensen 1956, pp. 217–219.
Perhaps in reference to the remarkable upgrade from the previous Model T, a song was written about the Model A by Irving Kaufman called Henry’s Made a Lady Out Of Lizzie, a reference to the moniker Tin Lizzie given to the Model T.
[12] Hounshell 1984, pp. 263–264.
Several Model As have obtained particular fame. The Ramblin' Wreck, a 1930 Sport Coupe, is the official mascot of the student body at the Georgia Institute of Technology and appears at sporting events and student body functions. Ala Kart , a customized 1929 roadster pickup built by George Barris won two straight "America’s Most Beautiful Roadster" awards at the Oakland Roadster Show before making numerous film and television appearances. Between October 1992 to December 1994, Hector Quevedo, along with his son Hugo, drove a 1928 Model A 22,000 mi (35,406 km) from his home in Punta Arenas, Chile to Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michi-
[15] Hounshell 1984, pp. 280–281.
[13] Sloan 1964, pp. 162–163. [14] Hounshell 1984, pp. 280–292.
[16] Hounshell 1984, pp. 263–301, Chapter 7: Cul-de-sac: The Limits of Fordism & the Coming of “Flexible Mass Production”. [17] Sorensen 1956, pp. 217–231, Chapter 16: Farewell to Model T. [18] Cardinale, Anthony. Chileans on a Roll in Vintage Car Trek Detroit-Bound Model A Ford Arrives Here After 21,700 Miles. Buffalo News . Buffalo, N.Y.: November 30, 1994 p. A.1.
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Bibliography •
Hounshell, David A. (1984), From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932: The Development of Manufacturing Technology in the United States , Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity Press, ISBN 978-0-8018-2975-8, LCCN 83016269 •
Sloan, Alfred P. (1964), McDonald, John, ed., My Years with General Motors , Garden City, NY, USA: Doubleday, LCCN 64011306, OCLC 802024. Re published in 1990 with a new introduction by Peter Drucker (ISBN 978-0385042352).
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Sorensen, Charles E.; with Williamson, Samuel T. (1956), My Forty Years with Ford , New York, New York, USA: Norton, LCCN 56010854. Various republications, including ISBN 9780814332795. Gauld, Graham. “The Ford Motor Company”, in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles , Volume 6, pp. 681–700. London: Phoebus, 1974.
Further reading •
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Henry, Leslie R. (2013). Howto Restore the Model A Ford . Vermont: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC. ISBN 1626549419.
External links •
Model A Ford Reference Sheet, Owners Manual, and Help
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Model A Ford Club of America -
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Model A Restorers Club -
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Ford Model AA Truck Club -
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A-Ford Club Nederland -
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Ford Model A at DMOZ
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Follow Henry As We Tour The Long Beach Assembly Plant circa 1930 Ford Model A Assembly Plant in Edgewater NJ Fordbarn, An active forum for discussion about the Model A Ford 365 Days of A, One man’s quest to drive a Ford Model A for an entire year. 1930 Model A sales brochure
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TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
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Text Ford Model A (1927–31) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_A_(1927%E2%80%9331)?oldid=697809095 Contributors:
Rmhermen, DavidWBrooks, Zzyzx, DocWatson42, Brian Kendig, Sfoskett, Blue387, Trevor MacInnis, RoyBoy, Redvers, Pol098, DavidFarmbrough, Rjwilmsi, Angusmclellan, Alexkasper, Tommyt, Charles Gaudette, RussBot, Hydrargyrum, Rsrikanth05, Elynnia, Malcolma, Lockesdonkey, Jeff Silvers, SmackBot, Brossow, McNeight, Darth Panda, Trekphiler, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, FiveRings, The PIPE, SamBlob, Charvelguy, Excaliburhorn, Omnedon, Hurricanefloyd, Wikited, Civil Engineer III, SpeedKing, Moefuzz, Mkhbgpa, MarsRover, AndrewHowse, Cydebot, Spyder Monkey, Jed, Andyjsmith, AntiVandalBot, DougW, Bull-Doser, OSX, Zchris87v, JAnDbot, Matthew Fennell, Charles01, Arrowcatcher, LorenzoB, Mrleechamberlain, Rudy22, MartinBot, Rettetast, Nono64, Pomte, Tgeairn, Dinkytown, Peter Clarke, BrokenSphere, HornColumbia, STBotD, DH85868993, Jevansen, Jvcdude, Alex:D, Varnent, RjCan, Filipo, Jameslwoodward, Chitrapa, Barneca, Hepcat65, Ahabvader, S2grand, Andy Dingley, GTHO, Typ932, SieBot, Bdentremont, Moebiusuibeom-en, Jijenkins, Toddst1, Savagemania, Aszalan, Lightmouse, Pittsburghmuggle, Fratrep, Regushee, ClueBot, Plastikspork, IHuman13, LucioRandy, Detroiterbot, Three-quarter-ten, Mthunder15, John Nevard, Bidwa~enwiki, Rickblack, Chaparral2J, Jomahar, Good Olfactory, Addbot, Mabdul, MartinezMD, Roadstaa, Atomicnomad, Bassbonerocks, Dave Rogers, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Oilpanhands, Amirobot, Jason Recliner, Esq., Jmrligthart, Poochie883, AnomieBOT, Materialscientist, Citation bot, Quebec99, LilHelpa, OnkelFordTaunus, Purplebackpack89, Srich32977, Molandfreak, Wilke339, Erik9bot, FrescoBot, DaveJunior, Giant turtle, Tom.Reding, Fixer88, PetesPonies, Full-date unlinking bot, Vrenator, Diannaa, Jamietw, RjwilmsiBot, EmausBot, WikitanvirBot, Sumsum2010, ZéroBot, Rockclaw1030, SporkBot, Rcsprinter123, Crwpitman, ClueBot NG, Millermk, VanishedUser sdu8asdasd, Aribeauregard, Chris65536, Swingcar, Calabe1992, Peter von der Gladebeke, 1931fordstation, Asd36f, BattyBot, Kremerbi, Mdann52, Khazar2, Lmoderwell, Acetotyce, Caiaphodus, Nyth83, Leoesb1032, BillyBOBJonesthe IV, Rockymountainspringwater, Eteethan, Storebj0rn, Jnbuckley and Anonymous: 143
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Images File:'28_Ford_Model_A_Hotrod_(Auto_classique_St._Lazare_'10).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/ d1/%2728_Ford_Model_A_Hotrod_%28Auto_classique_St._Lazare_%2710%29.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work. Original artist: Bull-Doser File:'31_Ford_Model_A_(Auto_classique).JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/%2731_Ford_Model_ A_%28Auto_classique%29.JPG License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Bull-Doser File:1928-ford-archives.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/1928-ford-archives.jpg License: Attribution Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Transfer was stated to be made by User:Undead_warrior. Original artist: Original up-
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File:1928_Ford_Model_A_76A_Open_Cab.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/1928_Ford_Model_ A_76A_Open_Cab.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden File:1929_Ford_Model_AA_Truck_DGO099.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/1929_Ford_ Model_AA_Truck_DGO099.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden File:1929_Ford_Model_A_Gazogene.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/1929_Ford_Model_A_ Gazogene.jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Crwpitman File:1931_Ford_Model_A_Deluxe_Tudor.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/1931_Ford_Model_A_ Deluxe_Tudor.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Spyder_Monkey using CommonsHelper. Original artist: Rickblack at English Wikipedia File:1931_Ford_Model_A_roadster_engine.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/1931_Ford_Model_ A_roadster_engine.JPG License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: 28th annual New England Regional All-Ford Show and Swap Meet hosted by the Mustang Car Club of New England at the Hebert Candy Mansion, Shrewsbury, MA Original artist: Stephen Foskett (Wikipedia
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