Ford Model A

While the Model T Ford stands alone, being the first car in the world to go into volume production, perhaps the hardest decision Ford had to make was how to replace it. The Model A Ford is therefore perhaps the most important car that Ford ever launched.

Although the Model A was produced for only four years, it is generally rated as one of the greatest cars of all time. Although on first appearance the Model A with its similar transverse leaf suspension looked as if it was based on its famous forebear, it was in fact a far more advanced car. The four cylinder 2-litre engine drove the 'A' to a top speed of 105km/h and featured much more up to date equipment, including four wheel brakes, electrical systems, and a conventional three-speed gearbox.

On May 26, 1927, each of the 10,000 Ford dealers in the USA received a telegram advising that production was starting on a new Ford car, with superior design and performance in the low price light car field.

For months the debate had raged in Ford executive offices as to whether it was time for the venerable Model T to go. Finally the decision was made, and with it came a rush to get the new model on the road. It took just 90 days from design approval to have the vehicle in production, although much of the actual design work was completed in 1926. The first Model A was produced on October 20, 1927 and Henry Ford with a hand stamp and machine hammer numbered the engine. Henry Ford eventually gave this first car to Thomas Edison. The Model A did not go on sale until December, replacing the Model T that had been on sale for 18 years. This new Model A (not to be confused with the original Model A produced in 1903-1904) was designated as a 1927 model and was available in four colours, but not black like the Model T.

The Model A was introduced on December 2nd with great fanfare and Ford claim that more than 10 million people saw the car on display in dealerships and at special venues across the country. Such was the excitement that dealers reported sales at the rate of one every five minutes. Within the first two weeks about 400,000 orders were placed for the new vehicle and thousands more had been bought sight unseen in previous months. Production however lagged behind demand and only up to 100 cars were built a day at introduction.

The Model was initially available in six body types: Sport Coupe, Coupe, Roadster, Phaeton, Tudor sedan, Fordor sedan and a truck. Of these, the Fordor was not available until well into 1928. Bodies were made of steel with full crown type fenders and nickled headlamps and radiator shell. Colour choices offered were two different blues (Niagara and gun metal), Arabian sand, and dawn grey.

Prices ranged from US$385 for a Roadster to $1,400 for the top of the range Town Car. The Model A was the first Ford to provide a standard set of driver controls with a conventional clutch and brake pedals. The engine was a water cooled L-head 4-cylinder with a displacement of 3.3-litres. High points of the new Ford included its 55-65mph top speed (105km/h) 30kW engine and reasonable acceleration. Tests showed that a Tudor sedan with two passengers was capable of accelerating from 5 to 25mph in 8.5 seconds. Pretty impressive for the day. Fuel economy was also quite acceptable at around 8-12 kms per litre.

Standard equipment on all Model As included, starter, five-steel spoke wheels, windscreen wiper, speedometer, fuel gauge, ammeter, dash light, mirror, rear and stop light, oil measuring dipstick, ignition lock and tool kit.

The engine used a Zenith one-barrel carburettor, and the story goes that Henry Ford instructed the Zenith to reduce the number of bolts holding the carburettor together with two bolts rather than 14 screws. When the finished design was presented, Ford sent it back, saying, "Two is too many. Make just one bolt!" And that's why the famous Model A carburettor has only a single bolt down through it.

The fuel tank was located in the cowl, between the engine compartment's firewall and the dash panel. It had an optic fuel gauge and the fuel was distributed to the carburettor by gravity. Following vehicle crashes by both Henry Ford and project director Harold Hicks, when both men were showered in glass, the Model A became the first car to have laminated safety glass in the windshield.

1928 was a bumper year for the Model A with production ramped up from 195 a day in January to 1,000 on February 13th. By September this figure had reached 4,788 units per day, and by years end, 6,435 Model A Fords were coming off the assembly lines each day. At the one year anniversary of the Model A, 'Ford News' reported that 733,044 Model A Fords had been built. By the end of 1928 the worldwide figure was 818,734 units.

Despite the stock market crash in October 1929, Ford enjoyed a good year producing 1,961,092 machines in 1929. This figure finally secured the Model A top spot in the domestic market, overtaking the successful Chevrolet. Model A engine no. 1,000,000 was assembled on February 4, 1929, slightly less than 15 months after production was started. Annual daily output was 7,418 units with a one day record of 9,100 units established on June 26th. While the Model T is still Ford 's most revered car, when contrasted with the Model A, it took some 7 years to achieve the sales that the Model A achieved in less than 2 years.

For 1930 the Model A received redesigned bodies, used more 'rustless' steel, smaller wheels and bigger tyres, giving the car a lower centre of gravity and better handling.

There was a new radiator, headlamps, and higher, narrower and longer bonnet and redesigned front and rear mudguards. Mechanically the car was the same as the previous year's model, with some minor specification changes. Nine body types were offered, with a further five announced during the year. These were the DeLuxe Coupe, DeLuxe Sedan, DeLuxe Phaeton, DeLuxe Roadster and the Victoria. A Model A station wagon was also available in June. A number of custom-built Model A Fords were assembled in 1930 and 15 commercial bodies were available.

By the end of 1930, more than 4 million Model A cars and AA trucks had left Ford assembly lines.

Production of the Model A ended in March 1932, falling well short of the 30 million sales confidently predicted at launch by Edsel Ford. 1931, the last of the four model years for Model A, saw a 50 percent decline in sales as the Depression caught up with the Model A. One bright spot was the production of the "Twenty Millionth Ford", a black 1931 Town sedan that was built at the Roughe plant on April 14th, 1931.

The Model A is a legendary car that was the right car at the right time. Final production figures vary from 4,849,340 to close to 5,100,000 Model A produced worldwide, depending on what source you believe.

The bottom line is that the basic honesty and simplicity of the Model A, the low cost of parts, performance and attractive styling and worldwide distribution ensure that the attraction of the Model A will be with us for many years to come.