General non-MG related discussions. No politics here please!!
Did ya know that today in history ( 1 Oct 1908 ) Henry Ford's Model T, a "universal car" designed for the masses, went on sale for the first time?
And of course without that we would not have our MGBs.
Your turn :)
You are just a wellspring of information there, Naomi. I've always wanted to own a Model T.
Wow 99 years!
My uncle had a Model T for a while when I was little. He would take us out for a ride whenever we came over at a rip-roarin' top speed of 45!
Our last cruise was down Fremont Street before they closed it off for new fancy stuff.
If it were not for all the European engineering that was done before there were "Fords", we would not have MG's or any cars. The internal combustion engine and the spark plug just to name a couple.
peace, Kyle
If Ford's T had not happened something else would have. With much the same result at the end 50 yrs later...or 100..
if the Wrights hadn't flown, Glenn Curtiss would have or someone else. within a year.
The "legal" manufacturers might have continued another decade or so until Durant or someone else) sued and broke it.
Naomi Wrote:
Naomi Wrote:
Naomi....I think the MG and Ford would have gotten along without knowing each other....remember that guy Gotfried Daimler? First car ever....and he let his daughter drive it in a timed race against a carriage and guess her name....Mercedes the rest is history, mamm
You mean "GOTTLIEB Daimler"? Mercedes Benz has over 10,000 patents, and I have always held them with high regard.
peace, Kyle
Englishcarlover Wrote:
The model T has to be th only car I have ever heard of where the price went DOWN as production volumes went up.
Ol' Henry really did "pass the saving on to you"
Pete.
Peter7307 Wrote:
Tom,
I had forgotten about using the wood from packing cases as floorboards.
If he had been around today he would have been hailed as a recycling , carbon reducing genius.
Pete.
Actually, Mercedes was the name of one of Daimler-Benz's sales agents. The story is below.
"By 1900, Jellinek was operating a successful dealership in Nice, and was in a position to demand something really special from Daimler. He requested a car with a long wheelbase, more horsepower, lower center of gravity, and electric ignition. He offered a large sum of money to Daimler not only to produce the car, but to give him an exclusive dealership covering most of western Europe and the US. He reserved the right to name the car, and called it Mercedes, after his daughter.The new Mercedes car was an instant success, winning race after race. Success on the track led to success on the showroom floor, and the brand flourished."
But had it not been for the Cave Man inventing the wheel and fire, none of this would have taken place! :D
Let's give ole Henry his due. He married tecnology to manufacting and to business to put cars within reach of ordinary folks, not just the fabulously wealthy as before. The increased production also hurried up development of technology toproduce a BETTER car.
tfisher7621 Wrote: