Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Shaft
Ford was sound in his reasoning ( from a personal perspective) to continue in producing the Model T. The car made him one of the richest men in to world, and there was enough money in the Ford coffers form T sales to continue building the car till Ford's death, regardless if it was profitable or not. From that standpoint he could have done it, easily. One could argue the model a never recouped development cost, its only profitable year of production was 1929.Ford motor company didn't turn a profit from '29 to '46.(war work was done at cost plus one dollar).Yet there was enough money left from the 'T' days to finance the massive retool in '49..stubborn? perhaps, but Ford could also be accused of what car guys call 'run what you brung'..that model T delivered in spades.
|
Maybe Henry could have afforded to build the T until his death, but could he have sold it? 1923 was the high water mark for the T. After that, production and price dropped every year as customers bought other makes with more modern features. During 1929, production increased to a pre-1926 level. Then the crash happened and production again fell off. I submit the crash and consequent depression, rather than the A, was the reason for Ford's lack of profitability through the 30s and WW2. No doubt the T put the world on wheels and made Ford rich. But I have to wonder whether he might not have become even richer if he hadn't stubbornly clung to it, and had introduced the A a few years earlier.