Trip Meter

[rfitzpatrick]

Why did Ford do away with the speedometer Trip-Meter?

[Chris in WNC]

round ones probably cost less?

[Bob Bidonde]

My guess is the speedometer with a trip meter cost more, so the trip meter was deleted in the round speedometers. In the Parts Price List of 1928, the A-17255 Speedometer (oval) unit price was $6. By July of 1931, the unit price of A-17255-AR increased to $8. So lets say the Waltham & Stewart Warner round speedometers had a Parts Price List unit cost of $7. The savings would be about $1.5 million for 1930 & 1931 Fords.

[ModelA29]

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Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

My guess is the speedometer with a trip meter cost more, so the trip meter was deleted in the round speedometers. In the Parts Price List of 1928, the A-17255 Speedometer (oval) unit price was $6. By July of 1931, the unit price of A-17255-AR increased to $8. So lets say the Waltham & Stewart Warner round speedometers had a Parts Price List unit cost of $7. The savings would be about $1.5 million for 1930 & 1931 Fords.

Using the basic retail price rule of doubling each time it's sold. With Ford paying $1.75 for a speedo. They'd sell it to the dealer for $3.50 and the dealer would sell it to you for $7.00. I think you're looking at a savings of 25 cents per car. Putting roughly an extra 1/2 million in Henry's pocket.
Today new cars are figured down to 1/100s of a cent. The was a big discussion when Ford brought out the retro Mustang for 2005. They were going to put in gauges that basically worked like idiot lights. The true analog ones would add $2 to building the car. The head engineer finally won out but with the caveat he had to cut the $2 out of something else in the car.