The Ford Motor Company: a Lifetime of Classic Cars

What started out as a simple ingenious way of putting things together became a great well of classic cars. The Ford Motor Company started out as a small group of three people working together to form a few simple cars. Each person would work on a different component, thus making the process much quicker. And when this style of work grew onto large scales, it defined how car creation would be.

Ford is undeniably a legendary creator of classic cars. Here we will take a look at some of the great defining vintage cars that this company has made.

The Model T

Made in 1908, this car made all those horse-powered carriages become a simple tourist novelty. The Model T heralded the real start of popular automobile usage. Its success came with the fact that it was affordable. Ford's assembly-line way of production paid off. It was so popular that it was in fact considered to be the world's best selling car design before the Volkswagen Beetle dominated the race--which was almost 60 years after!

The Model A

Ford had it strange with the alphabet. After Model T, the next fashionable car that Ford has introduced was the Model A in 1927. It was a simple and elegant car, but with additions that would define what a car would be for years. Take for example the four-wheel mechanical brakes, as well as the hydraulic shock absorbers. It had a starting price of around $300-$400. And now, a not-so-restored Model A roadster sells for $20,000 at the least. How's that for a classic car value.

The Model B

The Model B could not have made it to this list of classic cars because it looked so much like the Model A. But it carried a very important artifact--the V8 engine. Yes, Ford Motor Companies created this monster of an engine, and they put it in one of their signature cars. The V8 engine also defined how a car's performance should be: powerful, speedy, but affordable.

The Fairlane

Jump to 15 years after the Model B and the V8, and we have the first set of big cars. The Fairlane would start the trend of hood-and-trunk cars, with a classy look to boot. The Fairlane was in fact, the car for the '50s and '60s that it has permeated into the milkshake culture of that era.

The Thunderbird

The T-bird is also one of the defining cars that Ford has made. It is literally a sports car available for normal people, and which could be driven safely on the road. The Thunderbird is really a beauty, demand on the classic car market for first to third generation ones reached great proportions.

The Mustang

The Mustang is another trendsetter. Large muscle cars abound in the 60s, but Ford is not a company that conforms. The Mustang was the first of the 'pony' cars, with the long hood and short deck make. This car was so sweet and sexy that it was given a starring role as Mr. Bond's car in Goldfinger.

Aside from these cars, Ford provided us with quality trucks, buses, and even tractors. Though they may not be collectible, Ford Motor Company's versatility showed through these utility vehicles. Still, what defines Ford is its ability to set a trend in automobile making, be it an affordable car, a high-performance engine, or new designs. And this trendsetting ability is what makes Ford's vehicles valuable classic cars.