Transport & space · 1908

Ford Model T

A durable, cheap car puts the world on wheels; 15 million are built.

Ford launched the Model T in October 1908, and moving-assembly-line production from 1913 cut its price from $850 to about $260. Over 15 million were made by 1927. It turned the car from a luxury into mass transport and reshaped cities around roads.

See it in the living tree Wikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 2

Pneumatic tire 1888
Automobile 1886

What it led to 1

Interstate Highway System 1956

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

US households with a car Latest: 91 % of households (2005) Source: Our World in Data

Private cars in the UK Latest: 22M cars (1998) Source: Our World in Data

Fossil fuel consumption Latest: 144k TWh (2025) Source: Our World in Data