Background
There are hard acts to follow, and then there’s the Model T Ford.
In 1927, the T had been in production for nearly two decades; an incredible feat at a time when the motor car was so early in its evolution. Yet despite the Model T’s almost universal presence, its replacement was a smash hit as soon as deliveries began. Indeed, it took only 15 months for the first million Model A Fords to find homes.
And no wonder. The car’s burly 3.3-litre, four-cylinder engine was new but reassuringly familiar and the ‘A’ now sported three forward gears and three pedals - clutch, brake and accelerator, like other cars, rather than the Model T’s two-speed with gear selection pedals. With a 65 mph top speed and good low-down torque it was a match for much more expensive cars on the open road.
The Model A continued Ford’s mission to fill every niche with a single car. It was offered in around three dozen configurations from the familiar Tudor and Fordor sedans to various roadsters and convertibles and of course commercial bodies, both open and closed.
It was assembled in 19 different locations around the world, including Cork in Ireland and Trafford Park in Manchester, where Model Ts had also been produced. However, the large-bore 3.3-litre engine put the Model A into the 24hp tax bracket, far higher than its rivals, so Ford UK introduced a 2-litre version. Even this attracted a high road tax rate, meaning that Model As never became a common sight in Europe.
