| What started out as a simple ingenious way of | | | | much like the Model A. But it carried a very |
| putting things together became a great well | | | | important artifact--the V8 engine. Yes, Ford |
| of classic cars. The Ford Motor Company | | | | Motor Companies created this monster of an |
| started out as a small group of three people | | | | engine, and they put it in one of their |
| working together to form a few simple cars. | | | | signature cars. The V8 engine also defined |
| Each person would work on a different | | | | how a car's performance should be: powerful, |
| component, thus making the process much | | | | speedy, but affordable. |
| quicker. And when this style of work grew | | | | |
| onto large scales, it defined how car | | | | The Fairlane |
| creation would be. | | | | |
| | | | Jump to 15 years after the Model B and the |
| Ford is undeniably a legendary creator of | | | | V8, and we have the first set of big cars. |
| classic cars. Here we will take a look at | | | | The Fairlane would start the trend of |
| some of the great defining vintage cars that | | | | hood-and-trunk cars, with a classy look to |
| this company has made. | | | | boot. The Fairlane was in fact, the car for |
| | | | the '50s and '60s that it has permeated into |
| The Model T | | | | the milkshake culture of that era. |
| | | | |
| Made in 1908, this car made all those | | | | The Thunderbird |
| horse-powered carriages become a simple | | | | |
| tourist novelty. The Model T heralded the | | | | The T-bird is also one of the defining cars |
| real start of popular automobile usage. Its | | | | that Ford has made. It is literally a sports |
| success came with the fact that it was | | | | car available for normal people, and which |
| affordable. Ford's assembly-line way of | | | | could be driven safely on the road. The |
| production paid off. It was so popular that | | | | Thunderbird is really a beauty, demand on the |
| it was in fact considered to be the world's | | | | classic car market for first to third |
| best selling car design before the Volkswagen | | | | generation ones reached great proportions. |
| Beetle dominated the race--which was almost | | | | |
| 60 years after! | | | | The Mustang |
| | | | |
| The Model A | | | | The Mustang is another trendsetter. Large |
| | | | muscle cars abound in the 60s, but Ford is |
| Ford had it strange with the alphabet. After | | | | not a company that conforms. The Mustang was |
| Model T, the next fashionable car that Ford | | | | the first of the 'pony' cars, with the long |
| has introduced was the Model A in 1927. It | | | | hood and short deck make. This car was so |
| was a simple and elegant car, but with | | | | sweet and sexy that it was given a starring |
| additions that would define what a car would | | | | role as Mr. Bond's car in Goldfinger. |
| be for years. Take for example the four-wheel | | | | |
| mechanical brakes, as well as the hydraulic | | | | Aside from these cars, Ford provided us with |
| shock absorbers. It had a starting price of | | | | quality trucks, buses, and even tractors. |
| around $300-$400. And now, a not-so-restored | | | | Though they may not be collectible, Ford |
| Model A roadster sells for $20,000 at the | | | | Motor Company's versatility showed through |
| least. How's that for a classic car value. | | | | these utility vehicles. Still, what defines |
| | | | Ford is its ability to set a trend in |
| The Model B | | | | automobile making, be it an affordable car, a |
| | | | high-performance engine, or new designs. And |
| The Model B could not have made it to this | | | | this trendsetting ability is what makes |
| list of classic cars because it looked so | | | | Ford's vehicles valuable classic cars. |