The weeklong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the iconic Model T Ford began yesterday with what is being called the largest gathering of the cars since they left the factory.And a large gathering it was, with 750 Model Ts and an even larger crowd gathering at an opening banquet in Richmond, Indiana.
An emotional Edsel Ford II, great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford, addressed the gathering, the Associated Press reported. According to Ford, the spirit of the Model T, which was the first vehicle to introduce motoring to the masses, was what made it so successful.
"It was a product that delivered freedom," he told the crowd. "You are the guardians of the spirit that got the whole thing going. You are the keepers of the flame. As long as we have people who love the Model T, we will never forget what brought us here."
The first Model T was produced in Detroit in 1908, and over the next 19 years Ford built 15 million cars with the infamous Model T engine.
At a time when a slowing economy has slowed vehicle sales and spiked fears about fuel consumption, Ford's attention has shifted towards fuel-friendly passenger cars. But the nostalgia for the Model T remains alive and well a century later. Try expounding the value of fuel frugality to hundreds of proud Model T owners who made the slow trek to Indiana to share their passion with fellow enthusiasts. As a vehicle that transformed the nation, the Model T will always remain a piece of Americana.
"You are the guardians of the spirit that got the whole thing going. You are the keepers of the flame. As long as we have people who love the Model T, we will never forget what brought us here."
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt we will never forget the revolution started by Mr Ford. But I suspect it's time for an entirely new revolution in transportation. And I don't mean 'evolution', I mean 'revolution'. Something like this...
www.prtproject.com
I just don't see modest changes like hybrids and such as solving the greater problems of congestion and road maintenance. The advantages of full automation are just too good to ignore IMO.
gary
Very interesting comment, Gary. Did you know Heathrow Airport actually is currently working on a project like this to debut in spring, 2009?
ReplyDeleteI'm doing a little more research, so look for a blog post on our thoughts about the topic in a few days!
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm aware of the Heathrow PRT project. Most people think of PRT in a very restricted sense...basically dedicated to airports. My proposal is far greater reaching in that it would actually REPLACE the automobile in most cases. It seems very "Jetson", but as I see it the technology exists now to actually do it. And if the US is to stay competitive in the global market, I think we need to be looking at technologies like this.
gary