Thursday 23rd July 1903
The first 2-cylinder, 8-bhp Ford Model A, the result of a partnership between Henry Ford and Detroit coal merchant Alexander Malcomson, was delivered to its owner, Dr Ernst Pfennig of Chicago. The Model A, ‘the most reliable machine in the world’, was designed primarily by Ford’s assistant C. Harold Wills. It cost $850, making it an affordable runabout. The success of this first Model A, which was capable of 30 mph, helped establish the Ford Motor Company as well as Henry Ford’s reputation as an automotive entrepreneur.