This new car was called the Model A. Many auto enthusiasts wondered if Ford would be able to top the success of the Model T. On December 2, 1927 Henry Ford introduced the Model A. It was praise heavily by everyone (Justin 4). The Model A was a great success. The Model A had an ignition system that started the car with the turn of a key, shock absorbers that made for a soother ride, and a safety-glass windshield that was difficult to shatter. By the end of 1928, Ford was producing 6,400 cars per day. In 1929, the company made nearly two million cars (Justin 4). On October 29, 1929 the stock market crashed causing a financial panic throughout America. The Ford Motor Company was owned by a handful of investors so the company was not directly affected. Ford was even able to give his workers a raise to compensate for the increased cost of living. However the crash caught up with him a year later when the public had not bought his cars like they used to. Fords 91 million-dollar profit plummeted to 40 million in just 1 year. Then the following year Ford Motor Company had its worst year of business and actually lost money (Justin 4). Ford still however believed that he would weather the storm. He produced a new model: the Ford V-8. It had an 8-cylinder engine, a new transmission, and an incredibly low price tag of $460. Sales of the Ford V-8 started of slowly but increased steadily till 1934 when ford was once again making a yearly profit. The years between 1935 and 1941 were filled with turmoil with workers and their wages. Trying to help the war effort ford built tanks, trucks and other war equipment (Justin 4). Henry Ford died in 1947 leaving his company to his son. The Ford Motor Company continues to flourish to this day. The company today is worth billions of dollars. The make cars ranging from $13,000 to around $40,000. They are also one of the most popular (Justin 4).
A vehicle in which many teens drive around in today as a "hot" summer ride was produced for a much different purpose in 1938.