On October 1, 1908, the Ford Motor Company began selling the Model T, a car designed to be affordable for ordinary Americans. The Model T used standardized parts and an efficient assembly process that helped cut production costs. Over time, Henry Ford would refine these methods into full assembly-line production, which transformed industrial manufacturing. The car gave many Americans their first personal access to automobile travel. It also encouraged the building of better roads and roadside businesses such as gas stations and repair shops. The Model T changed how people lived and worked by making travel faster and more flexible.
