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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangFord Model T vs Model A
The differences between the Model T and the Model A couldn’t be starker. Ford reimagined their car from “radiator to rear axle.”
Changing of the Guard
Over one hundred years ago, Ford Motor Company was busily dominating American automotive manufacturing. Henry Ford began implementing his assembly line innovations to the Model T in 1910, thereby ramping up production to unprecedented levels. By the start of the 1920s, the Model T was so ubiquitous that the Ford made up half of all cars on the road in the US. Efficiency and scale had kept the Model T a competitive product.
But by the late 1920s, Ford Model T was nearing 20 years of production and was beginning to show its age. Competitors like GM were meanwhile making gains against Ford in both production volume and in the quality of its vehicles and engines. Henry Ford, however, was reluctant to introduce a new model given all the efficiencies he’d baked into the Model T’s production. It wasn’t until 1927 that the Model T finally got its successor, the Model A.
The Model A offered major upgrades over the Model T. From the engine to the brakes to the look and style of the car, the Model A was a thoroughly modern vehicle in a way the Model T was decidedly not. So, what changed between the Model T and the Model A? As Ford’s advertisements proclaimed, the Model A was new “from radiator to rear axle.”
Size
Mostly easily noticed among the changed from the Model T to the Model A was the size of the car. The Model T had a 100-inch wheelbase and measured 134 inches long. The Model A added 3.5-inches to the wheelbase and 31 inches to the overall length of the car. The Model A also rode lower to the ground, giving it a more modern look that contrasted with the Model T’s stance, which echoed the motorized carriages of the early 20th century. The Model A was also significantly heavier, with a curb weight of between 2,265 and 2,465 lbs. depending on configuration. The Model T weighed just 1,200 to 1,650 lbs.
Engines & Drivetrain
Another major change between the Model T and the Model A was the powerplant. The Model T’s engine was a 177 cu.-in. inline four-cylinder that made 20 horsepower. This could power the “Tin Lizzie” up to a cursing speed of 40 mph. The transmission was a two-speed with planetary gears.
The Model A was upgraded to a 201 cu.-in. inline-four good for 40 horsepower, doubling the Model T’s output, and paired with a new three-speed transmission. Top speed for the Model A was a highway-worthy 65 mph (though on the era’s dirt roads, you’re probably better off going a bit slower).
Starting
Getting the Model A running was also much easier than the Model T. As we outline in detail here, the Model T was not like a modern car in how it started or was controlled (which we’ll get to in a moment). The Model T needed to be hand cranked to start up until 1919, when it got an electric starter. The Model A, of course, began its run with an electric starter as standard equipment.
Controls
The most unique and archaic aspect of the Model T was its controls. Unlike today’s manual cars, and the Model A, the Model T’s three pedals were not, from left to right, the clutch, brake, and throttle. Instead, the Model T’s pedal box featured, from left to right, the clutch which also functions as a first gear, then the central reverse pedal, and then the brake on the far right. The throttle? That was on the steering column. Second/high gear was engaged by using the hand brake leaver.
Gas Tank & Radiator
Another major difference between Model T and Model A was the gas tank location. Famously, the Model T’s gas tank was under the front seat until 1926 when it was relocated to the cowl between the engine and the passenger compartment. The Model A had its gas tank also in the cowl. The radiator designs also changed. The Model T’s sharply rectilinear design gave way to a more rounded off design in the Model A.
Checking the oil on the car also changed. Doing so for the Model T wasn’t as easy as opening the hood and peering at the dip stick. Instead, checking the oil on a Model T called for locating the two petcock valves on the underside of the engine, one a few inches higher than the other. Using a rod to reach, one could open the petcock to see if oil dripped out. If it didn’t on the top petcock but did on the lower one, it meant your Model T needed more oil.
Brakes & Wheels
Like many cars from the early 20th century, for much of its run, the Model T rode on wooden wheels before steel wheels became an option. The Model A came with steel spoked wheels as standard. The brakes too were vastly different. The Model T’s braking relied on slowing the driveline to bring the car to a stop. Some versions of the car were later equipped with “Rocky Mountain brakes” on the rear wheels, named after the Rocky Mountain Steel Products Company, which made them. The Model A came with a set of very modern drum brakes on all four wheels.
Sales
Though the Model A was a vast improvement technologically, it didn’t get almost two decades of dominance in the automotive market. The Model T’s run from 1908 through 1927 saw it sell over 15 million units, making it one of the best-selling cars of all time. The Model A likewise sold well, some 4.8 million units in just four years of full production. But the rate of innovation was rapid, and the Model A was quickly replaced by the Ford Model B/V8 in 1932. Though it didn’t become an all-time best-seller, the Model A was the critical bridge between the revolutionary yet rudimentary Model T and the thoroughly modern and highly evolved Ford V8.
