Henry Ford's Influence On Society

Modernism in design started around 1918; it was based on the theory from modernists that modernism is indeed more a way of thinking than a style. It was highly believed that an object should be based on functionality rather than on design.

Henry Ford was born in 1863 and grew up in Michigan on his parent’s farm; he was employed as an engineer by Edison Illuminating Company, a company that was making electrical generating stations. Whilst working for Edison Illuminating Company Henry, in his spare time would be found working on a gasoline powered horseless carriage, which eventually became the Quadricycle. Henry Ford was the creator of the automobile brand Ford and amongst other things an engineer, an American industrialist and one of the

The model A was made to replace the model T, as the beloved model T’s market was suffering in the mid 1920s when competition increased due to other manufactures producing vehicles of similar price and greater sophistication. This therefore made Henry Ford relook at the Model T and develop the Model A to compete with the emerging vehicles. He did this with the aid of his son, Edsel Ford. The model A was a more complex vehicle although it was more driver friendly than the model T, with its simple and accessible components that made it easier to drive than it was before. The model A also came in a variety of styles; there were almost two dozen different styles available to choose from, with each style there was a standard and a deluxe model. There was the Coupe, Business Coupe, Sport Coupe, Roadster Coupe, Convertible Cabriolet, Convertible Sedan, Phaleto, Tudor Sedan, Town Car, Fordor, Victoria, Station Wagon, Taxicab, Truck, and Commercial. The model A was one of the first vehicles of Ford’s to have to have a standard set of driver controls and straight forward clutch and brake pedals that were easy to use. The model A was also the first vehicle ever to have safety glass as the windscreen. The model A was the first car that Ford had designed that displayed the iconic blue oval badge with the Ford logo on, that is the same logo which is seen of Ford vehicles

The finished product was not elaborate and could be said to be almost unintentional, the Model T just simply evolved as the vehicle needed to fit into what at the time would be said to be the modern car that any owner would park proudly in front of their house for all to admire. This was just as Paul Greengalgh says “Objects had to be planned in order to work effectively and when things were planned effectively, it was suggested, they tended to be beautiful”. Ford delivered what they had promised as they truly had “made a Lady out of Tin Lizzie”, despite being in a time of depression when Ford released the model A, they still managed to sell around five million vehicles. The public trusted Ford in that their new vehicle, the model A would be as reliable as its predecessor, the model T who transformed transport for everyone. The diverse variety in versions of the vehicle gave a greater purpose of function than seen