They made the carburetors, spark plugs, windshields, sheetmetal and bearings for the "car that put the world on wheels." As Henry Ford's Model T reaches its 100th anniversary, Ford Motor Company is also celebrating the teamwork and ingenuity of the original Model T suppliers that are still part of Ford's extended family.Ford continues to do business with nearly 20 automotive suppliers involved in the Model T, which first rolled off the assembly line at the Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit in 1908.
"The fact that these suppliers are still doing business with Ford Motor Company today speaks volumes about the relationships that Henry Ford created a century ago," said Tony Brown, group vice president, Global Purchasing. "This longevity is a testament to both Ford and its suppliers. Today, we salute these special companies and look forward to another century of innovative and cutting edge technology."
As the auto industry took shape in the early 1900s, the Model T played a pivotal role in how cars were developed and produced. Among its distinctions, the Model T was the first low-priced, automobile with standard, interchangeable parts. The moving assembly line Ford used for assembling the car went on to revolutionize manufacturing.
"We are proud of these relationships and want to acknowledge the contributions made both then and now," said Brown.
Model T suppliers still partnering with Ford today and the parts they made include:
BFGoodrich (now part of The Michelin Group) - tires
The Budd Company (now part of ThyssenKrupp AG) - sheetmetal stampings
Champion (now part of Federal-Mogul Corp.) - spark plugs
Spicer Manufacturing Corp. (now Dana Holding Corp.) - universal joints/driveshafts
DuPont-Fabrikoid (now DuPont) - interior fabric
Federal-Mogul Corp. - metal parts
General Electric Co. - headlight bulbs
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. - tires
Holley Motor Co. (now Holley Performance Products Inc.) - carburetors
Kelsey Hayes Wheels (now Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.) - wheels, car bodies
Ditzler Color Company (now PPG Automotive Refinish, a division of PPG Industries) - paint
Prestolite Electric Inc. - battery cell cover
AB SKF - generator ball bearing
Sears Roebuck and Co. - accessories and parts including springs, oil, mufflers, trunk racks
Texaco (now part of Chevron Corp.) - paint thinner
Timken Co. - front wheel bearings
U.S. Steel Corp. -- steel