At the time,horse-drawn carriages were the primary means
of local transportation across America. The carriage had two distinct advantages over
Horses could easily negotiate the bumps and
mud that stymied cars—especially in rain and snow—on the nation's ubiquitous dirt roads.
And horses and carriages were much easier to
maintain than the luxurious autos of the time,
which frequently broke down, requiring expert
repairmen who were expensive and in short
supply. It was Henry Ford's understanding of
these advantages that showed him how he
could break away from the competition and
unlock enormous untapped demand.
Ford called the Model T the car "for the
great multitude, constructed of the best materials?' Like Cirque, the Ford Motor Company
made the competition irrelevant. Instead of
creating
fashionable,
customized
cars
for weekends in the countryside, a luxury few
could justify, Ford built a car that, like the
horse-drawn carriage, was for everyday use.
The Model T came in just one color, black,
and there were few optional extras. It was reliable and durable, designed to travel effortlessly over dirt roads in rain, snow, or sun