Model T Vs. Model A: What's The Difference Between These Classic Fords?

Cast your mind back to a time when the automobile was still considered a novel invention. The Benz Patent Motorwagen debuted in 1886, representing more of a technological curiosity than anything. The majority of people who built and drove these machines largely grew up having never seen one, Henry Ford included. These were the frontier days of motoring, where the oldest brands experimented to figure out what works and what doesn't – and that includes individual model names. Some companies named their cars chronologically by model, such as European brands like Bugatti. Others named their cars after the people who invested in the company, like the 1911 DAT. Similarly, Ford held its own naming concepts, with the Model T so-called because it was the 20th iteration of that particular design – the letter "T" being the 20th letter of the alphabet. This nomenclature continued to the next-generation Model, named "Model A" because it represented an entirely new model chronology.

As such, Ford considers the Model T and 1928 Model A to be two distinct automobile models with the letters designating their respective platforms' iteration, hence the reason why it jumps from "Model T" seemingly backwards to "Model A." Naturally this means the Model A features a wide variety of updates, such as a redesigned engine, hydraulic shocks, shatterproof windshield, and conventional driving control arrangement.

It's not actually the first Ford to use the "Model A" designation, either. In fact, the original Model A debuted in 1903, predictably marking the Ford's very first product, though the original Model A's legacy was grossly overshadowed by the millions of Model Ts sold throughout the 1900s to 1920s. All that said, let's take a closer look at the Model T and its similarly successful follow-up, the 1928 Model A.

If ever there was a car that needed no introduction, it's this. The Ford Model T revolutionized the modern world, providing accessible and reliable transportation to the common individual as well as creating the template of mass-production as we know it today. Ford introduced the Model T to the world in October 1908 to unheard-of levels of success, selling more than 15 million units by May 1927 and easily becoming the most popular car of the 1910s. During the later years of production, over half of all motorized carriages and automobiles around the world wore a Ford logo.

This vehicle became so utterly ubiquitous for two main reasons. First, these were the heady days of automotive development. Early automobiles were incredibly finicky handmade devices, requiring specialized skills to maintain that most people simply lacked in the 19th and early 20th century. The Ford Model T introduced the world to reliable motoring, being the first vehicle with an engine and crankcase being one single part, featuring an easily removable cylinder head, and utilizing a high-quality vanadium steel frame. Essentially, the Model T set a new benchmark for easily maintained platforms which all other manufacturers had to meet.

The second reason is its availability; the Model T was the first mass-produced car. As such, it was also likely the only car with any supply of spare parts in off-grid locations, and it was readily affordable. So, you have a car which is easy to drive, easily maintained, inexpensive, and mass-produced with parts availability – it's no wonder such a vehicle became so revolutionary. What, then, marked Ford's follow-up? If there's one thing to say about the upcoming Model A, it's that it had some mighty big shoes to fill.

The Ford Model A, introduced December 2, 1927 for model year 1928, became the first true successor to the antiquated Model T design. In terms of what changed, the Model A largely iterated on what made the Model T so universal in the first place. For instance, Ford retained the original L-head four-cylinder of the Model T as a baseline, constructing the Model A's engine as essentially a vastly improved Model T powerplant. The original Model T was well-regarded as a highly versatile platform, which the Model A again iterated upon by featuring dozens of available body types and trims. The Model A also refined the driver's controls, adopting the more intuitive three-pedal with separate shifter and steering wheel layout we know today.

Basically, today a Model T effectively requires one to re-learn how to drive in order to actually get moving, whereas a Model A features no such learning curve. It was a thoroughly modern design for the time, a fact which it combined with Ford's outstanding mass-production and quality standards. Plus, it had enough power to reliably hit 55 miles an hour. Ford absolutely needed all of these features, because by the 1920s, the Model T became a thoroughly old-fashioned design in such a rapidly evolving industry. Similar to the Model T, the all-new Model A left an indelible mark on the industry and witnessed staggering sales figures, with Ford producing a grand total of 4,858,644 Model As. Though the car only lasted until 1932 (replaced with the V8 Model B), it nevertheless outsold just about everything else, and remains a popular choice with antique motorists due to its conventional layout, ease of maintenance, and parts supply.