Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: Republicans Propose Scrapping Automatic Emergency Braking in Cars: Report [View all]I get so tired pf these bullshit Ford stories like the "five dollar a day so the workers could afford a car." It's all lies. Ford had the lowest wages of all the major manufacturers and was plain brutal to his employees. He never invented anything, but hired some who did. What he did do was produce a simple and cheap to make automobile that you could get parts and service for everywhere through his huge dealer network. Also the model T's axles didn't break like other brands because he got his iron ore from the Mesabi range and owned the mine and the ships to move it. Personally, I think Diego Rivera was right when he painted Henry as the Devil at Rockefeller Center. I shouldn't even have to mention the union supporters who were beaten and killed or his antisemitism.
The Dodge brothers initially made his transmissions, which was a planetary unit. The lowest gear was reverse, so it wasn't unusual to have to back up hills, which was very dangerous on the roads of the day. The first traffic fatality in the rural county I grew up in was caused by a T that rolled over backing up a hill. I wonder if Cruz would swap his Mercedes for a model T? Hand crank, 20 horsepower, no heater and rides like a buckboard. And when did non action on global warming become "radical" and his Public Policy degree become engineering. The actual price of cars has not risen as fast as other items due to inflation because of gains in manufacturing efficiency and todays cars require a lot less maintenance, last a lot longer and are way more efficient.