Talk:Ford Model A (1927–1931)/Archives/2015

Distribution of Model A

In my family in rural Idaho, circa 1928, two brothers ordered a Model A "kit" shipped by train to the county seat. Using the enclosed manual, the two young men put the car together and drove it around Wyoming and Idaho for over 10 years. Evidently there was no dealership closer than Salt Lake City or Denver and so kits were available for distribution to selected parts of the United States. Articles I've read talk about the preparation of "A" kits for export outside the US and Canada, as well as the earlier "T" kits, but not for distribution within the US. Could anyone suggest a source to confirm this family experience? 71.219.150.164 (talk) 06:46, 20 March 2010 (UTC)

Why is only Dearborn listed as the only US located manufacturing plant? The model T and the model A were both assembled at many locations in the US, not just Dearborn. ((wilke339)) June 16, 2014. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wilke339 (talk • contribs) 21:32, 16 June 2014 (UTC)

I know that you are both correct, because as mentioned at knock-down kit > automotive, by the time that Henry Ford co-wrote his 1922 memoir My Life and Work, the Ford Motor Company was already shipping car parts from its Michigan plants for final assembly in the U.S. regions or foreign countries where the cars would be sold. (Ford, Henry; Crowther, Samuel (1922). My Life and Work. Garden City Publishing. pp. 81, 167. Retrieved 2010-06-08.) It may well be that all the engines and transmissions were made in Michigan (would have to confirm), but final assembly happened in various regions. Nowadays it would only be inside a final assembly plant, not in a customer's or dealer's garage. But in the T and A era, I would be surprised if the latter did not apply. — ¾-10 02:09, 17 June 2014 (UTC)

Yes, widely documented that the drivetrains were made in Michigan, and the many different styles of bodies were assembled at various locations throughout the US, Canada, and worldwide. The St. Louis plant, built in 1915 for the manufacture of the Model T, (and of course later, the Model A), is still standing, and has been converted to residential lofts.