About Ford Model A
Even though it wasn't the first car in history, it is considered one of the most important vehicles built in the XXth Century.
If the Ford A wouldn't have been a success, we would never hear about Ford Motor Company again. When Henry Ford produced the first vehicle, he only had 223 and some change in the bank. Everything else was invested in developing and producing the first vehicle. And he had the idea to paint them red. All of them!
It might be hard to understand by modern standards a Model A. But the car was a true breakthrough for the world's motor industry. There were already a lot of carmakers around the world, including in the U.S. But, Henry Ford convinced a group of investors to put their money on developing a new brand. His idea was to build a car easy to drive and with enough room for four adults. He didn't exactly know where to place the doors, and that's why the vehicle featured only one, in the back. Thus, the passengers should have climbed from behind, on a step, and the rear bench.
By those times standards, the Ford Model A was not such a modern car. It featured a pump-horn and a pair of oxyacetylene headlamps at the front to light up the road. But the driver was very busy with the four pedals and a slider on the steering wheel to adjust the ignition timing. That's why there was a need for two occupants in the front.
In the back, there was a two-cylinder engine under the vehicle that produced an "impressive" 8 hp. According to those times standards, that was huge. It was so much power that the leather drive belt was prone to break often.