This Day in History: 1927-12-02

The unveiling of Henry Ford’s new Model A was a sensation all over America. One hundred thousand people tried to get into the Ford showrooms in Detroit, in Cleveland mounted police had to be called out to handle the crowds and in Kansas City the crowd was so large that a special platform had to be built to raise the models up high enough for everyone to see. In New York City, according to the New York Herald Tribune, one million people tried to get into the Ford headquarters to see the colorful new cards in such suggestive colors as Niagara blue and Arabian sand. The local Ford Agency in Ramsey advertised the features of the new model which replaced the old Motel “T” after so many years. It could go 55 to 65 mph, had remarkable acceleration with its 40 horsepower engine, made 20-30 mph, had a standard, selective gear shift, hydraulic shock absorber and a theft-proof lock. Although they were not expected to be available until the first week of the year, orders were taken with delivery promised in the first ordered, first served basic. The first local order came from Ramsey Borough Clerk Otto Saalfield. He said he bought a new car from Ford every year, and even though he had not seen the model display in New York, he had every faith in Henry Ford and the kind of car he would put out. A dozen orders had been received by the time the sales room closed on this date and by the time the December 8th Ramsey Journal went to bed striation car arrived about the 15th they expected to see many more orders for the Model “A”. The price of the new model was $395.00.