Motor City

 

Detroit, the birthplace of mass production, is synonymous with the word "automobile" and still produces nearly 25% of America's cars. The city of General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and Ford, Detroit is also known as Motor City or "Motown", and is home to the famous soul music sound of the same name.

 

In 1896 Charles King drove the first "horseless carriage" on the streets of Detroit. He was quickly followed by Henry Ford and Ransom E. Olds. The automobile era was born and Michigan was, and has remained, at the center of design, development and production. Dozens of car companies were started, but most failed till Ford's new assembly line made it possible to produce cars quickly and cheaply enough for an average American to afford.

 

The car that put the world on wheels was the Model T Ford, introduced in 1908. It was an immediate sensation, soon becoming the biggest-selling car in the United States. As numbers produced rose, costs came down. By 1925, a Model T was only half the price it was in 1909.

 

English G 2000, A 6, Cornelsen Verlag, Berlin, 2002, page 72