OT - More on Model B, and Ford profits for Fiscal Year 1905

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: OT - More on Model B, and Ford profits for Fiscal Year 1905
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Sunday, December 14, 2014 - 10:36 am:

This is what happens when someone who knows little about a subject gathers information - confusion. :-)

I have bits and pieces of information about Ford Motor Company cars and profits for 1905. Trying to put cars, profits and sales numbers together, this is what I've come up with. For Fiscal Year (FY) 1905, Oct 1, 1904 - Sep 31, 1905.

Ford reported selling 1745 cars for FY 1905 (Ford report to investors, Oct 1905):


(Ford shareholder report, Oct 1905, courtesy THF)

Due to dealer complaints of poor sales of the 2 cylinder cars, Ford Motor Company Board of Directors voted unanimously to reduce the cost of machines, May 1905:



Using the first table, I "prorated" the discount price and original price (to the best of my knowledge). For simplicity, I took 50% at the original price and 50% at the discounted price on models F and C. I also estimated Model B sales for 1905 at 430 cars. A total of 500 Model B were contracted by the board, and Trent Boggess ledger research shows a car in the 490s was sold, so I suspect 500 were actually produced).

This is where my numbers get "dicey." I'm guesstimating the number of B, F and C sold in FY 1905. Possibly Trent B., Hap or someone else has more accurate numbers. If so, I'll gladly plug the numbers into this spreadsheet. We do know the total number of cars (1745) sold in FY 1905:



1905 was a profitable year for FMC (as was 1904) with large dividends being paid shareholders. It appears a large part of this success was due to the Model B. If my numbers are remotely close, the Model B was actually the sales leader in gross and net profit. If so, for two years in a row, 1905 and 1906, the "big" cars, models B and K, were the profit leaders for Ford Motor Co..



I reserve the right to be entirely wrong.......

Have a good Sunday,

Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Sunday, December 14, 2014 - 03:08 pm:

I intended to add a few things earlier. When "converting" to today's value, multiply by about 25. The report to investors also shows a "Dividends Paid" of $200,000.00. In todays economy, that equates to about five million dollars. Both Henry Ford and A. Y. Malcomson owned 26% of Ford shares each. Therefore, they should have each received about 1.3 million dollars in today's economy for their portion of dividends paid during FY 1905 (if my math is correct). A good year by most people's standards in dividends alone (with no income tax). :-)


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