Post
by BuddyTheRoadster » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:13 am
It can be hard to make a direct comparison by adjusting prices as many things are not direct comparisons. In general, housing prices have gone up while food and clothing prices have gone down. Other things have come and gone. (I checked 1909 advertised prices. A new player piano could be $800, a Victor Victrola was $250. Often with real estate, painting and furnishing the house was more expensive than building it.)
What I do often is compare the T list price with the competition. I'll do 1925 because I have those prices handy:
Touring cars:
Chevrolet $510
Dodge $885
Durant $890
Ford $394 (with demountable rims and a starter)
Maxwell $895
Oldsmobile 6 $875
Overland $530
Star $540
I picked 1925 because, frankly, 1925 Chevrolet was the first of the decent ones when they finally abandoned the cone clutch and strengthened the rear axle. You can see, though, that T was a good $100 cheaper than Chevrolet, Overland, and Star. None would have had Ford's dealer and aftermarket support. However, they were all slightly bigger cars that were more stylish, had distributors, two wheel brakes, three speed transmissions, a driver's door, and were probably more comfortable. The best way to answer "Was the T good value for money" would be to ask if you were buying a new car, would it be worth paying another 25% to get a modern car with more safety features versus the tried and true old Ford. The T was a damn good car by horseless carriage standards, but the competition improved faster than Ford. By the mid-1920s, I would say that other cars were better value for money for most people. (I don't know the brass car market to really comment well, but I would to hear other people's comments on T versus Overland, EMF, Buick, and other popular cars of that period.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjqhYNgbP3Q
Bud.
