However, reviewing the actual ledger pages and entries provide additional information, car by car and dealer by dealer. Below is an example.
Charles E. Miller & Bros. was an early Ford dealer in Washington D.C.. In the advertising below we see two Ford Model B had just arrived at the dealership. We know this because the ad reads “a car of Model B,” or a train car which held 2 Model B. The newspaper is dated July 16, 1905, and reports the “B” were “just arrived.”
Next, by checking the Miller Acct. Receivable entry, we learn the following:
2. On July 5, Miller is debited $3,446.78 for “B 408 - 409.” This tells us much ;
a. The cars were sent 2 days after FMC received the dealer deposit. The cars were ready to ship. Supply is meeting demand in this instance. Ford had Model B on hand.
b. The dollar amount debited to the dealer tells us FMC was charging $1,723.39 per B. At 20% commission, this indicates the cars should be offered at retail at $2,153.24 each. This further means the cars (or one of the cars) had a few “extras” or options from the factory. Regular “B” retail prices were $2,000.
c. Model B production had reached into the 400’s by early July 1905. 500 B were produced, indicating about 4/5ths of the model were finished by this time (Model B followed car numbering sequentially for the most part).
3. The next and final entry in this transaction indicates a “credit” of $3,346.78 was received on July 15, 1905. This means;
a. The $100 initially credited was indeed the deposit, and was applied to the original debit of $3,446.78, making the amount owed $3,346.78.
b. That railroad time from shipping (debit date of July 5, 1905) to delivery date (credit date of July 15) was 10 days.
Not bad, the dealer ordered (deposit) two Model B on July 2nd, and in less than two weeks the cars are delivered from Detroit to Washington D.C. let’s see any carmaker and shipper beat that time today.
