A History Lover's Guide to Detroit by Karin Risko

Author:Karin Risko
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2018-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Cadillac Place, a landmark Albert Kahn–designed office building, houses government offices for the State of Michigan. From 1923 to 2001, it served as the headquarters for General Motors. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

3. FORD PIQUETTE AVENUE PLANT

461 Piquette Avenue

The birthplace of the Model T may be one of the most important automotive heritage sites in the world. Here, inside the experimental room often referred to as the “secret room” located on the third floor of this former automobile factory, a talented team assembled behind closed doors to develop this legendary vehicle. After months of testing and redesigning, the first Model T available for sale debuted on September 27, 1908.

The Model T, dubbed the Tin Lizzy, was truly revolutionary. Prior to its launch, cars were expensive, and only the wealthy could afford them. To compensate for horrendous roads, which were really dirt paths filled with ruts and bumps, early cars were heavy, rigid and cumbersome to drive. The Model T addressed these major issues that limited car ownership. Ford’s use of French-made steel vanadium alloy (V-steel) in the Model T’s chassis resulted in a highly durable car at half the overall weight of the competition. “The car was everything Henry Ford had hoped and more: light weight, inexpensive, easy to drive and repair, performed well on bad roads, and seated five,” states the museum’s official website.

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