Ford Leverages Model T Centennial To Celebrate Ford

FordTModelHard to believe, but it has been a century since the Model T rolled off Henry Ford's nascent assembly line in Dearborn, Mich. Ford Motor is using the anniversary of the car, which sold for $825, to celebrate the car, the company and its current lineup of vehicles.

 

The first of dozens of events over the next six months began Tuesday with the week-long 23rd annual Fabulous Fords Forever show in Buena Park, Calif.

The company is major sponsor of the largest gathering ever of original Model T cars--some 1,000. The event, which takes place July 21-26 in Richmond, Ind., will bring vehicles from England, Norway, Australia and New Zealand, and more than 10,000 Model T owners and enthusiasts are expected to participate.

A company spokesperson did not say whether Ford was going to run corporate ads reminiscing about the car. But the centennial is timed with a new vehicle on Ford's new global production platform. The car, Fiesta, will initially be sold in Europe, before coming to the U.S. in 2010.

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The first Model T event this year was in March, at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in Amelia Island, Fla., north of Jacksonville.

The Ford spokesperson says Ford's sponsorship of the Indiana event "is a no-brainer. We will be hosting different media events throughout the week and will have executives in town throughout the week to support activities there," she says.

The Model T Club of America began planning the event 18 months ago, well before Ford got involved. The company is also developing an activation program for dealers around the T centennial.

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