On this day in 1927, Henry Ford presented to the world his second major triumph: the legendary Model A.

It’s said that when the photographers asked Henry Ford to drive the first Model A off the assembly line, he was forced to decline as he had never driven a standard-shift car. We don’t know if the story is legit, but there is some ring of truth in it. Such was the stubborn loyalty of the man to his Model T, his first great triumph, the car that put America on wheels and made him one of the richest men in history. Instead, his son Edsel performed the ceremonial driving duties that day (view the newsreel here).

For years, Henry had ignored the pleas of Edsel, production boss Charlie Sorensen, and others in his inner circle to replace the venerable Model T, introduced way back in 1908, with a more modern car. Finally in the spring of 1927 he relented, but in his own inscrutable manner. Model T production was ordered to a halt, throwing 60,000 people out of work and leaving the Ford dealer network high and dry while a successor was developed. During the changeover, vehicle assembly would be shifted from the Highland Park plant on Woodward Avenue to the giant complex at River Rouge. Gene Farkas, Ford’s right-hand technical man, was taken from the fruitless X-8 engine project (read about it here) and put in charge of the effort, teamed with Lawrence Sheldrick and Lincoln chief engineer Frank Johnson.

While the Model T had been innovative in its day, even revolutionary, the Model A was surprisingly conventional. The up-to-date four-cylinder L-head engine displaced 200.5 cubic inches and delivered 40 hp, nearly twice the output of the Model T, and unlike the T it boasted coolant and oil pumps, though the fuel feed was still via gravity. Ford’s trademark transverse-spring chassis was continued, but now featured industry-standard four-wheel mechanical brakes and a conventional three-speed manual transmission. The engineering was beautifully simple, adhering to the tried and true. The approach was vindicated, for today the Model A is remembered as of the most rugged and dependable cars ever produced in America.

As much as anything, the Model A was set apart by its handsome looks, which is noteworthy as the Ford Motor Company did not have a real styling department at the time. Edsel Ford supervised the design himself, working with body engineer Joe Galamb and Ford’s body suppliers. Often described as a “baby Lincoln,” Edsel’s design bears a strong resemblance to the Ford premium brand, especially in the radiator shell and fender lines. As the story goes, Edsel also contributed an improved intake manifold that allowed the Model A’s engine to exceed its output targets.

Demonstrating that Henry had not lost his gift for promotion, the Model A was teased out to the public over several months, culminating in a five-day media blitz that launched on November 28, 1927 with $2 million in advertising in 2,000 newspapers across the country. The formal introduction came on December 2, and more than 9 million Americans reportedly visited Ford dealerships that week to see the new car. Compared to the Model T, the exciting new Model A offered more features, more colors, and more body styles—a total of nine the first year, ranging from $480 to $600.

Ford sales shot straight up with the Model A, allowing the company to retake the number one spot from Chevrolet in 1929. While Henry at one point predicted that the Model A would surpass the Model T in total sales, that was not to be. Model T production topped out at more than 15 million units, while the Model A accounted for some 4.3 million as the Motor Company to hit the 20 million mark in 1931, the A’s fourth and final production year (below). By then Ford was then planning his third and final triumph, the 1932 V-8.