This silent newsreel from December of 1927 presents a pivotal moment in Ford Motor Company history, as Henry and Edsel Ford introduce the all-new 1928 Model A. 

December 2, 1927 is a critical day in Ford history: The Model A was officially introduced. Its predecessor, the Model T, had been the most popular automobile in history with more than 15 million units sold. But after 18 years of volume production, Henry Ford’s inner circle, including his son Edsel, finally managed to persuade him that the venerable T was obsolete and overdue for replacement. Edsel himself played a key role in the Model A’s development. He personally improved the engine’s intake manifolding, increasing the output significantly, and he directed the new model’s handsome baby-Lincoln styling.

Once Ford made his decision to replace the Model T, he executed the changeover in his own stubborn and inimitable way, shutting down production across his entire manufacturing empire for six months and laying off more than 60,000 people. Meanwhile, the all-new vehicle was engineered and tooled for production, and assembly was relocated from Ford’s Highland Park plant on Woodward Avenue to the giant complex on the River Rouge in Dearborn. The new job was named the Model A, both as a callback to Ford’s original production car, the 1903 Model A, and to signal that this new car was a complete departure from the beloved but outdated Model T.

While the Model A wasn’t a game changer like the Model T, it was a highly successful car for the Ford Motor Company, and more than 4.8 million units were produced. The rollout was a pop sensation as customers formed long lines at dealerships across the country to see the new model. A few items worth calling out in this spiffy newsreel, produced by The Detroit News: 

+   The filming takes place at the Ford Engineering Laboratory on Oakwood Avenue in Dearborn, next door to the Henry Ford Museum. The facility later became known as the EEE Building and is still in regular use by the company today.

+   The big man in the straw hat is Ford production boss Cast-Iron Charlie Sorensen, who earned the name for his expertise with iron casting processes and for his iron-fisted management style. Also shown is Joe Galamb, the Hungarian-born engineering wizard who joined Ford in 1905, helped to develop the moving assembly line for the Model T, and was responsible for the Model A’s chassis and suspension.

+   Henry Ford is shown zipping around the front drive of the Engineering Laboratory in the original 1896 Quadricycle, his first automobile (read the Mac’s Motor City Garage stories here and here).

+   Edsel Ford can be seen driving several new Model A Fords, including a Roadster and a Sport Coupe, which are known to be two of his favorite body styles.

Video below.