In these days of two-hour commutes, traffic pileups, and road rage, it's hard to recall the romance of the road. Automobiles became objects of mass consumption after 1910—and an amusing way to spend a weekend afternoon. People would "take a spin" or "tour" in their Model Ts, nearly 17 million of which had been sold worldwide by the end of the production run in 1927. Henry Ford insisted that the Model T stay a utilitarian conveyance, and for years he refused to offer customers variety in style or color. But there were dozens of competitors, from the highly successful General Motors Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Buick, to long-gone names such as Paige, Peerless, and White. President Woodrow Wilson, who favored a Pierce-Arrow with the top down, spent about two hours a day motoring.

Related Links
Ford's "Short History of the Model T"

Ford: "10 Other Uses for a Model T"

General Motors: History of GM

BOOK EXCERPT: "Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America, and How We Can Take It Back" by Jane Holtz Kay