Model T

The Ford Model T, introduced in 1908, didn’t just change the car industry—it flattened it and rebuilt it. Simple, cheap, and brutally functional, it was designed to be used, not admired. Thanks to mass production and the moving assembly line, the Model T put America on wheels and made the automobile a tool for everyday life instead of a luxury toy. It was slow, rough, and basic, but it worked anywhere—and that’s exactly why it won.