This 1914 Ford Model T was donated to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) by Henry Ford. The Ford Model T was made as an affordable car for middle-class families. Prior to 1903, Henry Ford was experimenting with engine designs and built his first vehicle in 1896. He continued his experiments and after two failed business ventures, launched the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan in 1903. By 1905, the company was a leading producer of automobiles in America. As sales continued to climb, Ford wanted to manufacture a reliable and more affordable car for the middle-class. In October 1908 following the Model S, the company introduced the next model, the Model T. The vehicle had a simple design, used the best materials available, could be sold in large quantities and was a success. The Ford Motor Company would end up producing the Model T from 1908 to 1927 and sell over 15 million worldwide. By the early 1920s, more than half of the registered automobiles in the world were Fords.

In the late 1930s, Henry Ford donated this 1914 Model T to the Museum, with 1914 being a significant year for the Ford Motor Company. It was the first year of the moving assembly line, which increased production and revolutionized the way all automobiles would be built. This was also the same year the first year the Model T was offered in the color black. Although the Model T was offered in a variety of colors, most were black by 1914. To increase production speed, the color black was used because it was the only pigment that could be quickly applied and dried through the process called Japanning, which is the baking of paint. In addition, 1914 was the first year the company outperformed its competition, Buick, by a margin of ten to one. Today, the Ford Motor Company remains one of the largest American manufacturers of automobiles.