[archy]

In 1908, Henry Ford stuck the engine of a "six" into a Model T and tooled around Detroit, racing and amazing other autoists.

And thereby inventing the American pastime of hot-rodding. The vehicle in question was black, no doubt, as in *You can have it in any colour you want, so long as you want black...*

But do you know why black was Ford's preferred colour choice?

-archy-/-

[nicollo]

But do you know why black was Ford's preferred colour choice?

Ford's biographer, Nevins, discounts that story. It came from an early factory worker's recollections. Like many such stories, Ford rebuilt it into legend. He was a master at p.r.

The first "T's" in 1909 were red and gray, then Brewster Green. BUT, black did become the only color, and you are right.

The black paint dried quickest.

[nicollo]

On the Model T & black paint... again, clarification of what I wrote. Ford's biographer said that Ford made the statement in a board meeting. It was not so much a corporate policy as an articulation of his ultimate statement, which was the "universal" car, each being exactly the same and in insane numbers off the factory line. The color black was necessary for it. It happened in 1912, four years into the "T."