[nicollo]

The rise of GM that you described is precisely what brought the original success of the Model T: Ford merely elongated it through his price war. Meanwhile, the car grew old — and by comparison to the competition, bad. In 1908 it was a great, great car for the price. By the 1920s it was merely cheap.

Btw, WWI elongated the reign of the T. The 1919/20 depression that Woodrow Wilson manufactured killed off many auto makers, and helped Ford to consolidate his position. Had WWI not come along, the competition would have beaten down the T much earlier than 1926.

[RayChuang88]

Actually, that economic downtown in 1919-1920 also made General Motors a powerhouse, especially since its Chevrolet models were by that time not much more expensive than the Ford Model T and definitely WAY better than the Model T. Small wonder why GM grew at Ford's expense during the 1920's.