In 1908, Henry Ford’s first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit, Michigan. The automobiles were initially available in a limited colour range: grey, red, green, blue and black. By 1914, things had changed, the car came in only one colour – black. Ford was not kidding when he said, “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants, so long as it is black.”
Automotive paint was in the early stages of development during these times. Durability, finish and cost were of concern. Many believe that Ford opted to use black because it dried faster than all other paint colours. He was all about efficiency and fast-drying paint fit the bill. However, over time, an alternative reason for the colour choice surfaced.
Painting every component of the Model T black streamlined production, making quality control more forgiving. It made it harder to detect variations in paint tone and easier to touch up scratches and imperfections. It also eliminated the need for retooling to accommodate for different colours. To put it simply, using only black paint cut costs.
During the infancy of the automotive industry, the Model T was the car to own. Over 15 million “Tin Lizzies” were sold during its lifespan (1908-1927). Ford implemented many ground-breaking innovations to mass production; perfecting the efficiency of the assembly process was one of them. Despite the lack of colour choices, the popular vehicle put the Ford Motor Company on the map and made Henry Ford a very rich man.