The Ford Model T and Its Effect on U.S. Gas Stations

Michael Ferrari owns and operates an automobile repair shop and gas station in Syosset, New York. Dedicated gas stations like Michael Ferrari’s began to appear in the United States around 1905, the very first of which was built in St. Louis, Missouri. Gas stations became practical after the increased demand for publicly sold petrol that resulted from the availability of Henry Ford’s assembly-line automobiles, which were the first automobiles that middle-class Americans could afford.

The release of the Model T in 1908 began the age of automobiles for the United States, sharply increasing the presence of supporting “filling stations,” which would later take on the name “gas stations,” around the country. The Model T was known affectingly by a number of slang names, including the Flivver, the Tin Lizzie, or simple the T. In addition to being the first mass-produced automobile in the United States, it was the first automobile to be equipped entirely with interchangeable parts, making repair and maintenance much easier. The first Ford Model T debuted on September 27th, 1908. In the coming years, production exploded as the cars became a mainstay of American life. On May 26th, 1927, Henry Ford watched the 15-millionth Ford Model T pull away from the assembly line. According to the 2002 census, the United States maintains 121,446 gas stations. Modern gas stations are almost universally self-service and often include a small convenience shop were patrons can purchase both car maintenance products and snacks or beverages.

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