In the 1920s, American entrepreneur and car designer Henry Ford began developing a new car model to replace the famous Ford Model T, which had been produced for 18 years. According to legend, the first drawing of the future car was made by Henry Ford’s son, Edsel. At least, it was he who made sketches of the design options for the radiator and the car dashboard. The first copy of the new car, designated as the Ford Model A, was produced on October 20, 1927, and mass production began in December of the same year. During the production run, Ford made changes to the design of the car, the main of which were associated with the installation of a body with more space and improving its appearance. Cars produced after 1930 had a modified outside radiator, a new shape of the front wheel wings, and reduced wheels. Buyers were offered a large number of different options, among which it was possible to choose different types of body: coupe, convertible, sedan, phaeton, roadster, pickup, and others. Production of the Ford Model A ceased in 1931. A total of 4,849,340 Ford Model A models were produced in all variants.
The unregulated growth and oversaturation of the United States market led to the Great Depression, beginning with the October 1929 stock market crash. This economic crisis fueled a rise in banditry, with bank robberies becoming particularly notorious. These crimes were made more effective by gangsters' use of automobiles. As one analyst observed in the 1920s: "Cars and good roads have dramatically increased certain types of crime. We now see a new kind of automobile bandit who relies entirely on a car—whether robbing banks, breaking into homes, or mugging pedestrians." The criminals' success was further enhanced by Thompson submachine guns, which boasted rapid-fire capability and earned the nickname "Tommy gun." Notably, these weapons cost around 200 dollars—about half the price of a Ford Model A automobile.
MODEL SIZE (LENGTH X HEIGHT) : 160 x 68 mm
BOX SIZE : 295 x 225 x 40 mm
NUMBER OF DETAILS : 195