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The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is a museum and former factory located at 461 Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, within the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District in Milwaukee Junction. It was the second home of Ford Motor Company automobile production and is best known as the birthplace of the Ford Model T. It is the oldest automotive factory building in the world open to the general public.〔(Ford Piquette Avenue Plant - Experience the Original Model T Factory )〕 The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002,〔 designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 2003,〔 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2006.〔 ==History== In May 1904, after less than one year in operation, the board of the Ford Motor Company approved construction of a New England mill-style building, on a lot at the corner of Piquette and Beaubien Streets in Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman, and Fields designed the building, which is three stories tall, wide, and long. The structure served the Ford Motor Company for only a few years, yet it played a most important role in realizing Henry Ford's dream of an affordable car for the masses. During the time Ford occupied the Piquette Avenue Plant (1904-1910), the company assembled Ford upscale Models B and K; and Ford entry-level Models C, F, N, R, S, and T. Ford's first model, the original Ford Model A, was built at Ford's previous facility: the Ford Mack Avenue Plant (1903-1904). In many ways, the Ford Model N was a precursor to the Model T in that it was an inexpensive, reliable, and innovative automobile. Ford first used vanadium steel extensively in the Model N. During 1907, in a room at the northwest corner of the third floor of the Piquette Avenue Plant, Henry Ford and a small team of dedicated engineers and draftsmen developed the Model T, the car that would change the world. Records at Dearborn show that much of the design and experimental work was done by Joseph Galamb, C. Harold Wills, Harry Love, C.J. Smith, Gus Degener, and Peter E. Martin.〔Wik, Reynold M. (1972). "Henry Ford and Grass Roots America."〕 Plans for what became the "Car of the Century" were announced in the spring of 1908. The first production Model T was built at the Piquette Avenue Plant on September 27, 1908. Peter E. Martin was plant superintendent and production manager, while Charles E. Sorensen was Martin's assistant and handled production development. Only 11 cars were built there the following month. However, demand quickly grew, and it soon became apparent that the facility could no longer keep up with increasing output. In January 1910, after assembling nearly 12,000 Model Ts at the Piquette Avenue Plant, Henry Ford moved production to his new complex in Highland Park, Michigan. There, he introduced the moving assembly line in 1913-1914 and would eventually produce 15 million Model T Fords. The Piquette Avenue Plant was sold in January 1911 to Studebaker.〔(National Historic Landmark Nomination - Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, p. 22 )〕 Studebaker had acquired the E-M-F Company the previous year, which had its own plant located one block west on Piquette Avenue. Studebaker used the former Ford building for automobile production until 1933. The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company occupied the building from 1936 until 1968, when the Cadillac Overall Company purchased it. Heritage Investment Company purchased the building in 1989 and owned it until 2000. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ford Piquette Avenue Plant」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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