Ford's Model T is turning 114 years old with celebration in late September

This month in Detroit, it's all about cars.

For the first time in history, the North American International Auto Show will be hosted in the middle of September instead of cold, snowy January.

And the Ford Piquette Plant Museum is adding to the mix with extended hours and a special event on the last day of the auto show.

On Sept. 25, the museum will celebrate the Model T's 114th birthday, including rides in a Tin Lizzie, a vintage car show, shopping and museum tours.

Henry Ford’s iconic Model T — the car that put the world on wheels with its affordable price — shaped Detroit's history.

"At one point in the early 1920s, every other car on the planet was a Model T," said Jill Woodward, president and chief operating officer of the Piquette Plant Museum. "It was the car that really helped ... move people from horses and carriages to automobiles."

On Oct. 1, 1908, the first Model T was released. In the first month, only 11 cars were made since the vehicle was assembled by hand using vanadium alloy steel, wooden wheels and wooden lining. The first Model T vehicles each took approximately 23 hours and 8 minutes to build.

The Model T was one of the first vehicles to be a part of mass production. One of Henry Ford’s goals with the car was to create something affordable and practical for the everyday person to drive. It sparked conversation, interest in manufacturing, urban planning and transportation worldwide.

"That was the first car that was affordable for the everyday person," Woodward said.

The first 12,000 Model T's were made at the Henry Ford Plant in Detroit on Piquette in 1908 at 461 Piquette Ave. As interest grew, Ford decided it was time for a new space, something bigger and better.

In 1910, just two years after the Model T hit the market, Ford opened the Highland Park Ford Plant at 91 Manchester Ave. It became the second production location for the highly sought-after ride and was the first factory to manufacture cars on a moving assembly line, cutting production time to just 93 minutes.

Model T's were expected to reach a speed of about 40-45 mph. Today, Woodward said, drivers keep speeds closer to 35 mph because of the vehicle's age.

Ford made 15 million Model T's in total, with about a quarter-million still in existence.

In the Ford Piquette Plant Museum, guests learn the history of Ford Motor Co. with film, photography, antiques, original artifacts and 60 rare Ford vehicles on exhibit.

"We tell the story (in) the museum about Henry Ford's famous saying, 'You can have any color you want so long as it’s black,' but the first novelties were actually carmine red," Woodward said. "The ones that were made here, they started red, and then they went to Brewster green, and then there was a navy. It wasn't really until about 1914 that the Model T was made in all black and that was because they were in such high demand everywhere all over the world."

Woodward also said that once Ford started using the color black, he was able to create more vehicles because the paint dried faster and it was the cheapest.

The museum is located in the Detroit Milwaukee Junction neighborhood and draws 30,000 visitors annually. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the Detroit auto show, which runs Sept. 17-25.

Typically, the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., year-round. Tickets for adults are $17, students and youth tickets are $10, and children under the age of 4, can get in free.

On the day of the birthday celebration, the line for the free Model T car rides will start on the west side of the building, with the last ride departing at 4 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford Piquette Avenue Plant will host Model T birthday celebration