Ford Model T vehicles, 1927. Poster showing the different styles and prices of the Ford Model T vehicle available in August 1927. The Model T, also known as a Tin Lizzie or Flivver, was designed by Henry Ford (1863-1947) as a vehicle that anyone could afford. Ford worked for five years to produce a reliable and inexpensive car, and the first Model T was assembled on 1 October 1908 in Detroit, USA. Over the next 19 years, Ford built 15 million vehicles with the Model T engine. However, by 1926 the design was so outdated that Ford could no longer compete with more modern designs from companies like Chevrolet. The last car rolled off the assembly line on 27 May 1927.