Revisiting History, The Ford Piquette Plant

Sadly, much of the early history of the Automobile Industry is being erased. Not in terms of the cars that live on through restorations and hot rods, but in this case. The actual factories that produced the cars. Many of course were located in and around Detroit and have given way to decay and urban expansion through progress. However, one dedicated group of volunteers is working to buck the trend and preserve early automotive history. The Ford Piquette plant was the first factory to produce the Ford Model T. Ford had been building cars in the factory since 1904 and continued through 1910 when production moved to the new, much larger Highland Park factory. In 1911, Ford sold the building to Studebaker and the rest is, well. History. Living on to serve other companies over the course of the last 100 years has given way to a revitalization of the factory, going back to its roots.

In 2000, the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex was formed and purchased the Piquette factory from its owner who had plans to demolish the building. Since that time, the front facade of the building has been restored to its 1908 appearance and desginated both a Michigan state and National Historic Landmark. The all volunteer staff is working diligently to restore the building and plans are for it to become a world class museum focusing on the early days of automobile production.

To support the "T-plex" and find more information the work they are doing, please visit. http://www.tplex.org/
Source: Hemmings