2008 marked the 100th anniversary of the Model T Ford, the first mass-produced car to be made on a production line. The Model T changed the world, helping to turn America into an industrial economy and mobile society. Developed by Henry Ford, the Model T went into production in 1908 at the Piquette plant in Detroit. Ford aimed to create an affordable automobile, a “Universal Car”. The first cars produced by Ford were available to purchase at more than half the price of its competitors and his invention would initiate the move from horse to car. The Model T was produced until 1927 by which time more than 15 million models had been sold.

To celebrate its centenary, an original Ford Model T was placed in the Design Museum Tank - a public exhibition space outside the museum on the riverfront, free for everyone to enjoy at any time. It features a constantly changing programme of contemporary design installations with specially commissioned exhibitions, as well as glimpses of the exhibitions inside the Design Museum.