In August 1902, Henry M. Leland, a local manufacturer of precision gears and engines, was brought in by the investors to appraise the plant and equipment prior to selling them.

Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue in the automobile business, showing them an engine he had designed a year earlier for Olds Motor Works that was not adopted due to a fire at the latter's premises.

The factory after Leland made some improvements, was 275,000 square feet, with its own forge, a machine shop, and a foundry for both iron and brass.

The Model A was successful, returning a profit for the Ford Motor Company and securing its financial well-being.

In 1999, a panel of 126 automotive experts, combined with the votes of the general public, named the Model T as the Car of the Century.