Competition between rival makers and Henry Ford brought the days of the model T to an end. From 1908 to 1927, fifteen million Fords had been produced, the Ford Motor Company had become the colossus of the industry, and Henry Ford’s name was known all over the world. Nevertheless, in order to maintain this position, it was necessary to keep pace with the times. In order to do this, the Rouge plant was silenced until a “new” Ford could be designed and put into production. Machine tools had to be replaced, and new dies and fixtures made. To accomplish this in the largest factory in the world was a herculean task. Industrial leaders all over the nation watched with eager eyes for news from Henry Ford at Dearborn. Finally, in December, 1927, the new model A was shown to the public. This new Ford was front page news over the nation. At the Madison Square Garden in New York City, attendance records were broken when crowds came to see the model A. This new Ford bore little resemblance to the model T. It now had a gear shift, four-wheel brakes, and a foot throttle. It offered many variations in body styles and color, and it was the first automobile to have a safety-glass windshield. The River Rouge plant once again hummed with activity. Thousands of model A’s were produced each day. By 1932, five million of the “new” Fords were on the highways of the nation. That year, the Ford Motor Company introduced the V-8 engine, which was unique in its field. The transition from the gas-pipe cylinder on the kitchen sink back at 58 Bagley Avenue in the 1890’s to powerful eight-cylinder engines that were turned out by the thousands each day at the largest industrial plant in the world had taken a long time to accomplish. During these decades, Henry Ford relentlessly pursued his idea—more cars for more people. New Fields Beckon Automobiles, however, were not the only thing that interested the man who put America on wheels. He had many other ideas, some of which failed while others succeeded.