Yet in just four decades, Ford's innovative vision of mass production would not only produce the first reliable, affordable "automobile for the masses," but would also spark a modern industrial revolution. Ford's fascination with gasoline-powered automobiles began in Detroit, where he worked as chief engineer for the Edison Illuminating Co. The automobile offered the promise of a bright new future. So in , Ford began devoting his spare time to building what he called the "Quadricycle"-a crude contraption that consisted of two bicycles placed side by side, powered by a gasoline engine.
Murphy for a ride in his hand-built automobile. By the time the ride was over, they were in business. The Detroit Automobile Company opened in with Ford as superintendent in charge of production. But the venture only lasted a year. Ford could build a car, but he couldn't build them fast enough to keep the company afloat. Undaunted, Ford hatched a new plan-to build a racer.
Ford saw racing as a way to spread the word about his cars and his name. Through the notoriety generated by his racing success, Ford attracted the attention of the backers he needed to start Ford Motor Co. Ford set up shop in a converted wagon factory, hired workers, then designed and produced the Model A, the first of which he sold to a Chicago dentist in July By , more than Model A's had been sold. While most other automakers were building luxury-laden automobiles for the wealthy, Ford had a different vision.
His dream was to create an automobile that everyone could afford. The Model T made this dream a reality. Simpler, more reliable and cheaper to build than the Model A, the Model T-nicknamed the "Tin Lizzie"-went on sale in and was so successful within just a few months that Ford had to announce that the company couldn't accept any more orders-the factory was already swamped. Ford had succeeded in making an automobile for the masses, but only to create a new challenge.
His solution? The moving assembly line. Ford reasoned that if each worker remained in one assigned place and performed one specific task, they could build automobiles more quickly and efficiently.
To test his theory, in August , he dragged a chassis by rope and windlass across the floor of his Highland Park plant-and modern mass production was born. At peak efficiency, the old system had spit out a finished Model T in 12 and a half working hours.
The new system cut that time by more than half. Ford refined and perfected the system, and within a year it took just 93 minutes to make a car. Because of the more efficient production, Ford was able to cut hundreds of dollars off the price of his car. Cutting the price enabled Ford to achieve his two aims in life-to bring the pleasures of the automobile to as many people as possible, and to provide a large number of high-paying jobs.
But there was one problem Ford hadn't foreseen. Doing the same task hour after hour, day after day quickly burned out his work force. The turnover rate became such a problem that the company had to hire close to 1, workers for every jobs it hoped to fill.
He fought back with intimidation and violence, but was ultimately forced to sign a union contract in But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Ford Motor Company became one of the major US military contractors, supplying airplanes, engines, jeeps and tanks. The influence of the aging Henry Ford, however, was declining. Henry Ford had laid the foundation of the twentieth century. The vast quantities of war material turned out on those assembly lines were crucial to the Allied victory in World War II.
High wage, low skilled factory jobs pioneered by Ford accelerated both immigration from overseas and the movement of Americans from the farms to the cities. The same jobs also accelerated the movement of the same people into an ever expanding middle class.
In a dramatic demonstration of the law of unintended consequences, the creation of huge numbers of low skilled workers gave rise in the s to industrial unionism as a potent social and political force. The Model T spawned mass automobility, altering our living patterns, our leisure activities, our landscape, even our atmosphere. There is a prophetic story of how the year-old Henry Ford got a pocket watch for his birthday, and then proceeded to take it apart.
He simply wanted to know how it worked. It was a character trait that marked the rest of Ford's life. Ford was interested in every aspect of life around him. He explored innovative forms of education which, in time, lead to the founding of the Edison Institute, known today as The Henry Ford. In a single location, Ford brought together dozens of buildings and millions of artifacts.
It was one of the largest collections of its kind ever assembled, as well as a bold and ambitious new way for people of all ages to discover and explore the richness of the American experience for themselves.
Henry Ford took inspiration from the past, saw opportunities for the future, and believed in technology as a force for improving people's lives. To him, technology wasn't just a source of profits, it was a way to harness new ideas and, ultimately, further democratize American life. An Innovator. Invention versus Innovation. Ford's Work Style. A Life-Long Tinkerer. Ford's Early Work Life. Ford's Curiosity. Ford's Innovations. From Kitchen Sink to Model T. Ford's Super Duty F Power does not test cars; it uses registration rolls from every state to survey a set amount of owners of most all makes and models sold in the U.
For this IQS, Power says they just spent nearly six months sifting through more than 80, surveys conducted with verified owners of model year vehicles. Ford's Fusion line-up which includes a hybrid , the all-new Taurus and Euro-bred Fiesta and of course that F truck are keeping Ford on the up side.
Creative marketing such as their tie-in with American Idol and the company giving new models to under types before they're on-sale have also been top drawer, currently some of the best in the business. Ford had one other win in the Power IQS. That was the Mercury Sable, the gussied-up version of the Taurus. It won in the Large Car segment, gaining traction with the model from , when it placed second in class.
Of course the irony is that Ford has officially killed their Mercury division, slating it to be gone within the next two years. Ford Transit Connect. News U. Ford Credit was the only operating segment to report positive earnings for the most recent quarter, as measured by earnings before interest and taxes EBIT.
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