March 29, 1999

U.S. History

Henry Ford, Inventor of the Model T and Assembly Line.

The Ford motor company is one of the most famous American car manufacturers in the world. The man who started it all was Henry Ford. Henry Ford was born in Springwells township Michigan on July 30, 1863. At a young age he showed mechanical and inventive skills, which he enhanced by getting a job as a machinist's apprentice. He also improved his engineering skills and his knowledge of machinist by reading and practice. Henry Ford had many jobs that started him on the way to organizing the Ford Motor Company all of which he enjoyed and was a key part in. Henry Ford, genius and inventor, revolutionized the automobile industry with his low priced model T produced in assembly lines, which made the automobile America's transportation of choice.

Henry Ford became the chief engineer of the Edison Illuminating Company, yet the internal combustion engine always fascinated him and so as a home project he built his first automobile. In 1899 he resigned from the Edison Illuminating Company to set up the Detroit Automobile Company. Henry Ford and the Detroit Automobile Company filed for bankruptcy less than two years later. Henry Ford wanted to make a name for having good cars and he did that by using his excellent craftsmanship to build a winning racecar. That winner was his Ford "999" car, which set a new world record of 39.4 seconds for over a mile on lake St. Clair's ice. Once the name Ford was out as being a quality automobile Henry Ford was able to start a successful automobile manufacturer, which is presently known as the Ford Motor Company. The company was helped financially by a wealthy Detroit Coal dealer, Alexander Y. Malcomson, and a small group of investors. Ford owned 25.5% of the stock not enough to be the primary stockholder, so he didn't have strong authority over the company.

Henry Ford, unable to have full decision rights, was at odds with Malcolmson over what type of automobile should be put into production. Malcolmson wanted an expensive car that the market appeared to demand, however Ford wanted a simple low priced automobile for anyone to buy. Because of the disagreement, Malcolmson was pressured to sell his interest in the company, and when he did Ford became the majority stockholder which gave him freedom to follow his own ideas. Ford found great success in his low priced model N, however he shifted to the model T that came into production in 1908. The Black Ford Model T was unique, it had a 4-cylinder 20 horsepower motor, ignition from a magneto built into the engine, a planetary transmission (which eliminated gear stripping), "splash" Lubrication, Vanadium steel, and ample tank capacity. The Model T's body was lifted high above the road bead on a three-point suspension, and the stout wheels and springs give the model T an impression of lithe toughness. The magneto ignition built into the engine replaced old "dry batteries," by getting a series of sparks every time the fly wheel revolves. Ford used these new adaptations in anticipation of several lines. The Car sold for $825 as a roadster runabout and 850 for a touring car. In the first year alone more than 10,000 Ford Model T's were sold, and by 1914 the number reached 250,000, which was just under half of America's automobile market. However, none of these cars could have been produced with out the introduction of the assembly line.

Henry Ford wanted to build a car that every American could afford; he wanted to " build a motorcar for the great multitude". Henry Ford knew that in order for this to come true, he had to lower the price of the automobile, make cars faster, and more efficiently. Henry Ford's predecessors built cars one at a time and in limited quantity, however Ford used a new process to the automobile industry, the assembly line. Henry Ford learned about this by visiting a meat packing plant. He saw the meat hooked onto a conveyor belt, as it passed, butchers cut off individual pieces of meat. Henry Ford took this idea and applied it to Automobile production. In the production, the frame of the car moved on a conveyor belt from one workstation to the next, as workers added parts to the car. Workers no longer lost time moving from one workstation to the next. Therefore there was not heavy lifting, nor major movements for the employees to do. The assembly time was cut in half, allowing mass production to occur. It was estimated that one of Henry Ford's Model T's rolled off the line

every 10 seconds. Henry Ford was a genius; he brought the assembly line to automobiles, which simply built more cars in less time, while still having the same quality.

Henry Ford was an innovator who created things to improve the quality of life for the working man. One thing ford did in the automobile company was having a five dollar daily minimum wage if employees met certain requirements. This five-dollar daily wage was considered one of the boldest moves that ford had ever done.