Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American pioneer of the automotive industry and one of the most successful car makers of all time. He was born on July 30, 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan to William and Mary Ford. His father was a prosperous Irish-American farmer and his mother was a homemaker.
From a young age, Henry Ford was interested in mechanics and technology, often tinkering in the family farm’s corn crib to make various gadgets and machines. By the age of 13, he was able to repair his father’s pocket watch. During his teenage years, he was mentored by James F. Flower, a leading machinist at the local flour mill, who taught him much about industrial mechanics.
At the age of 16, Ford left home to take an apprenticeship at the Michigan Car Company in Detroit. On completion of his apprenticeship, he worked at a number of other engineering jobs, eventually returning to the Michigan Car Company as a chief engineer. During this period, Ford completed two of his most important projects: the first gasoline engine for the automobile, and the first car with an automated transmission.
In 1902, Ford opened the Ford Motor Company, which began production of the Model A. It was the first of many successes for the company, who over the next few years released a number of successful models, leading to the commoditization of the automobile for average Americans.
Ford also pioneered the assembly line in 1913, which revolutionized the factory industry and allowed the company to produce cars much more efficiently and quickly. With his innovations, Ford was able to reduce the price of the Model T by 40% in 1914 and he subsequently went on to spearhead the trend of lower car prices that allow more and more Americans to purchase an automobile.
By 1924, the Ford Motor Company was producing over 2 million cars a year, accounting for 55% of the total market share. The company had grown rapidly over the past twelve years and employed over 280,000 people at its plants in the US and abroad. Over this period, Ford also created the 5-day 40-hour work week, guaranteed annual wages for workers, and opened up his own research laboratory.
In the decades that followed, Ford remained a leader in the automotive industry, with the company introducing a number of new and innovative products and technologies. Henry Ford passed away in 1947, but the legacy of Ford Motor Company that he left behind is still a powerful force in the automotive industry today.
