Henry Ford

Henry Ford

Henry Ford was the first person to mass produce an affordable vehicle that the everyday person could purchase. Mr. Ford did not invent the automobile nor did he invent the assembly line, he was just the first person that used the assembly line to speed up the process of making cars. The quicker the cars were produced, the cheaper they would be; this was where the assembly line came in. With the assembly line as the mode of production, they were able to make lots of cars cheaper than if they were all made one at a time. During this time period, the average car costs about $2,000, the Model “T” costed $850. Since they were able to make them quick and cheap, the regular working American was able to afford them. Henry Ford was one of the most important inventors of the industrial era, he is the reason behind the the mass production of our modern day things used everyday.

Henry Fords story begins on a farm where he was born on July 30, 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan. Even when Henry was a young boy, he enjoyed building and fixing things. He build water wheels and steam engines with knowledge he picked up from the men who operated them. He also taught himself how to fix watches, from fixing watches, he learned the mechanical make up of machines. Instead of staying on the farm and becoming a farmer like his father, he left in 1879 and joined the Michigan Car Company.

Mr. Ford initially made his name by winning major races in the brand new sport of racing cars. With the winnings he got from the races, he had finally made enough money to incorporate his new Ford Motor company which debuted in 1903. It took almost five years from him to introduce his first car known as the “Model T”. At the time, this vehicle was the most innovative car to hit the market. In 1908, this car was the cheapest, fastest, and most durable and reliable car that people could buy at the time. The Model T retailed at $850 and could reach top speeds of up to 40 miles pre hour. The car...