Henry Ford

By: Paul Yamane

Why is Henry Ford is one of the most important Americans of the 20th century?
He did not . . .

Invent the horseless carriage or automobile (Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot did in 1769) Invent the internal combustion engine (Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoire patented it in 1860) Invent the mass production of commodities through specialization and division of labor (see Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations in 1776) Invent the automobile industry (Daimler and Benz did in 1885) Invent the mass production of cars (Oldsmobile did in 1901) Invent the use of interchangeable parts in the car assembly process (Cadillac did in 1904)

Henry Ford was an inventor . . .

Was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1982 for his invention of the transmission mechanism Google Patent Search finds 50 patents under his name

. . . but he is not best known for any particular invention.

Why Henry Ford Is Important

He revolutionized production by implementing the moving assembly line In doing so he made a car for the masses: the Model T

I will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessings of hours of pleasure in Gods greatest open spaces.

--Henry Ford upon founding Ford Motor Company c. 1903

Background
Born July 30, 1863 Loved tinkering with things as a kid Idol was Thomas Edison Did not go to college Married Clara Bryant in 1888 Died April 7, 1947

Ford Motor Company

Founded June 17, 1903 Founded in Dearborn, Michigan Was Henry Fords third company Current President/CEO is Alan Mulally Current Chairman is William Clay Ford, Jr., Henry Fords great-grandson In 2007, sold 2.4 million cars Started making the Model T in 1908 First moving assembly line was at Highland Park Assembly Plant (1913)

Assembly Line Basics

Basic principle: the work moves and the workers stay put It is based on a division of labor and specialization: many people work on a product and each person does a small task at a station Parts must be standardized (interchangeable) When a product reaches the end of the line it has gone through every station and is now a finished product This is an old idea: perhaps used by Egyptians building pyramids, famous example of pin factory in Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations (published 1776)

Moving Assembly Line (Idea)

Fords innovation was not the assembly line, but the MOVING assembly line Idea of the moving assembly line is typically credited to a trip Ford employees made to the Swift meatpacking plant in Chicago, where they saw pigs being conveyed through a disassembly line of stations Why dont we assemble motors like they kill hogs in Chicago? -- C. Harold Wills, Chief Engineering Assistant, Ford Motor Company, 1912

Moving Assembly Line Implementation

First moving assembly line at Ford Motor Co. produced magneto coils Later, entire vehicles were assembled at Highland Park plant, beginning in 1913 Moving assembly line was so efficient that Ford could only use type of paint (one that would dry fast enough), which only came in black

Assembly Line Efficiency

One man hour with moving assembly line equaled four man hours without moving assembly line Though it had 1,500 parts, one Model T could be assembled every three minutes Made it possible for Ford to make lots of cars much more cheaply

Model T Facts
Predated the moving assembly line at Ford First introduced September 27, 1908 Was $850 when introduced Was produced until 1927 Was the bestselling car for 20 years Nicknamed the Tin Lizzie

Model T Cost: Pre- and PostMoving Assembly Line

1908-$850 1913-$850 (pre-) 1915-$440 (post-) 1916-$360 1924-$290 A Ford worker could buy a Model T with four months of wage

Model T Innovations
Had the steering wheel on the left Engine and transmission were entirely enclosed Cylinders were in a block Suspension use two semi-elliptic springs

Model T Features
Had a top Had a windshield Had a speedometer Had headlamps Had a generator for the headlamps Engine was front mounted

Model T Features (cont.)

Had a 2.9L engine Engine had 4 cylinders Had 20 horsepower Tank held 10 gallons Had rear wheel drive Top speed was 40-45 miles/hour Got 13-21 miles/gallon Ran on gas or ethanol

Fordism
Henry Fords success implementing the moving assembly line at Ford Motor Co. became a model for production generally. This style of production became known as Fordism and spread throughout different industries and the world.

Significance of the Automobile

By making the horseless carriage available to the average person, Henry Ford transformed American society (arguably) more than any other person in the 20th century 80% of all U.S. households own at least one car and 30% own at least 2 80% of all U.S. vacations are by car Americans drive 2.66 trillion miles per year Also, makes suburbanization, fast food, and strip shopping malls possible Represents freedom and individuality core American values

Bibliography

Andrea, David J., and Michael S. Flynn. "Automobile." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2003. 946-74. Askin, Ronald G. "Assembly Line." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2003. 818. "Assembly Line". <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_line>. Brinkley, Douglas. Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress, 1903-2003. New York: Viking, 2003. Burgan, Michael. Henry Ford. Trailblazers of the Modern World. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library, 2002. "Henry Ford (1863-1947)." Who Did What. Ed. Gerald Howat. New York: Crown Publishing, 1974. 114. "Ford Model T". <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T>.

Gourley, Catherine. Wheels of Time: A Biography of Henry Ford. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press, 1997.
Harris, Jacqueline L. Henry Ford. New York: Franklin Watts, 1984. "Inflation Calculator". <http://www.westegg.com/inflation/>. Nevins, Allan. Ford: The Times, the Man, the Company. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954. Paradis, Adrian. Henry Ford. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1968. Rubenstein, James. Making and Selling Cars: Innovation and Change in the U.S. Automotive Industry. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. 1776. Sobel, Robert. "Henry Ford." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2006. 379-80.