Auto Revolution

In the early 1900’s automobiles were the toys and luxuries of the rich and the dream of the poor. It was Henry Ford’s dream to change that. But how could he? Each automobile was built on the ground and the mechanics had to source each part in order to assemble it. This meant that less automobiles were produced which in turn caused the price of them to be very substantial. Henry Ford needed a way to produce high quality automobiles in a fraction of the time.

In 1908 he began his expedition to make his dream come true by using the moving assembly line to build his new Model T. Within days of its release, 15,000 orders were placed. With a price of just $825 ($21,700 in 2016) in the first year, the Model T was truly the “car for the great multitude”. As well as being the cheapest car on the market, it had completely interchangeable parts, which were marketed to the middle class.

On May 26 1927, Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, drove the 15 millionth Model T out of the factory to mark the famous automobile’s official last day of production in the main factory in Detroit, Michigan. I believe that Henry Ford is a brilliant man because he simply put two and two together: the common man was in need of an automobile and the moving assembly line could increase the production of cars thus reducing the price of cars which would in turn provide “a car for the great multitude”.

“I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But 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 blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.”

– Henry Ford

Written by Milan Master