English Touring The car we present to you this week is the Lagonda 16/80 Special Six in the Demers Car Collection. Lagonda was a luxury British car brand that Aston Martin eventually absorbed. Through its association with Aston Martin, it is sometimes hard to remember...
Henry Ford
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The Automotive Dream
“One man and his dream had not simply left the world with an engine and four wheels; Henry Ford and his Model T had influenced people’s everyday lives – where they lived, how they spent their leisure time, even how they viewed themselves.” – Gary Reyes in The Automobile
Henry Ford is one of the most significant figures in automobile history. We have him to thank for the Ford car, but also for modern assembly techniques that allowed the cost of production of cars to decrease. Putting it simply, he is responsible for getting “the world on wheels.” You might know about his contributions already, but this article will also relate his early life, how he first failed before succeeding, the creation of the Ford Motor Co. and his legacy.
Early Life
Henry Ford was born in 1863 near Dearborn, Michigan. His family were farmers, but little Henry did not show any interest in farm work. Instead, anything mechanical fascinated him. At the age of 16, having already experimented on his own with steam engines, he went to Detroit to pursue his passion. There, he went from job to job, learning and experimenting as much as he could in the engineering field. In 1888, he married Clara Jane Bryant, back home on the family farm. In 1891, the couple moved back to Detroit where Henry worked as an engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company, an electric plant. After only two years, he was promoted to the position of chief engineer.
Engines and Racing
While working for Edison, Henry started experimenting with gas engines in his spare time. In 1893, with Clara’s help, he tested his first design over the kitchen sink. Using ordinary house current to spark the ignition and with Clara pouring gasoline directly into the intake valve, Henry deemed his single cylinder a great success. Records suggest that Otto’s engine inspired Henry and that he was aware of the different petrol-powered automobiles starting to appear. Already then, it seems that he had in mind to make his own, better car.
Three years after successfully running his first engine, in 1896, Ford made his first car. It had a modified and improved version of his first gasoline engine. The motor was fitted on a frame held on four bicycle wheels and called the Quadricycle. Motor racing played a crucial part in the history of the automobile. This was especially the case for Henry Ford. Winning races allowed him to get his name known in the field and attract interest and financial backers to produce his cars in series. It is reported that Henry sold his first car for $200, which he used to make his next one.
The Road to Success Isn’t Always Straight
In 1899, Henry met William H. Murphy who would become his financial backer. This is when he decided to quit his secure job at the Edison company to devote all his time to making and promoting his automobiles. Murphy, Ford and other investors founded the Detroit Automobile Company the same year to manufacture and sell Ford vehicles. Soon, the factory started production, but problems plagued the venture. An unreliable supply of parts and an inexperienced workforce made for unreliable vehicles that were difficult to repair.
In 1901, the company was restructured. Under this new management, Ford had more control. He took advantage of the situation to raise publicity for the Ford name. The first car made after this shuffling was a racecar that Henry drove himself to victory at a race in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. In this race, Henry did not only prove the dependability of his work but also defeated the best driver of the day, Alexander Winton. The remaining investors believed in this new direction for the company and changed the name to “Henry Ford Company” to capitalize on the publicity of Henry’s racing wins. Although the production of a road car was underway, due to management disagreements and financial difficulties, Henry resigned from his position in 1902. Interestingly, the Cadillac brand rose from the remains of the Henry Ford Company thanks to the work of Henry Leland.
In another short-lived venture, Ford partnered with Tom Coopers in the production of two racing car models. With Coopers’ money and Ford’s engineering talent, production was quickly underway. But as quickly as the partnership came to fruition, it quickly parted. Cooper retained the rights to both models that Ford created and went on with their production.
The Ford Motor Co.
Learning from his mistakes, Ford’s next attempt at car manufacturing was the key to his success. In 1903, with the backing of 11 other shareholders, he created the Ford Motor Company. Its first production car, the Model A sold for $850 and was made in over 1,500 units over a period of 18 months. For the next few years, the Ford Motor Company was like many other small car manufacturers struggling to find their footing in the emerging automotive industry.
After the Model A, the company produced and marketed a larger, higher-end car, the Model B. Priced at $2,000, Henry and the public didn’t like it. In 1905, while making the Model F, a mid-range car, a way to bridge the gap between a low-end and high-end model, the company was employing around 300 employees and making about 25 cars per day. Ford’s vision was to make a car for the masses, a car that would be easy to drive, easy to maintain and, most of all, affordable. The current production numbers and price tag displeased him.
In 1906, Ford’s main backer agreed to sell him back his shares of the company. This made Ford the main shareholder and decision-maker for the future of the Ford Motor Company. No more pressure to make luxury cars, Ford was free to accomplish his vision. The next car, Ford’s Model N, offered at $500, sold so well that demand outpaced supply. This proved to Ford that his bet on affordable cars was the way to go. The Model N paved the way to the famous Model T.
A Legacy
In 1908, Ford’s output had risen to about 100 cars per day. At this time, Ford was already the largest car manufacturer in the United States, its Model N having helped them overcome their biggest rival, Oldsmobile. But Ford wanted more, he envisioned production days 10 times more productive with outputs of 1,000 cars per day. No one else thought like him. His other minority shareholders even considered preventing him from expanding production since the company was already doing so well.
The Ford Model T
The same year, Ford introduced the Model T, which we all know revolutionized the world. It was Ford’s best attempt at a universal car, and it struck gold. Throughout its production, its price went from $850 to $260, and over 15 million cars were made between 1908 and 1927. To achieve this, Ford introduced the moving assembly line in 1913. It reduced car assembly time from about 14 hours to 93 minutes. This catapulted the company, placing it, and the United States, as an international leader in car manufacturing.
To give you an idea of the scale of mass production that was suddenly unlocked, in 1914, Ford produced more than 300,000 Model Ts, while the rest of car producers in the United States made a combined 200,000. We also have Ford to thank (or blame) for the eight-hour work-day standard. This way, his factories could run 24/7 with three eight-hour shifts per day.
Societal Impact
By making the automobile accessible to millions of people, Ford caused cultural, social and environmental change. Ford created jobs, set standards, revolutionized manufacturing and put countless people behind the wheel. The automobile fuelled the rise of suburbs and changed the way we travel and live our lives. It went from an odd contraption favored by a few eccentric people to a commonly accepted object we use every day. The lasting impact of Henry Ford’s legacy is impossible to measure. The Encyclopedia Britannica even claims that Ford’s innovations “changed the very structure of society.”
What Now?
Henry Ford died in 1947, leaving the company in the hands of his grandson. The Ford Motor Company is still alive and well today. It has manufacturing facilities all over the world. Ford’s moving production line has also been widely adopted by the manufacturing sector, revolutionizing one field after the other. For a long time, Ford only made one affordable model and even had to take a six-month break before being able to bring out its next one. By the end of the 1920s, it had to adapt to the moving market it helped to set the standard in. The vehicle we will introduce to you next week was a bit of an oddball for Ford. Don’t miss our coverage of the Brewster Ford in the Demers Car Collection, a short-lived, luxury model.
