Henry Ford

Ford, Henry
Ford, Henry, 1863-1947, American industrialist, pioneer automobile manufacturer; b. Dearborn, Mich. While working as a machinist and engineer with the Edison Co., in his spare time he built (1896) his first automobile. In 1903 he organized the Ford Motor Co. By cutting production costs, controlling raw materials and distribution, adapting the assembly line to automobiles, and featuring an inexpensive, standardized car, Ford became the largest automobile producer in the world. In 1908 he designed the Model T; over 15 million cars were sold before the model was discontinued (1928), and a new design, the Model A, was created to meet growing competition. In 19...