HENRY FORD 1863 1947 AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER FORD HENRY 1863 1947 TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY BORN NEAR DEARBORN MICHIGAN HENRY FORD WAS THE SON OF A FARMER HE LEFT SCHOOL AT AGE 15 AND WAS APPRENTICED AT A SERIES OF JOBS THAT INCREASED HIS MECHANICAL SKILLS IN 1893 HE DEVELOPED A GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLE HE STARTED A COMPANY TO PRODUCE THESE VEHICLES IN 1899 BUT THE BUSINESS SOON FAILED FORD TRIED AGAIN BY FOUNDING FORD MOTOR COMPANY IN 1903 FIVE YEARS LATER HE INTRODUCED THE MODEL T AN AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE AUTOMOBILE THAT SOON BECAME A BESTSELLER IT WAS PRODUCED BETWEEN 1908 AND 1927 BY 1918 ABOUT HALF OF ALL CARS IN THE UNITED STATES WERE MODEL TS AT A NEW FACTORY IN HIGHLAND PARK MICHIGAN FORD APPLIED NEW PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES HE LOWERED PRODUCTION COSTS BY INTRODUCING THE MOVING ASSEMBLY LINE IN 1913 BECAUSE OF INCREASED COMPETITION FORD DEVELOPED A NEW CAR THE MODEL A IN 1927 FIVE YEARS LATER HOWEVER FORD MOTOR COMPANY LOST ITS TOP CAR PRODUCTION POSITION TO GENERAL MOTORS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION FORD REFUSED TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO HELP INDUSTRY AND LABOR IN 1941 FORD OPENED AN AVIATION DIVISION TO PRODUCE THE B 24 BOMBER DURING WORLD WAR II
