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.
