often then not people are going to think of automobiles. This is not surprising because a man gave this name to the company. Henry Ford led the way in creating the modern automobile industry. He also introduced mass-production methods, and help make manufacturing what it is today. Ford was born on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. He became a machinist apprentice at the early age of 16. From 1888 to 1899 he was a mechanical engineer, and later chief engineer at Edison Illumination Company in Detroit. Also in 1888 he got married to Clara Bryant. Mrs. Ford took an active part in her husband’s early experiments with engines. Some of the first engines were made on her kitchen table. During this time the most common engine was that of a steamboat, but Ford was more interested in that of gasoline internal combustion engines. Ford had caught the automobile fever, and this was to have a great effect on his life and the American industry. In 1903 Ford and a few partners started the Ford Motor Company. During the first year Ford produced 1,708 cars or what was called the Model A. The car only sold for $850. This was too expensive for Ford though he wanted to sell a cheaper car. So in 1908 he achieved his goal and sold the Model T car for $550. It could be sold so cheap because of the good methods that Ford used. Other car builders bought their parts from parts manufacturers. Ford bought factories and made his own parts. He also bought his own steel mines and iron mines. Ford stepped down as the president of the company in 1919, although he did in actuality maintain control of it. His son Edsel was president until his death in 1943. Ford, at the age of 80 regained control until his grandson took it over in 1945. We owe a lot of what we know about cars to Henry Ford. Ford died April 7, 1947, in Dearborn.Who owns the “Superstation” and the Atlanta Braves? The television king Robert Edward Tu...
