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HENRY FORD & THE MODEL T.
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Founding & early history of Ford Motor Company. Economics, sales, technology, impact on American culture & life covered.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Founding & early history of Ford Motor Company. Economics, sales, technology, impact on American culture & life covered.
Paper Introduction:
In a study of 1929 America, an anonymous resident of a small town in the heartland expressed the view that a certain invention was changing the face of the entire land. "Why on earth do you need to study what's changing in this country? I can tell you what's happening in just four letters, A U T O" (Flink, 1970, p. 2)! Similarly, most historians give the name "the Age of the Automobile" to the first twenty five years of the 20th century in America. "For, since its introduction in the United States in 1895, the motor vehicle has been the most significant force shaping the development of modern American civilization" (Flink, 1970, p. 2).
At the heart of the early automobile age lies the story of Henry Ford, his automobile empire, and the development of the Ford Model T. In fact, the Model T became almost synonymous with
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The Model T forever changed Americanattitudes, both toward Ford and the industry as a whole. This truck was as inexpensive as itstouring counterpart, just as reliable, and able to cope with the needs ofthe American agriculture industry on many different kinds of terrain. In October 19 8, the Model Tbecame available to dealers. Ford wanted to build a simple car, a car for thepeople, and a car that would transform automotive technology as it wasknown at the time. Cambridge: MIT Press. During the war, Ford recaptured some of the lost market whenhe used company funds to develop new automotive technology for the wareffort. Another, more serious, segment of American life was changed by HenryFord and the Model T, that of American farming and industry. Henry Ford was born in 1863, but remained relatively unknown until19 1, when he became a famous racing car driver in the early years of thatsport. Similarly, most historians give thename "the Age of the Automobile" to the first twenty-five years of the 2 thcentury in America. It caused industry to rethinkproduction, bureaucrats to rethink government regulation and hiringpractices, farmers to rethink their ability to produce, and, above all,gave American's a folk hero and product to go along with it. They wanted to use the car to do things they had never been able to,to break away from work routines and urban civilization, and to establishtheir personal independence. The triumph of an idea: The story of HenryFord. 5 -52). Flink, J. Thus, Ford and the Model T had a considerable impact on American lifeduring the first part of the twentieth century. Henry's wonderful model T, 19 8-1927. 2). Since Henry Ford had built a cheap car, truck, andtractor for the people, it was assumed by many that he also could solve theeconomic woes of the country. With this desire an entire new industry sprang upto meet the needs of the new class of automobile touring phenomenon -autocamping, small hotels or cabins, and the resulting tourist trade(Belasco, 1979, pp. Americans on the road - from autocamp tomotel, 191 -1945. Infact, the Model T became almost synonymous with the word automobile, andhad a profound impact on both American culture and business. The early history of Ford MotorCompany was characterized by brief flirtations with disaster. In its firstfew years, it barely made enough to repay its debts, but as the idea oflimited production of an affordable, but limited, range of cars for themasses took hold, Ford's money problems became a thing of the past. But this was not the only effect that the Model T had onAmerican agriculture. M. New York:Bonanza. But it was not really with the production of arelatively inexpensive car in large quantities in which lay the success ofthe Model T. From 191 to 192 , for example, hundreds of thousands ofmiddle class families who were previously unable to travel much furtherthan the next town were now taking weekend outings, and long vacations.Just as transportation had been ruled by the railroads, the automobile wasnow the wave of the future. Ford had some success with earlier automobile prototypes, mostnotable the Model N. In a study of 1929 America, an anonymous resident of a small town inthe heartland expressed the view that a certain invention was changing theface of the entire land. By 1913, Henry Ford hadmade his fortune, became one of the dominant leaders in the newly developedindustry, and made international news when he more than doubled hisworker's wages (Lewis, 1976, p. 124-125). This was partially due to the fact that the Model T could be easilyrepaired, the company offered inexpensive parts, and its very simplicityallowed it to run longer with fewer major problems. 35). Henry Ford and grass-roots America. "Why on earth do you need to study what'schanging in this country? Cambridge: MITPress. vii-ix). In fact, ever since the Model T, car manufacturerswould have the spectrum of Henry Ford and "the car for the people" to liveup to, and to surpass. (1965). In19 8, Ford introduced what he called "the farmer's car" - the Model T.From its original price of $85 , Ford promised, and delivered, a yearlydecrease in its cost, to a low of $29 in 1924 (Wik, 1972, p. By 191 , sales of Model T's wereup, after some initial reluctance from the public to adopt automobiles ingeneral. Throughout the rest of the decade, sales of Model T's continued toincrease. Henry Fordhad become a folk hero, the company was making money, and the factorycouldn't produce cars fast enough. Above all, Henry Ford neverforgot that part of his dream was for the common person (Wik, 1972, pp. (1972). References Belasco, W. It had a four-cylinder, 2 -horsepower engine,a 1 -inch wheel base, and weighed only 1,2 pounds (Graves, 1934, pp. Ford'smethods in mass production and wage-labor, although hotly debated at thetime, clearly set the stage for modern industrialization in America. H. I can tell you what's happening in just fourletters, A-U-T-O" (Flink, 197 , p. (1934). This phenomenon was especially prevalent with those who bought ModelT's. This was primarily due to theincrease in competitors, cheaper technology that allowed other automobilefirms to mass produce and add more features, and the public's gradualtiring of the "same old car" (Lewis, 1976, p. Rather, it was that Ford was the first to produce low-pricedautomobiles that gave as good or better service than the more expensiveautomobiles of the day (Flink, 197 , p. By the mid 192 s,however, sales of Model T's were declining. America adopts the automobile. From farmers andadvertisers, businessmen and factor workers, the wealthy and poor, biggovernment and local municipalities, to international commerce and popularculture, Ford's Model T was there. Although Henry Ford may not have invented the automobile, hisdevelopment and manufacture of the Model T forever changed the way othersin the auto industry would view production and distribution. "For, since its introduction in the United States in1895, the motor vehicle has been the most significant force shaping thedevelopment of modern American civilization" (Flink, 197 , p. 195). J. 82-84). Detroit: Wayne State University Press. From 1933 to 1941, America's economicwoes hit Ford as well - causing General Motors and Chrysler, who bothmanufactured cars for a more affluent audience, to gain a greater share ofthe market. 35-41). 35). Coupled with this was a new desire forrecreational activity. Because the Model Thad all these features, and because Ford made it available to a majority ofthe population at a cheap price, its impact was almost immeasurable. The year's total did exceed the projectedchallenge, and the Ford Motor Company, true to its word, mailed out atleast $15 million dollars in refunds (Clymer, p. Wik, R. Even though farmers eventually turned towardthe Federal Government in a more active pursuit of aid, Ford's lobbyingefforts, advertising campaigns, and media attention to the plight of theAmerican farmer may have done some good. Garden City: Doubleday. (1979). It was often the bruntof jokes, since its simplicity and lack of pretense often made it lookschoolboyish. Clymer, F. Encouraged by that success, Ford was determined toproduce a car for utility instead of beauty. Firstand foremost, as more and more people purchased the car, America was forcedto become mobile. Besides this simplicity, the Model T lasted longer on theaverage (8 as opposed to 6.3 years) than many of its higher pricedcompetitors (Lewis, 1976, p. In 1945 Ford gave up the presidency of the company and passed thatjob to his grandson, Henry Ford II. One of themost profound contributions the Model T had was to demonstrate to the worldthat mechanical power could supersede animal power and make America moreproductive (Wik, 1972, p. 231).Between 192 and 1932, the Ford Motor Company was riding high. It had analmost 2 year stint as the car of cars. 268). J. 193). L. The Model Thad a sidekick - the Model T truck. After two failed beginnings in the auto industry, in 19 3 Fordfounded the company which still bears his name. The car was found in cities, on farms, as military transports,and even "souped" up with after market luxuries. From then on, the Ford dream was aliveonly in the name. TheModel T had yet another offshoot, a tractor that Ford hoped would furnishinexpensive power and increased productivity for the American farmer (Wik,1972, pp. Mobility implies great changes in a variety ofindustries: roads are needed, mechanics and garages must be placed inconvenient locations, the insurance industry must keep up with the demandof new and greater numbers of drivers, and the secondary supply industrygrows as well (Clymer, 1965, pp. Ann Arbor:University of Michigan Press.----------------------- 8 The public image of Henry Ford - an Americanfolk hero and his company. In the early teens, Ford surpassed himself by offering suchadvertising coups as "$5 to every owner if Model T sales top 3 , "(Clymer, 1965, p. At the heart of the early automobile age lies the story of HenryFord, his automobile empire, and the development of the Ford Model T. 2)! Sociologically, increased mobility brought Americans into the worldof technology. 229). It is with the Model T automobile, however, that the true legacy ofHenry Ford survives. Graves, R. By 1927, fifteen million Model T's had been produced. The Model T hadentered into almost every stratum of American life. (1976). Lewis, D. Economic difficulties and competition for market sharesrequired that Ford Motor Company try different strategies, all which madethe company alternatively profitable and deprived (Lewis, 1976). 11). Moreimportantly, however, one must remember that the mass production of theModel T changed the way Americans thought about technology and about theautomobile industry. During the duo decade of the Model T, though, its impact on Americanculture and life was enormous. (197 ).
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