Why Did Henry Ford Make the Car, and How Did It Impact the World?
Henry Ford didn’t invent the car, but instead developed the assembly line to speed up production and decrease costs. The original Model T Ford quickly ushered in the age of the automobile, resulting in roads being constructed across the country, which helped the steel and rubber industries grow.
Ford used the assembly line and conveyor belts as a way to produce a car that normal people could afford. The first Model T cost $825 when it was released in 1908, while most other cars at that time cost well over $2,000. The price then dropped as low as $300 by the 1920s, and more than 15 million Model Ts were built by 1927.
Henry Ford was born in 1868 near Dearborn, Mich., and he was interested in mechanics from a very young age. He began experimenting with combustion engines and created his first automobile, the Quadricycle, in 1896. This early vehicle ran on four bicycle tires and only had two speeds.
During this time, Ford was working as an engineer for Thomas Edison’s Edison Illuminating Company, but he eventually left to try running his own automobile company. His first company closed in 1901, but in 1903 he raised funds to start Ford Motor Company.
