Talented people always have a different way of thinking from others. Henry Ford, whose biography is known to everyone, was no exception. A great engineer, a talented boss, an inventor with vegetarian preferences.
Henry Ford: a short biography. Childhood
On a hot day on June 30, 1863, the future creator of the Ford company was born in Michigan. I studied at a regular school and had many friends. On his thirteenth birthday, his father gave him a wristwatch. The boy was so interested in the mechanism that, unable to bear it, he took them apart and later put them back together without difficulty. He repeated the procedure more than once. Friends, seeing the natural talent of the master with a meticulous approach to repairs, began to turn to the farmer’s son for help in repairing wall and wrist clocks. At that time, there were not enough tools; we had to use improvised means in the form of a penknife or an old screwdriver with broken teeth.
Young Henry felt that farming was not his path. In July 1876, he and his father were in Detroit. A vehicle driven by a steam engine moved slowly along the road past him. According to his own recollections, it was a locomobile.
Youth
Henry Ford leaves his father's farm at the age of 16. He was never able to find any benefit in agricultural work. Having moved to Detroit, he gets a job in Drydock's workshop as a mechanic's apprentice. All subsequent time he studied accounting and focused on studying steam engines, since from the first memorable meeting he knew what he wanted to change in this machine. His parents never shared his passion for mechanics and were firmly committed to passing on his farming skills to his only heir. Having settled down as an apprentice machinist in Detroit after training, Henry worked part-time repairing watch mechanisms. Thus, this activity turned into a kind of hobby that Ford carried with him throughout his life.
Henry Ford: biography and personal life
Having met Clara Ale Bryant in 1888, Ford briefly forgets about his plans, marries a young beauty and returns to farming in order to feed his family. But a few years later he was invited by recommendation to the Edison Illuminating Company. In 1893, he was appointed to the position of chief engineer due to his technical literacy, responsibility and work discipline. But the thought of creating his own horseless carriage did not leave him.
Henry Ford said more than once that his best companion was his wife. Son Edsel - the only heir to Ford Motor in the future - will disappoint his active father with his indifference to the automobile business. Those close to him said that the early death of his son was not a great tragedy for the elderly Ford. But Clara, as a mother, took a long time to get out of depression. Henry Ford himself will never understand that his son repeated his fate as a farm boy who dreamed of racing in his own passenger car, and not trudging along on a harnessed mule.
First model
In 1896, he designed his first Ford Quadricycle. Then in the same year he personally meets with Thomas Edison and shows him his drawings of automotive technology. The leaders and founders of the Edison Company were inspired by Ford's drawings and gave the go-ahead for the construction of an improved model.
Many years later, Henry and Thomas would become best friends and neighbors, discussing not only issues of politics and society, but also innovative implementations in the auto industry.
Achievements
Henry Ford, whose biography and achievements inspire great respect, never stopped halfway. After conducting numerous tests, in 1899 he already had a stake in a small automobile company. In 1903, at the age of 40, he founded the Ford Motor Company. The fledgling production was attacked by a major automobile syndicate. Litigation continued for about seven years, but Ford's company eventually won and was cleared of charges of plagiarism.
Launch of an industrial conveyor
Henry Ford, whose biography is described in the book “My Life, My Achievements,” took as the basis for his work the methodology developed for Samuel Colt. The production steps include separate assembly for each element.
Ford introduced standardization of the parts used, thereby reducing overall assembly time, and also reducing the number of skilled workers working on the belt. Now ordinary workers could control the assembly.
Each workshop was engaged in its own work, which was actively modernized. Having calculated how to combine the work of the entire assembly mechanism, Ford created a single line in his production, passing through most of the workshops. Additional lines were connected to the main conveyor for the timely supply of the necessary elements during assembly.
By polishing the assembly process with a single assembly line, Ford achieved an amazing result. Every 10 seconds, a ready-made car stood at the exit, running. Thus, the company managed to make a profit and reduce the final cost of the car, allowing the average resident to purchase an iron horse.
In the fall of 1908, the first model of the legendary engineer, the Model T, rolled off the assembly line. Ford employees affectionately called it “Tin Lizzie.” American farmers give this nickname to their workhorses, and the Irish, for example, give this name to naughty and wayward mares. The price of the car was a little more than $200 at that time. This model made it possible to occupy a niche in the market, reaching a circle of people with an average monthly income in the country.
By introducing mass production at his plant, Ford was able to increase the daily wages of workers. All those who drink, gamble, have problems paying alimony, have a criminal record, or are on the wanted list could not get into the team. Later, the owner of the company changes his mind, changing his attitude towards people who have problems with family and the law, believing that this is not his concern. To keep order on the assembly lines, Ford often resorted to the services of crime bosses, appointing them to oversee the sites. The method that destroys a good reputation worked flawlessly. There were no fights or altercations; the workers were engaged exclusively in matters within their responsibilities.
The next step was dividing the working day into three shifts, transferring production to round-the-clock operation. Henry Ford introduced the eight-hour workday. His biography tells that he thereby organized several hundred jobs that were so necessary for local residents.
A lot of interesting things happened in the life of such a person as Henry Ford. The biography, a brief summary of which cannot convey all the details, includes many interesting facts from his life. By the way, the inventor described his life in his works.
No one expected that the book that Henry Ford himself wrote (biography in English) would sell such a circulation. It will become a kind of automotive bible.
Henry Ford would become America's first registered chauffeur. Although at that moment there were no traffic rules yet.
The first car Ford sold cost $200.
The great designer firmly believed in human reincarnation. Answering questions, Henry Ford, whose biography is set out in the book, will talk about the soldier he was in a past life.
During wartime, his famous plant assembled equipment for the Germans, who idolized Ford.
The first car was black. The shade was not chosen for love of color, it just dried faster.
The first model is one of the ten man-made objects that changed the world, according to Forbes magazine.
Coal in briquettes is another innovation invented by a bright and talented engineer.
Takeover of Ford Motor
In 1909, the brand with the Ford trademark had a record of registration in the patent office. The image has changed slightly over the years, as Henry Ford himself wrote. The biography in English talks about a triangle with outstretched wings, denoting lightness and the desire for speed. The colors - blue and orange - did not change until the end of the 20th century.
In 1919, Ford and his son bought out the remaining shares, and the company became completely owned by the family. Ford Jr. becomes head of production.
Ford Motor Company Crisis
While Henry Ford, whose biography had not yet been completed, was resting in retirement, his son was undergoing a crisis. Production was outdated, Model T was inferior to competitors in terms of technical characteristics. It was decided to close all Ford factories to carry out restructuring and reconstruction of production facilities. However, at this time, General Motors took first place in the leadership race, which a little earlier took care of expanding the range of cars - for any budget and status.
The released Model A was a failure as a result, with low sales figures. Consumers wanted a faster engine and a more modern design. In 1932, Ford launched a monolithic eight-cylinder engine for the first time in history. Many years will pass before other companies implement their ideas for the safe launch of such an engine. Henry Ford himself did not remain aloof from the implementation of the project; his biography of that period indicates his indirect involvement in the grandiose breakthrough.
War time
The discoverer of briquette coal was always negatively inclined towards military action, so he openly declared his pacifist sentiments. Imagine the surprise of society when it became known about the start of military production at the Ford Motor base.
In 1942, production of cars for civilians was stopped due to martial law. A massive campaign started by Ford's son designed more than 50,000 military components in less than three years.
In 1943, Edsel Ford's only son died of cancer. This was the reason for the return of Henry Ford to the post of leader.
Last years
The first automobile tycoon, Henry Ford, met his old age with dignity. His biography and description of his life in his declining years confirm this.
Having transferred authority to his grandson, the brilliant engineer quietly retired and lived on his estate with his wife. He was awarded several honorary awards for his contribution to the automotive industry, and received a medal of the highest standard for his contribution to the development of society. Ford died in 1947 at the age of 83.
His grandson, after the death of the founder of the Ford Motor brand, continued the business and in a few years raised production to a high level, capable of competing to this day.
Childhood with bolts and nuts in hands. Youth spent with dirty hands, always smelling of fuel oil. Not every boy dreams of such a life, but not Henry Ford. His originality of thinking, unique analytical mind, natural talent and golden hands made his person recognizable in every corner of the world. The biography of Henry Ford is a book that has become hope for many for their future. With faith in himself and the Vedic spiritual powers, he persistently built his ladder of fame. The Ford Motor company he created is today one of the leaders in the automotive industrial arena.
American engineer, inventor, industrialist Henry Ford was born in July 1863. He became the pride of the United States, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, the organizer of production and the designer of the conveyor complex.
Henry Ford's car was created as a work of art, there is nothing superfluous in it, its beauty is practical and functional. And this is not a luxury toy. This is a convenient, affordable gift that Henry Ford gave to the average American family. The biography of this inventor and designer is a worthy example for every person.
Merits
Henry Ford, whose biography acquires more and more fantastic details over time, is famous for the fact that he managed to create a flow in production. And the automobile business is also his idea, brought to life by him. And most importantly - management. Economically organized businesses need managers, and the twentieth century gave the world the creative businessman. The best businessman of the century, according to Fortune magazine!
He built the largest production facility that existed at that time, a real industry from which Ford earned his first billion (today this money is “worth” thirty-six billion). The principles of its management still have a huge impact on the entire structure of US society. Ford managed to sell fifteen and a half million Ford Ts, and the production conveyor necessary for production became more familiar than a bicycle on the street.
Opponent and Creator of Management
If Henry Ford had not been an opponent of management principles, his biography would not have been supplemented with the title of the best businessman. He had his own principles: he paid workers twice as much as other employers, and sold them cars at significant discounts. Thus he created a class still called "blue collar". He did not increase the demand for his products. No! He created the conditions for such demand.
This was very inconsistent with the principles of the current production policy. was created and formulated in an absentee dispute between Ford and theorists who could not defeat the famous automaker until a practical manager from General Motors appeared who completely defeated Henry Ford in a face-to-face dispute. So the successful Ford, whose biography is worthy of the pen of a Hollywood film screenwriter, as an entrepreneur, failed in 1927.
Only the product is important
By this time, Henry could no longer change his beliefs. He truly became a star, that is, he was absolutely confident that he was right. And new times came, the change of which he did not even notice. Successful production now required management, and a new quality of management; Henry Ford was unable to understand this in time. His quotes on this matter are remarkable: “Gymnastics is nonsense. Healthy people have no use for it, and it is contraindicated for sick people.” He felt the same way about management.
Ford was confident that if the product was good, it would certainly make a profit, and if it was bad, then the most wonderful management would not bring results. Ford despised the art of management, ran around the shops, looked into the office only occasionally, financial documents seemed nauseating to him, he hated bankers, and accepted only cash. For him, financiers were thieves, speculators, saboteurs and robbers, and shareholders were parasites. And Henry spoke so skillfully on this topic! To this day, grateful management uses them as an example of the loss of flair in business. In any case, even if he was not right, he was extremely honest with consumers.
Honest product
Henry Ford's statements on this matter are relevant for all times: “Only work creates value!” - he never tired of repeating. And so it was. Mass production at the plant did not begin until the model reached an ideal, absolutely universal, in Ford's opinion, state. Then everything is adjusted and the car is put into production. Managers look after the overall output, Ford looks after them, so that the departments work with each other in harmony, and then the profit itself flows freely to the enterprise.
The head of the enterprise decided all the most important issues himself. Henry Ford's theory was that the value of market strategy lies in its "penetration costs." Every year, production volume increases, costs are constantly reduced, car prices are regularly reduced - this is how a stable increase in profits is created, since demand also grows. Profits are necessarily returned to production. While Henry Ford's principles worked for commercial success, he was an individualistic entrepreneur - he did not pay shareholders at all.
Core values
This is the American dream: to be born like Henry Ford into a poor farming family, to become rich and famous. Compatriots may forget who their president is today, but Henry Ford's car will always be remembered. Ford served an idea, a single one, all his life, suffered absolute defeats, endured widespread ridicule, and struggled with sophisticated intrigues. But he achieved his goal: he created a car and earned billions.
Henry Ford's wife, Clara, was also alone for the rest of her life. She believed him unquestioningly and supported him selflessly in difficult moments. He was once asked how he would live his life if given a second opportunity. Henry Ford's statements were always worthy of memorization: "I would agree, but on one condition: I would marry Clara again."
Start
In fact, Henry's life did not start out so easy. He was born on a farm in Michigan, where from an early age he was forced to help his father work in the fields. He sincerely hated this activity. He was attracted only by mechanisms. And the steam locomotive he saw at the age of twelve shook the boy’s soul to the very bottom. Thus began the story of Henry Ford.
Every day until late in the evening, Henry struggled with the construction of a moving mechanism. He stopped looking like an ordinary boy: his pockets are full of nuts, instead of toys there are tools. His parents gave him the first watch in his life, which he took apart on the same day and reassembled as it was. From the age of fifteen he ran around the neighboring farms and repaired all sorts of mechanisms for everyone, and thus he did not finish school. Subsequently, Henry Ford's statements on this matter did not change his ideological outlook. He said that books do not teach anything practical, and for a technician the most important thing is the mechanism from which he, like a writer from books, will draw all the ideas and be able to apply them.
Steam locomobiles
Henry knew no rest in his work: he completely broke away from his farming roots, worked in a mechanical workshop, and at night he repaired watches, working part-time for a jeweler. Since he already had an idea, and only a self-propelled carriage captivated all his dreams, at the age of sixteen he got a job at the Westinghouse Company as an expert in the assembly and repair of locomotives. These multi-ton monsters of automobile manufacturing did 12 miles per hour and were most often used as a tractor. Locomotives were so expensive that not every farmer could purchase such a car.
Henry Ford's first company, although not his brainchild, gave him the opportunity to grow in his profession, acquire ideas and try to implement them. The first attempt was to create a lightweight steam cart for plowing. Henry remembered his father, that his purely paternal dream of a son-assistant had collapsed, and his conscience, of course, worried him. That’s why he wanted to quickly alleviate the harsh lot of farmers, to shift the main labor from his father’s shoulders to the iron horse.
New engine design
A tractor is not a mass product. People want a car that can be driven on the road, not a tool for field work. However, the cart that Henry assembled was dangerous: it is more convenient to sit on a bomb than on a high-pressure boiler. Young Ford studied boilers of all designs and realized that they were not the future, that a light crew with a steam engine was impossible. Hearing about gas engines, Ford was filled with new hopes.
Smart people listened to him with interest, but they absolutely did not believe in Henry Ford’s success in this matter. He did not meet a single educated person he knew who would understand that the internal combustion engine is the future of humanity. From that moment on, he neglected all the advice of the “wise men.” This engine was designed by Henry Ford in 1887. To do this, he had to disassemble Philippe Lebon's gas engine and understand what was what, then return to the farm to experiment there.
Engineer and mechanic
The father was delighted to see his son return and gave him a plot of forest so that he would just stop poking around with the pieces of iron. Henry Ford, slightly slyly, agreed, built a house, a sawmill, a workshop and married Clara. Naturally, I spent all my free time in the workshop, reading books on mechanics, and designing.
Since it was impossible to get ahead on the farm alone, he moved to Detroit, where he was offered a $45 salary with an electric company. Clara always supported her husband in all his endeavors.
He did not find any sympathy from his new colleagues regarding his tossing, since they were sure that electricity was absolutely the entire future of the planet, but the “father of electricity” himself was interested, treated with understanding and wished him good luck. Henry Ford was incredibly inspired.
America's first driver
When in 1893 Henry Ford rode around Detroit on his internal combustion engine, which he called an ATV, the horses shied away, passers-by were surprised by the loud rumble, surrounded him, and asked questions. There were no traffic rules yet, so we had to get permission from the police. So he became the first officially approved driver in America.
After driving for three years, Henry sold the first brainchild for two hundred dollars and used it to create a new model of a lighter car. For some reason, he then believed that heavy cars were not needed. Oh, if he now looked at the brainchild of his company - the Ford Expedition, then he would definitely change his mind. However, at that time he believed that the mass product was easy and accessible.
By that time, he had been made the first engineer at the electric company and was paid $125 a month, but his experience in the automotive industry aroused indignation among management. It believed only in electricity. On gas - no. The company offered Henry Ford an even higher position, but just let him give up this nonsense and get down to real business. Ford thought and chose his dream.
Racing car
Companions were quickly found who invested money in the newly created Detroit Automobile Company to produce racing cars. Henry Ford could not defend the idea of mass production. The partners needed money; they simply did not see any other use for the car. True, this enterprise did not bring much money to anyone. In 1902, he left the company so as never to be in a dependent position again. "All by myself!" - Henry Ford said to himself. Achievements were on the way.
Ford never considered speed to be an advantage of a car, but since public attention could only be attracted by victory, he still had to prepare two cars designed to go fast. “It is impossible to give a more unreliable guarantee!” he said to himself, “You can fall from Niagara Falls with a large percentage of luck.”
But the cars were ready to race. The only thing missing was the driver. A thrill-seeking cyclist named Oldfield agreed to ride the breeze. But he never sat behind the wheel of a car. There was a week left before the race. The cyclist did not disappoint. Moreover, he never looked around, did not turn around and did not slow down on turns: just as he “slammed” the pedal to the metal at the start, he did not slow down until the finish. The Ford car arrived first. Investors became interested, and a week later the company was founded, Ford's main brainchild - Ford Motor.
A car for everyone
Henry Ford organized his own enterprise according to his own plan. The priority was a product that was reliable, easy to use, cheap, lightweight, and mass-produced. Ford did not want to work for the rich, but wanted to make all his compatriots happy. No luxury, the simplest and most functional decoration. And the prestige of the brand didn’t matter either. His models didn’t even have beautiful names; he called each new one with the next letter of the alphabet.
Ford followed three basic financial principles: he did not take other people's capital, he bought everything exclusively for cash, and all profits necessarily went into production. Dividends are awarded only to those who participate in the creation of the product. Ford directed all his thoughts and efforts towards creating a universal car. It became a model with the letter "T". The previous ones also sold quite well, but, compared to "T", they seemed simply experimental. Now an advertisement could quite rightly say: “Every child can drive a Ford!”
Perfect Creation
In 1909, Henry Ford announced that he would now only produce the Model T with the same chassis. And, as always, he made this statement witty: - “Everyone can buy a Ford-T in absolutely any color, but on the condition that any color is black.”
To understand the scale of the event that the head of the company started, and started with absolute faith in success, you need to imagine that a certain person created a company to provide each of us with cheap and comfortable airplanes. This was the attitude towards buying a car in those days.
The car had to be quite roomy so that the whole family could sit comfortably. Henry Ford was also concerned about choosing the best material. The design should be as simple as possible in today's technology, he believed. And he always had first-class workers.
Ford said that the price of the car would be so low that any working person could buy one. Here, with these very words, many stopped believing him. Can Factory! - opponents shouted to him. And the Model T was called the “Tin Lizzie.” It would seem that it makes no difference what the dogs bark about. All the same, the caravan is moving on. But to sell a lot, low prices will not help. We need to convince you of the quality.
Taking care of the buyer
At the origins of the automobile industry, selling a car was considered a profitable operation - and nothing more. Sold - forgotten. No one was interested in the further fate of the car. When repairing, spare parts were prohibitively expensive, since the owner had nowhere to go - he would buy it as cute as he could. Ford sold spare parts extremely cheaply and took care of the repair of cars from its plant.
The competitors got excited. Intrigues, gossip, even patent trials began. Ford did not hesitate to print in the newspapers that every car buyer could demand a bond of twelve million dollars from Ford Motor, guaranteeing the receipt of this money in case of unpleasant accidents. And he asked not to buy cars of obviously low quality at high prices from enemies of the Ford Motor Company. And it worked! In 1927, fifteen million units left the factory gates, which had not changed in nineteen years. Just as Henry Ford did not change his principles. His biography did not end there. Before his death in 1947, he managed to do a lot: create the best cars, write several interesting books and make the American dream come true.
When it seems like the whole world is against you, remember that the plane takes off against the wind! That's what Henry Ford said. And I followed this rule all my life.
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947), American industrialist, owner of automobile factories around the world, inventor.
Henry Ford was born in Springfield, Michigan on July 30, 1863. He was the eldest of six children of William and Mary Ford. Henry spent his childhood on his parents' farm, where he helped the family and attended a regular village school. Henry's great interest in technology, which he showed at a very young age, allowed him to become one of the most famous industrialists in the world.
At the age of 12, Henry set up a small workshop. In 1879, Henry Ford moved to Detroit, where he got a job as an assistant driver. Three years later, Ford moved to Dearborn and for five years was engaged in the design and repair of steam engines, working from time to time at a plant in Detroit. In 1888 he married Clara Bryant and soon took a position as manager of a sawmill.
In 1891, Ford became an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company and two years later was named the company's chief engineer.
Ford assembled the first internal combustion engine in the kitchen of his home. He soon decided to put the engine on a frame with four bicycle wheels. So in 1896, the ATV appeared - a vehicle that became the first Ford car.
After leaving Edison Illuminating in 1899, Henry Ford founded his own company, Detroit Automobile. Despite the fact that the company went bankrupt a year later, Ford managed to assemble several racing cars. Ford himself took part in auto racing and in October 1901 managed to defeat American champion Alexander Winton.
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903. Its founders were twelve businessmen from Michigan, led by Henry Ford. A former wagon factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit was converted into an automobile plant. Teams of two to three workers, under the direct supervision of Ford, assembled cars from spare parts that were custom-made by other companies.
The company's first car was sold on July 23, 1903. In 1906, Henry Ford became president and majority owner of the company.
In 1919, Henry Ford and his son Edsel bought the company's shares from other shareholders for 105 and a half million US dollars and became the sole owners of the company. That same year, Edsel inherited the position of president of the company from his father, which he held until his death in 1943. After the sudden death of his son, Henry Ford again had to take the helm of the company.
In September 1945, Henry Ford transferred authority to his eldest grandson, Henry Ford II. In May 1946, Henry Ford Sr. was awarded an honorary award for his services to the auto industry, and later that year the American Petroleum Institute presented him with a gold medal for his service to society.
Henry Ford died at age 83 at his home in Dearborn on April 7, 1947. Thus, an entire era in the history of the Ford Motor Company ended, which, despite the death of its founder, continued to actively develop.
The topic of success stories of famous personalities of the world today worries most of the world's population. That is why the biography of Henry Ford, inventor and author of 161 patents, owner of automobile factories all over the world, American industrialist and successful businessman, is of great interest.
The success story of this extraordinary personality is unique. Quotes from his famous book “My Life, My Achievements” have long become catchphrases.
Childhood of a tycoon
Henry Ford was born in 1863 on July 30th. His father, William Ford, was a Michigan farmer and Irish emigrant. Mother's maiden name was Marie Lithogot. In addition to Henry, the parents raised three sons: John, William and Robert - and two daughters: Margaret and Jane.
The following interesting facts from his childhood have come down to us: if someone was given a wind-up toy as a gift, his sisters and brothers would vying with each other to shout that it should not be given into Henry’s hands. And in fact, once in the hands of a little prodigy, the toy was sure to be disassembled down to the last screw. When reassembling, many of the parts turned out to be superfluous, but the toy worked no worse, and sometimes even better, than before.
From early childhood, the father taught his children to farm work. However, Henry did not like this joyless work. And already during childhood, thoughts about its improvement and automation arose in his brain.
Having received a wristwatch as a gift from his father, the twelve-year-old boy quietly opened its cover with a knife and was shocked by the mechanism. Henry couldn't resist taking the watch apart and then putting it back together. In his future life, this first experience helped Henry earn a piece of bread and pay for housing.
Youth and beginning of working life
In the end, Henry Ford ran away from his parents into the city at night. At first, the teenager got a job at a factory producing horse-drawn carriages. But his talent became an obstacle to career growth. The boy’s ability to understand at a glance what was wrong with the mechanism aroused a feeling of envy among the other workers. Therefore, very soon they survived young Henry Ford. The fugitive spent the next years of his life working at the Flower brothers shipyard. In his free time, the young man repaired watches, earning extra money to pay for his room and buy food.
Having learned that his son’s life was difficult financially, his father, William Ford, decided to “buy” him. He offered Henry 40 acres of land in exchange for his dream. But according to the oral agreement, the word “car” should not come out of the mouth of young Ford, even in his sleep. There was no end to William's joy when Henry agreed to return to his parents' home! And how would my father know that this return was just a cunning move on Henry’s part, which he took for the sake of a temporary respite.
Marriage of the future owner of automobile factories
Henry Ford's chosen one was a modest girl from a farming family, Clara Bryant. Over the years of marriage, the wife constantly supported her beloved morally. Henry Ford, whose biography became a role model for many, constantly consulted with her and told her about his grandiose plans.
Ford's success story would not be complete without paying tribute to the influence of his wife on his destiny. In Henry Ford's memoirs there are quotes with which he thanked his wife for her support in all his endeavors: “My wife believed in my success even more strongly than I did. She has always been like this."
The birth of a son and the birth of the first car
And so in 1893, Henry Ford gave birth to two “brainchildren”: his first-born son was born, and he finished work on assembling his first car. The wife's son was named Edsel, and the car was called "quad bike".
In the same year, the inventor was accepted into the Edison company, which specialized in lighting Detroit, as an engineer. After 6 years, Henry becomes chief engineer at a Detroit automobile company. But during these years, Ford's mind was occupied with the invention of the gasoline cart.
Search for companions
The company's management decided to “return” the chief engineer to earth: he was offered a leadership position so that the inventor would forget about his new project. But it was not in Henry Ford’s character to abandon his goal, although doubts overwhelmed him: all his savings were spent on making a cart, and he needed to support his family on something.
The wife’s statements that she would take any decision of her husband for granted strengthened him in his decision: the inventor left the enterprise and began to look closely for wealthy partners who would buy his ideas. But for a long time his attempts were unsuccessful.
The success story of Ford the automaker began with an incident when an almost desperate Henry decided to give one of the local businessmen a ride. It was then that a turning point occurred in the inventor’s life: Henry finally found a companion!
Thus was born the Detroit Automobile Company, which did not last long. Ford's statements on this matter are conclusions based on experience. He did not consider it possible to complain or blame anyone for failures. The main thing is to benefit, even if you need to extract it from your mistakes. “At that time there was no consumer demand for cars at all - just like there is no demand for any new, still unfamiliar to the consumer, product. I gave up this occupation, leaving my post in the company, and for the future I decided: from now on I will never occupy a dependent position,” Henry said about this time.
The search for new partners was no less difficult, but in 1903 luck smiled - the Ford Motor Company appeared, where Henry Ford was the chief manager.
As a manager
Interesting quotes from his book reflect the manager’s view of education: “Specialists are so experienced and educated that they know for certain why something cannot be done, they are able to see obstacles and limits everywhere. Therefore, if you want to defeat your competitors, then simply provide them with hordes of the most educated specialists.” These quotes from the self-taught nugget Henry Ford from his book are not without some meaning: the main thing, after all, in a person is not education, but talent.
Although the resistance to education in Ford’s life sometimes reached the point of ridiculousness. For example, such interesting facts are known from the life of the great, talented inventor: Ford could not read blueprints until his death! Engineers had to make wooden models instead of drawings, which they laid out on the table for the automobile king to make a verdict.
The Inventor's Triumph - Model T
But what the brilliant Henry Ford invented, taking an expensive car model as a basis and creating “a car for middle-class Americans,” became a real revolution in the automotive industry. The cars were snapped up by consumers at such a speed that Henry began to think about a new idea - how to improve the car production process.
So he invented a new control system, which he called “terror of the machine.” The success story of Ford as a manager has written a new page.
Control system introduced by Ford
The first step towards increasing production efficiency was the introduction of a conveyor system. This made it possible to reduce the manufacturing time of both individual components and the machine itself as a whole. Later, the king of the automobile industry improved the conveyor even further - it began to be developed in two versions: for tall and for short workers.
Of course, the businessman was primarily concerned not with the facts of creating convenience for workers, but with increasing the profits received.
The second step was the establishment of an 8-hour working day and social service at the enterprise. Raising wages was the third step to increasing profits.
Facts that seemed strange at first glance actually had their own explanation: labor productivity increased, workers tried their best not to lose their jobs, “turnover” became a rare occurrence and, as a result, the costs of training new workers decreased.
The success story of the automobile magnate was at the zenith of his fame: his actions were supported by the bulk of the population - the working class.
Milestones of life after 1925
In 1925, the automobile magnate created an airline, which he called Ford Airways. The first airliner produced was the three-engine Ford 3-AT Air Pullman. In total, during the years from 1925 to 1989, 199 copies of the airliners were produced under the leadership of Henry Ford.
The following is a brief biography of the tycoon:
1928 - Ford is awarded the Benjamin Franklin Institute's Elliott Cresson Medal for revolutionary achievements in the automobile industry and industrial leadership.
1930 - Ford resigned from his leadership position due to disagreements with trade unions and partners and transferred control of the company to his son Edsel,
1943 – death of his son and return to the post of head of the company. 1945 - transfer of company management to grandson Henry Ford II.
A book about life and achievements
Ford's biography, along with his thoughts, is presented in his author's work "My Life, My Achievements." The author of the book expresses interesting thoughts about how to achieve success and illuminates the reader with some facts of his biography.
It contains interesting quotes and reflections on reincarnation. “Genius is experience. Some people think that this is a gift or talent given by someone, but in reality it is just the fruits of the experience that a person has accumulated over many previous lives.”
Other interesting quotes from the book are suitable not only for a businessman, but also for every person, regardless of gender and age. For example, when thinking about the past and the future, a wise thought is expressed: “You should not be afraid of the future, just as you should not be respectful of the past. Fearing failures in the future, a person sets a limit for himself. Failures in the past are only an opportunity to start over, but to do everything more intelligently.”
The image of the “car king” in the works of other authors
The biography of Henry Ford is beautifully described by Upton Sinclair in his work “The King of the Automobile.” The author of this book masterfully paints the image of the tycoon, provides facts from the life of the “car king,” shows the difficult path that Ford took to achieve success and achieve his goal, describing the life story of Henry Ford. There are also wise quotes from the statements of Henry Ford the businessman and interesting facts.
The author of the book “Brave New World” describes Henry Ford in a completely different way. O. Huxley wrote an ironic work, ridiculing Ford's approach to improving production. The conveyor belt principle of production using the grotesque is cruelly ridiculed by the author. In his novel, the entire society is organized according to a conveyor belt type, the calendar begins with the year of production of the Ford car model, and instead of the words “by God” people say “by God”.
But, despite the facts showing the great automobile tycoon as an ordinary person who tends to make mistakes, his life story is interesting and can serve as an example for many. You just need to approach it selectively.
Quotes from Henry Ford about business.
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 - April 7, 1947) - American engineer, industrialist, and inventor. One of the founders of the US automobile industry, founder of the Ford Motor Company, organizer of conveyor production.
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 in the family of a Michigan farmer, an emigrant from Ireland. His father was dissatisfied with him, considering him lazy and a sissy; his son behaved like a prince who accidentally found himself on a farm. Henry did everything he was told to do reluctantly. He hated chickens and cows and couldn't stand milk. “Already in my early youth I thought that many things could be done differently - in some other way.” For example, he, Henry, has to climb steep stairs every morning, carrying buckets of water. Why do this every day if you can just lay two meters of water pipes underground?
When his son turned twelve, his father gave him a pocket watch. He could not resist - he pryed off the lid with a screwdriver, and something wonderful was revealed to his eyes. The parts of the mechanism interacted with each other, one wheel moved another, every cog was important here. Having disassembled and reassembled the watch, the boy thought for a long time. What is the world if not one big mechanism? One movement is generated by another, everything has its own levers. To achieve success, you just need to know which levers to press. Henry quickly learned how to repair watches and for a while even worked part-time, touring surrounding farms and repairing broken chronometers. The second shock was the meeting with the locomobile. Henry and his father were returning by cart from the city when they encountered a huge self-propelled vehicle shrouded in steam. Having overtaken the cart and frightened the horses, the smoking and hissing monster rushed past. At that moment, Henry would have given half his life to be there in the driver's cab.
At the age of 15, G. Ford left school and at night, on foot, without telling anyone, he went to Detroit: he would never become a farmer, as his father wanted.
At the factory where he got a job, they made horse-drawn carriages. He didn't last long here. Ford only had to touch the broken mechanism to understand what was wrong. Other workers began to envy the gifted newcomer. They did everything to survive the upstart plant, and succeeded in this - Ford was fired. Henry later got a job at the Flower Brothers shipyard. And at night he worked part-time by repairing watches so that he could pay for the room.
Meanwhile, William Ford decided to make one last attempt to return his son to farming: he offered 40 acres of land on the condition that he would never utter the word “car” again in his life. Unexpectedly, Henry agreed. The father was pleased, and the son too. Gullible William had no idea that his son was simply fooling him. For Henry, this incident served as a lesson: if you want to become a king, be prepared to lie.
Soon Henry Ford decided to get married. Clara Bryant was three years younger than him. They met at a village dance. Ford was a brilliant dancer and amazed the girl by showing her his pocket watch and declaring that he had made it himself. They had a lot in common - just like Henry, Clara was born into a farmer’s family and did not disdain any kind of work. The girl’s parents are pious and strict people; of course, they would not give her up for a young man without a penny, without land and a house. Having hastily built a cozy house on his property, Henry settled in it with his young wife. Many years later, the automobile monarch would say: “My wife believed in my success even more strongly than I did. She has always been like this." Clara could spend hours listening to her husband talk about the idea of creating a self-propelled carriage. Throughout her long family life, she always knew how to maintain an elegant balance - she was interested in her husband's affairs, but never interfered in them.
As time went. And one day, Ford Sr. found the newlyweds’ cozy house abandoned - Henry and Clara unexpectedly moved to Detroit, where Ford went to work at the Detroit Electric Company as an engineer.
In November 1893, Clara gave Ford a son. The boy was named Edsel.
That same year, in a brick barn behind the semi-detached house where he lived with his wife Clara, Ford completed construction of his first experimental car. The inventor worked for two days without rest or sleep, and at two o’clock in the morning on June 4 he came to tell his wife that the machine was ready and he was now going to test it. Called the "Quadricycle" and weighing only five hundred pounds, the vehicle ran on four bicycle tires.
And in the same 1893, Ford became the chief engineer of the Edison Company, which specialized in lighting Detroit, and then, in 1899, the chief engineer of the Detroit Automobile Company. But after a while they began to notice that Ford was spending all his mental and physical strength on a gasoline cart, and not at all on working in the office. Henry was offered a leadership position on the condition that he give up his invention. Ford hesitated. The reasoning was as follows: the family had to be supported, there were no savings - everything went towards building the cart. Clara, seeing his hesitation, said that no matter what Henry did, she would approve of his decision. After quitting, Ford began to “sell himself.” He was looking for wealthy partners, because Henry himself did not have money, as such, and in his new enterprise he assigned himself the role of a supplier of ideas. But no one wanted to buy these ideas. In the end, after Henry gave a Detroit businessman a crazy ride in his cart, he agreed to work with the inventor. The Detroit Automobile Company did not last long. “There was no demand for cars, just as there is no demand for any new product. I left my post, determined never to be in a dependent position again,” Ford recalled. And the “trade of ideas” and the search for partners began again. Refusals rained down on him like from a cornucopia; he was almost taken out of one office by force. Finally, in 1903, the Ford Motor Company was incorporated. Henry became general manager. Being a self-taught mechanic himself, Ford willingly hired such geniuses at the plant: “The specialists are so smart and experienced that they know exactly why this and that cannot be done, they see limits and obstacles everywhere. If I wanted to destroy competitors, I would provide them with hordes of specialists.”
The automobile king never learned to read blueprints in his entire life: the engineers simply made a wooden model for the boss and gave it to him for judgment.
In 1905, Ford's financial partners did not agree with his intention to produce cheap cars, because... Expensive models were in demand, the holder of the majority stake, Alexander Malcolmson, sold his share to Ford, after which Henry Ford became the owner of a controlling stake and president of the company (he was president of the company in 1905 - 1919 and in 1943 - 1945).
Ford's real triumph was the introduction of the Model T, which meant a change in all guidelines in the concept of the automotive industry. He created it like a sculptor, cutting off everything unnecessary, creating not a luxurious toy for the elite, but an affordable product for thousands and thousands of “average Americans.” The success exceeded all expectations. Over the years of production of the Model T, over 15 million cars were sold, easily conquering the consumer market.
Mass production required standardization and unification of all technological processes. “Terror of the machine” is how Ford characterized the control system he introduced. A clear control and planning system, conveyor production, continuous technological chains - all this contributed to the fact that the Ford empire worked in automatic mode.
Ford was the first to establish a minimum wage and an 8-hour working day at his enterprises. However, when going to improve the social situation of workers, Ford preferred to do this solely on his own initiative. Therefore, in the future he stubbornly ignored the pressure of trade unions, which ultimately led to a protracted conflict with them in 1937-1941. A sociological service with a staff of 60 people was created at his factories, which at that time was a major innovation.
Ford was literally obsessed with diet and a healthy lifestyle, was passionate about the history of American culture, and was no stranger to philanthropy. However, his social activities - active anti-Jewish movements, a peace cruise during the First World War, an attempt to become a senator - were predominantly scandalous.
Believing in his own genius, Ford began to lose his flexibility and flair as an innovator. In the 1930s, there were major changes in consumer demand, and Ford, committed to his previous concept, did not take them into account. As a result, the leading position in the automotive industry had to be ceded to another large company - General Motors.
In September 1945, Ford handed over management of the company (previously formally owned by his only son Edsel) to his grandson and namesake Henry Ford 2 and retired. 2 years later, on April 7, 1947, at the age of 83, Ford died.
