HENRY FORD

1995/12/01 Azkune Mendia, Iñaki - Elhuyar Fundazioa Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biografiak

This American businessman was born in Wayne Country, together with Dearborn (Michigan) on July 30, 1863. He was the son of Irish immigrants. As a young man he worked as a day laborer, but since he was not pleased, he moved to Detroit to study mechanics. In 1882 he began working as a assembler/adjuster in a company dedicated to the manufacture of agricultural machinery.

In 1887, after his marriage, he returned to Detroit. There he worked as an engineer at the company Edison Illuminating Co. In 1889 he joined the company Detroit Auto Company, but his participation was very small, so he could not advance his project. His project was to build cars within reach of all audiences.

In the years 1892 and 1893 he built his first car, with four wheels, engine of four horsepower, cooled by water and without reverse.

The problem of his project led him to found the company Henry Ford Company in 1902. In 1908 he launched the model T. His serial production allowed him to sell at a very low price. Ford's philosophy was to lower the price of each car and increase sales. Ford was one of the first to consider export as a commercial expansion tool. For this reason, in 1910 he sent more than 3,000 cars to Britain. In 1912 he challenged 75,000 cars a year. In 1927, when he stopped developing the T model, he produced the A model. In 1932 it invents the V-8 engine.

In addition, Ford changed the way he worked. The workers, in a row, remained standing and without moving from their place, each carrying out a single work, that is, forming the production of chains. In this way, production and productivity were increased and prices were reduced. As a consequence, the standardization of the main parts begins. For his part, Ford defended the policy of high wages.

Other companies and states adopted this method of work. In the former Soviet Union, although capitalism was an enemy, this method was approved. With these changes, Ford changed the lives of the Americans and promoted the industrial revolution.

Ford died on April 7, 1947 in Dearborn.