Henry Ford came into the world on a farm just outside of Detroit. He got his first job in a machine shop and eventually invented a four wheel motor driven cart. He would bop around Detroit in it which worked out well, because he attracted investors.
He started the Detroit Motor Company and became obsessed with constantly upgrading his cars. In 1901 he won a ten mile race in one of his cars which eventually will be able do five miles in just under six minutes.
Henry Ford and the largest coal dealer in Detroit start the Ford Motor Company for $36,000. And the company was never heard from again … actually quite the opposite. Between 1903 and 1908 he introduced nine different cars all with a letter for a name A, B, C et cetera. He famously declared that anyone could get any color they want “as long as it’s black.”
When he got to Model T – the Tin Lizzie – sales go through the roof and orders get so backed up Ford can’t keep up. He expanded to Highland Park where his famous assembly line system employs 13,000. He doubles the going wage to $5 a day for an eight hour day and folks flock to Ford for work. He pioneered higher wages to prevent employee turnover, and later he would introduce the five day work week.
A born self-promoter, Henry created a film making department to disseminate positive images of the great him and his company. During World War I he announced he will end the war by chartering a cruise ship, going to Europe and telling everyone to stop fighting.
After producing 15 million Model T’s, Henry reluctantly introduced the Model A. Sales remained miraculous. At this time, Ford bought locations for raw materials including ‘Fordlandia’ in Brazil, a rubber plantation. He wanted to produce his cars from scratch.
When the Depression hit, Ford tried to help by giving employees money, but eventually he had to lay off half of his enormous force.
In 1919 he purchased the Dearborn Independent newspaper and started spewing anti Jewish sentiments. The first article in this rant was titled “The International Jew: The World’s Problem.” Among the things Jews were responsible for, Ford believed, were wars, strikes, financial scandal, pretty much all the problems of the world. It’s likely Ford didn’t know any Jews until he was older.
Another charming aspect to ‘Fix Or Repair Daily’ was the implementation of thugs and police to bust up any threat of unionizing the company. At one protest conducted by the United Auto Workers, police and Ford security opened fire killing five and injuring sixty. Many pro-unionites in factories were beaten with clubs.
Despite the violent suppression of unionists, Ford finally caved in to UAW demands and more – paying the highest wages, providing a union shop and union dues deductions.
Ford’s son Edsel takes over operations as Henry’s health fades. Eventually Edsel’s son Henry Ford II takes over the company. One thing he does is sell back Fordlandia to the government of Brazil at a fraction of its cost. Henry Ford passed away in 1947.