| The Flivver and the Tin Lizzie were nicknames for | | | | the best methods and materials to produce the car |
| the Model T Ford developed by Henry Ford. For | | | | Henry dreamed of. They decided to use English |
| many years it has been known as "The car that | | | | valadium steel, new to America but three times |
| changed the world" and "The car that put America | | | | stronger and easier to make than the steel in use in |
| on wheels." | | | | American cars at that time. |
| The Model T was the result of the tremendous | | | | Then serendipity entered the picture. One of Ford's |
| creative energy of Henry Ford and his all-consuming | | | | men, William C. Klann happed to visit a slaughterhouse |
| passion to "create a car for the multitudes." Its | | | | and observe animals being cut apart as they moved |
| production brought about innovations in automobile | | | | along a conveyor. The idea struck Klann that if |
| design, manufacturing procedures and methods of | | | | something could be disassembled so quickly and |
| conducting business that did definitely change the | | | | efficiently, you could do the opposite with an |
| world. In the process however, Henry became so | | | | automobile. The car would move on the conveyor |
| obsessed with his metal Pygmalion that he almost | | | | and each worker would install a part. Speed and |
| plunged Ford into bankruptcy rather than move on | | | | efficiency would be gained as each worker |
| when the Model T went into decline. | | | | performed the same task repeatedly. Klann sold the |
| In Henry's boyhood, cars were status symbols of the | | | | idea to Ford's team, which put it into action. This |
| wealthy and luxury trumped function. Each car was a | | | | launched another Ford innovation, the automated |
| hand crafted, custom made product. The wealthy car | | | | assembly line. In 1914 a Model T was coming off this |
| owners usually employed chauffeurs to drive and | | | | line every 93 minutes. |
| maintain their "toys." Henry dreamed of "building a car | | | | The phenomenal increase in production resulted in |
| for the great multitude." This car should be well built, | | | | fantastic profits prompting Ford to make another |
| economical in price, simple to drive and simple to | | | | innovation, this time in business practice. He reduced |
| repair. | | | | the price of the Model T. The idea of price reduction |
| He began his dream working nights and weekends in | | | | to increase volume was totally unheard of at that |
| a storage shed behind his house. Here he successfully | | | | time. |
| produced a car, which he first drove in June 1986. | | | | Another equally shocking business practice followed in |
| In 1903, he started the Ford Motor Company on | | | | 1914. Ford doubled his employees' wages and |
| Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Between 1903 | | | | reduced their workday from nine to eight hours. His |
| and 1906, the Ford Company built and sold the Ford | | | | rationale was they could now afford to buy his cars. |
| Model A and Model N. Although highly profitable, | | | | In spite of his innovative thinking in developing the |
| these cars were expensive and did not fulfill Henry's | | | | Model T, when sales declined in 1927 as his |
| dream. So in 1906, in secret, Henry organized a team | | | | competition caught up, Ford almost plunged the |
| and started work on developing the Model T. | | | | company into bankruptcy by his reluctance to move |
| They researched, planned and experimented to find | | | | on beyond the Model T. |