Henry Ford: biography, achievements and interesting facts. Short biography of henry ford Message on the topic of henry ford

Talented people always have a different way of thinking. 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 founder of the Ford company was born in Michigan. He studied at a regular school, had many friends. On his thirteenth birthday, his father gave him a watch. The boy was so interested in the mechanism that, unable to stand it, he dismantled them, later easily put them back together. He repeated the process more than once. Friends, seeing the natural talent of the master with a scrupulous approach to repairs, began to turn to the farmer's son for help in repairing wall and wrist watch. There were not enough tools at that time, I had to use improvised means in the form of a penknife, an old screwdriver with knocked down teeth.

Young Henry felt that housekeeping was not his way. In July 1876 he was in Detroit with his father. A vehicle driven by a steam engine was slowly moving 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 never found any use in agricultural work. After moving to Detroit, he gets a job at Drydock's workshop as an apprentice mechanic. All subsequent time he studied accounting and emphasized the study of 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, they firmly stood on the intention of transferring the farming skill to the only heir. Having settled down after training as an apprentice machinist in Detroit, Henry worked part time repairing watch mechanisms. Thus, this occupation 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 agriculture in order to feed his family. But a few years later he was invited on the recommendations of the Edison Illuminating Company. In 1893, he was appointed chief engineer due to his technical literacy, responsibility and labor discipline. But the thought of creating his own horseless carriage did not leave him.

Henry Ford said more than once that the best companion for him is his wife. Son Edsel - the sole heir to Ford Motor in the future - will disappoint an active father with his indifference to the automobile business. A close circle said that the early death of his son was not a strong tragedy for the elderly Ford. But Clara, as a mother, got out of depression for a long time. Henry Ford himself will never understand that his son repeated his fate as a farm boy who dreams of racing in his own car, and not trailing on a harnessed mule.

First model

In 1896 he designed his first Ford Quadricycle. Then in the same year he personally met with Thomas Edison and showed him his drawings of automotive technology. The leaders and founders of the Edison Company were inspired by Ford's drawings and gave the green light to build an improved model.

Many years later, Henry and Thomas will become best friends and neighbors who discussed not only political and social issues, but also innovative implementations in the automotive industry.

Achievements

Henry Ford, whose biography and achievements inspire great respect, never stopped halfway. Through numerous tests, in 1899 he already had a share 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 car syndicate. Litigation continued for about seven years, in the end the Ford company won and was released from charges of plagiarism.

Launch of an industrial conveyor

Henry Ford, whose biography is described in the book "My Life, My Achievements", took the methodology developed for Samuel Colt as the basis of his work. The production steps include separate assembly for each item.

Ford introduced the standardization of the parts used, thereby reducing the overall assembly time, and also reduced the number of skilled workers on the tape. Now the assembly could be controlled by ordinary hard workers.

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 shops. Additional lines were connected to the main conveyor for the timely supply of the necessary elements during assembly.

By polishing the assembly process thanks to a single pipeline, Ford achieved an amazing result. Every 10 seconds at the exit there was a ready car on its way. Thus, the company managed to make a profit, reduce the final cost of a 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 Lisey." 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 just over $200 at the time. This model made it possible to occupy a niche in the market, covering the circle of people with an average monthly income in the country.

By introducing mass production at his factory, Ford was able to achieve an increase in daily wages for workers. All those who drink, play, have problems with the payment of alimony, have been convicted, and 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 the family and the law, believing that this is not his concern. For order on the assembly lines, Ford often resorted to the services of crime bosses, appointing them to look at the sites. The reputation-damaging method worked flawlessly. There were no fights and squabbles, the workers were engaged exclusively in the affairs that were part of their duties.

The next step was the division of the working day into three shifts, the transfer of production to a round-the-clock mode of operation. The eight-hour day was introduced by Henry Ford. His biography tells that he organized thereby several hundred jobs, so necessary for local residents.

A lot of interesting things happened in the life of such a person as Henry Ford. Biography, summary which cannot convey all the details, includes many interesting facts from his life. By the way, the inventor described his life in his writings.

No one expected that the book written by Henry Ford himself (biography on English language), will be distributed in such a circulation. It will become a kind of automotive bible.

Henry Ford would become America's first registered driver. Although at that moment the rules traffic didn't exist yet.

The first car sold by Ford cost $200.

The great designer firmly believed in the reincarnation of man. Answering questions, Henry Ford, whose biography is set out in the book, will talk about the soldier he was in a past life.

At his famous factory in war time equipment was collected for the Germans, who idolized Ford.

The first car was black. Not for the love of color, the shade was chosen, it just dries faster.

The first model is included in the top ten man-made items that have 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 trademark "Ford" had a registration record in the patent office. The image has changed slightly over the years, as Henry Ford himself wrote. A biography in English tells about a triangle with spread 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 buy out the remaining shares, and the company is completely taken over by the family. Ford Jr. becomes the head of production.

Crisis of Ford Motor Company

While Henry Ford, whose biography had not yet been completed, was resting in retirement, his son was undergoing a crisis. Outdated production, Model T was inferior to competitors in terms of technical characteristics. It was decided to close all Ford factories for restructuring and reconstruction of production facilities. However, at this time, in the leadership race, General Motors came out on top, which a little earlier took care of expanding the range of cars - for any wallet and status.

The released Model A was a failure as a result, the sales figure was low. Consumers wanted to see a faster engine, more modern design. In 1932, Ford launched the first monolithic eight-cylinder engine in history. It will take many years for other companies to implement their ideas for the safe start of such an engine. Henry Ford himself did not stay away from the implementation of the project, the biography of that period indicates his indirect involvement in a grandiose breakthrough.

War time

The discoverer of briquette coal was always negatively inclined towards military operations, therefore he openly declared his pacifist sentiments. What was the surprise of society when it became known about the beginning of military production at the Ford Motor base.

In 1942, the production of cars for civilians was stopped due to martial law. The massive campaign launched by Ford's son designed more than 50,000 military items in less than three years.

In 1943, Edsel Ford, his only son, died of cancer. This was the reason for the return to the post of head of Henry Ford.

Last years

The first automobile tycoon Henry Ford met his old age with dignity. Biography, a description of his life in his declining years confirm this.

Having transferred authority to his grandson, the brilliant engineer calmly retired and lived on his estate with his wife. He was awarded several honorary awards for his contribution to the automotive industry, 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 high level able to compete to this day.

Childhood with bolts and nuts in hand. A youth spent with dirty hands, always smelling of fuel oil. Not every boy dreams of such a life, but not Henry Ford. The originality of thinking, a peculiar analytical mindset, 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 for many a hope for their future. With faith in himself and the Vedic spiritual powers, he stubbornly built his ladder of glory. The Ford Motor company he created is today one of the leaders in the automotive industry.

Henry Ford has become a kind of symbol of an American successful businessman. All over the world he is known as the "father" of the most well-known brand cars. But besides this, he is also a writer, the author of many innovations in the field of manufacturing parts, as well as labor law.

Henry Ford was born into an Irish family. His grandfather at one time left this country and at his own peril and risk moved to America. His son (Henry Ford's father) became a farmer, and if not for the passion for cars, who knows: maybe Henry Ford also became just another person who works the land.

Childhood and youth

On his twelfth birthday, little Henry received a watch from his parents. He didn't rest until he took them apart. And then collected again. The mechanism was like new. This gave the boy the idea that the mechanism itself is worthless if he does not have a mechanic with golden hands. Therefore, it is not surprising that he soon figured out the clock mechanism and received his first money precisely thanks to this skill: he traveled around all the districts in search of broken mechanisms and repaired them with ease.

The second significant day was the one when Henry saw the locomobile. His childish imagination was shocked by a car that was moving faster than a team.

When he was 13 years old, his mother died, and four years later Henry Ford himself ran away from his parents' house - he terribly did not want to do the same thing as his father: run the household.

Therefore, Henry goes to Detroit - the future capital of the automotive industry. There he gets a job at Westinghouse as a mechanic. The company manufactures locomobiles, so it is not surprising that Henry himself will soon design his first model. He sold it to a farmer he knew for almost nothing - he did not calculate the effort and time expended.

And then the future business tycoon returns home. The father promised that he would give the indefatigable son-dreamer a piece of land if he puts out of his head strange ideas about cars. Henry agrees and ... deceives his father. The resulting land gives him the opportunity to marry his girlfriend and have a place where no one will stop him from working on his own "car".

Wife and muse: is it difficult to live with a genius

Henry Ford captivated his future wife, Clara Bryant, with her ability to dance beautifully and make clocks from a pile of scrap. And although the girl's parents were against the wedding, the quickly built house reassured them.

Clara supported her husband for many years in his desire to make a self-propelled carriage. She patiently served spare parts at night in the garage, often catching a cold from such "romantic" evenings. But she believed in Henry Ford like no one else.

Therefore, it is not surprising that when an already successful and wealthy businessman was asked what he would like to be in his next life, he repeated the same thing: “I don’t care if I can marry Clara again.”

The first steps and the birth of a giant company

In 1899, Ford became a co-owner of the Detroit Automobile Company, but due to frequent disagreements, he decided to leave after three years. And already in 1903, his Ford Motor Company appeared. The start of the business started with a scandal: in 1979, the author of the first car patented his project, but never implemented it. But he sued all the manufacturers with a claim that they should buy licenses from him. Ford refused. Then he was threatened that all his clients would be dragged through the courts. But Ford was at his best here too: he promised to personally pay his buyers for lawyers if claims were made against them. And although Ford lost the court, he won more: the respect and reputation of a man who puts the rights of buyers above his own.

In 1908, the Ford Motor Company released the revolutionary Model T, which brought the company success.

From War to War: Ford, Tanks, and the Jewish Question

Although Ford was an avid pacifist, during the First World War, his factories changed skills: they made tanks and prototype submarines, helmets and even gas masks. After the end of the war, Ford founded The Dearborn Independent, which, starting in May 1922, published a lot of anti-Semitic material. He did not hide his negative attitude to the Jews and the apotheosis of this was the book "International Jew", which included many articles from the newspaper.

It even got to the point that the future Fuhrer Adolf Hitler began to quote him. In his book Mein Kampf, he often referred to the thoughts of Henry Ford.

But after public condemnation and a significant decline in sales, Ford publicly apologized and retracted his words, and all publications of the International Jewry were withdrawn from sale and destroyed. Before the outbreak of World War II, he again repeated his apologies about the old words about the Jews. But during the war, his factories in Europe still collaborated with Nazi Germany.

New ideas and the last years of life

In 1925, Ford founded his own airline - Ford Airways, in the same year began to produce airliners. The most successful model was the Ford Trimotor, which was nicknamed the "iron goose". She stayed on the market until 1989.

Until the 1930s, Henry Ford personally led the company, but due to disagreements with partners, he transferred this position to his only son Edsel. But he died in 1943, so Ford headed the Ford Motor Company for another two years. After he handed over everything to his grandson

• Every year the prices for Ford cars did not grow, but decreased. Ford considered it unwise to pass on new costs to customers, so he looked for ways to make production more efficient.
• The factories of Henry Ford gladly took disabled people, even completely blind people. The company's specialists analyzed what kind of work one-armed and even legless people can do, and the first thing they took to such positions was them, and not completely healthy people.
• But women were reluctant to work at Ford factories. Only if she is the only breadwinner in the family. But as soon as she got married, she was immediately fired. Henry Ford believed that bringing money into the house was the lot of a husband, and a woman should raise children.
• Henry Ford is the inventor of the assembly line. In his factories, everything was precisely calculated: how much space each worker needed, and how many seconds they spent on this or that function. Neither time nor space was to be wasted. Ford believed that the first thing this would be reflected in the price of the car, and therefore - in the wallet of his customers.

Titles, awards and prizes:

In 1928, the Benjamin Franklin Institute awarded Ford the Elliot Cresson Medal for revolutionary achievements in the automotive industry and industrial leadership.

Henry Ford is an amazing story. short biography, quotes, outlook on life.

Henry Ford: a short biography

Inventor, major industrialist, mastermind and the founder of the Ford Motor Company, that is how the poor guy from Detroit will be remembered. Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863 in the family of an Irish native in the vicinity of Detroit, the village of Springfield. WITH younger age helped his father and mother with the housework, being the eldest of 6 children in the family. He received his first education in a rural school. At the age of 12, he got a job as an apprentice in a workshop to occupy his hands in his spare time. During this period, the first engineering and design inclinations of the future entrepreneur appeared - he made a steam engine.

At the age of 16, in 1876, he moved to Detroit in search of work.. Henry Ford managed to get a job as a mechanical engineer under the hand of the chief machinist at the Edison Electric Company. Indefatigable work led Henry Ford in 1887 to a convention in Atlantic City, where personal meeting with Thomas Edison with whom he shared his ideas. Henry Ford voiced ideas about internal combustion engines, expecting that Edison would only laugh at the young dreamer, but the scientist replied: “Keep working on your idea and you will achieve the goal you set. I predict a great future for you."

After such a powerful incentive, Henry Ford continues to work at the plant, soon receiving a managerial position, and in 1893 to become chief engineer. Now he was subject to the entire cycle of work and, although in 1899, after his dismissal from the company and an unsuccessful start - Henry Ford case went bankrupt– the inventor had a clear idea of ​​his future work.

1903 - the time of birth "Ford Motor. With the light hand of the author and 12 Michigan businessmen, an enterprise was opened headed by Henry Ford, vice president of the company and Alexander Malcolms, the main investor. In 1905, he became the sole owner due to differences of opinion with his partners, who did not want to invest in the development of cheap car models.

In 1913, the assembly line production of the first car models was opened., which turned not only the life of one person, but also marked a new world era. The main work of Henry Ford "My Life, My Achievements" became the source of philosophical research and a new political economy trend - Fordism.

After many years of cooperation with the Soviet Bureau in New York, he concluded a deal to sell the Fordson. In 1919 son Henry Ford, Edsel Bryan Ford, bought out part of the shares of other shareholders, after which the company became a family business. Son Henry died in 1943. ford, after which the company remained in the care of his father, and in September 1945 he handed it over to his grandson, Henry Ford II. The famous businessman died on April 7, 1947 in his own house in Dearborn.

Merit and memory:

• The book "My life, my work" (1922);
• "Tomorrow and Today" (1926);
• "Moving Forward" (1931);
• Ford Foundation - jointly with his son;
• Automotive Industry Achievement Award (May 1946);
• Gold Medal for Public Service from the American Petroleum Institute;

Henry Ford quotes:

• “Everything can be done better than it has been done so far”
• “Nothing seems impossible if you break it into small parts”
• "The only time a business person can borrow money with any certainty is when he doesn't need it."

“Think that you are capable of this or that accomplishment, or think that you are not capable - in any case, you will be right”

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Henry Ford is often called the "father" of the automotive industry, because he created a whole network automobile factories. Ford received 161 patents, so he is deservedly considered the greatest inventor. The industrialist devoted his life to the production of cheap cars and sought to provide everyone with a car. Henry Ford was the first to use the assembly line to mass-produce cars. The brainchild of a businessman, the Ford Motor Company, still operates today under the leadership of his descendants.

Childhood and youth

The future industrialist was born on July 30, 1863 on his father's farm near the town of Dearborn (Michigan). Parents William Ford and Marie Litogot emigrated to America from Ireland. The boy was brought up with three brothers and two sisters.

Father and mother worked hard on the farm and were considered wealthy people. But Henry was sure that in housekeeping there was much more work than the fruits of labor, so he did not seek to continue the work of his parents.

The boy was educated only in a church school and did not even learn to write without errors. When Ford became the head of the company, he could not correctly draw up a contract. Once in the newspaper, the industrialist was called "ignorant", because of which Ford sued the publication. But the inventor was sure that for a person the main thing is not literacy, but the ability to think.

At the age of 12, Henry lost his mother, and this event shocked the boy. At the same age, the future entrepreneur first saw a locomobile. Ford was delighted with the crew, moving under the action of the motor, and decided in the future to assemble a moving mechanism himself. But the father wanted Henry to become a farmer, so he was critical of the child's interest in mechanics.

At the age of 16, Ford went to Detroit and became an apprentice in a machine shop. Four years later, Henry returned to the farm, where he worked on the farm during the day and invented inventions at night. To make his father's daily work easier, Ford created a threshing machine that ran on gasoline. Given the demand for such equipment, a buyer was soon found. Henry sold a patent for an invention, and then got a job in the company of this famous entrepreneur.

Business

In 1891, Ford again went to Detroit to become a mechanical engineer for Thomas Edison's company. Henry held this position until 1899, but in his spare time he continued to work on the creation of the machine. Ford did not just do what he loved, but lived with the idea of ​​​​creating an affordable car. In 1893, Henry managed to achieve a result - he designed his first car.

The management of the Edison company did not support the employee's hobbies and recommended that incredible ideas be abandoned. Instead, in 1899, the future industrialist left his job and became one of the owners of the Detroit Automobile Company. But even here the guy did not stay long and left the company three years later due to differences of opinion with other co-owners.

At this time, the invention of a young entrepreneur was not in great demand. To attract the attention of customers, Ford drove around the city in his car. At the same time, Henry was often ridiculed and called "obsessed" from Begley Street. But the guy was not afraid of failure and despised the fear of losing. In 1902, Ford participated in auto racing and managed to get ahead of the reigning US champion. The task of the inventor was to advertise the car and demonstrate its dignity, and the guy achieved the desired result.

In 1903, the aspiring businessman created the Ford Motor Company and began manufacturing Ford A cars. The inventor wanted to provide customers with a universal machine that would be reliable and economical. Gradually, Ford made the design of the car much simpler, standardized various mechanisms and parts. The inventor was the first to use a conveyor belt for the production of machines, which was a real innovation. A talented businessman has achieved a breakthrough in the automotive industry and has taken a leading position in this industry.

Henry Ford was not afraid of difficulties and fought even the strongest opponent. When Ford Motor ran into a car syndicate, the young entrepreneur fought back. Back in 1879, George Selden received a patent for a car project, but did not implement it. When other companies took up the production of cars, the inventor began to go to court. After the first case won, a number of firms bought licenses from him and created an association of car manufacturers.

Trial against Ford began in 1903 and lasted until 1911. The industrialist refused to buy a license and promised protection to his clients. In 1909, Ford lost the case, but after reviewing the case, the court ruled that all automakers acted within the law and did not violate Selden's patent rights, as they used a different engine design. As a result, the association of automakers broke up, and Ford won the glory of a fighter for the interests of buyers.

Success came to the talented inventor in 1908 with the launch of the Ford T. The brainchild of Ford was distinguished by a simple finish, affordable price and practicality. I even chose this car, converted into an ambulance.

Henry Ford car "Ford-T" model

Sales of the Ford Motor Company grew rapidly, because Ford cars were of high quality, but inexpensive. At the same time, the cost of the Ford T fell over the years: if in 1909 the price of a car was $ 850, then in 1913 it fell to $ 550.

In 1910, Henry Ford built the Highland Park plant. Three years later, the assembly line began to be used here. First, the generator was assembled, and then the engine. The assembly of each engine was carried out by several dozen workers who performed individual operations and this reduced the production time. A moving platform was also used, as a result of which the chassis was made in half the time. Such experiments affected many aspects of the production process, increasing its productivity and efficiency.

Gradually, the industrialist bought mines, coal mines and opened new factories. So Ford achieved a complete production cycle: from ore mining to the production of finished cars. As a result, the businessman created an entire empire, which did not depend on other companies and foreign trade. In 1914, Ford produced 10 million cars, or 10% of all cars in the world.

Henry Ford sought to improve working conditions in factories. From 1914 the wages of workers increased to $5 a day. But in order to receive such money, employees were obliged to spend it wisely. If the earnings were spent on drinking, then the worker was fired.

The enterprises set the mode of operation in three shifts of 8 hours, instead of two of 9 hours. The entrepreneur also introduced one day off and paid vacation. Although the workers were required to maintain strict discipline, good conditions attracted thousands of people, and Ford did not lack personnel. However, until 1941, the factories of the American industrialist had a ban on trade unions.

In the early 1920s, Ford was selling more cars than all of its competitors combined. Of the ten cars sold in the United States, seven are manufactured by Ford. During this period, the industrialist began to be called the "automobile king."

Since 1917, the United States participated in the war as part of the Entente. Then the factories of Henry Ford were engaged in the implementation of military orders and produced helmets, gas masks, submarines and tanks. But the entrepreneur emphasized that he did not want to make money on the bloodshed and promised to return the profit to the treasury. Ford's patriotic impulse was warmly welcomed by compatriots, which raised the authority of the industrialist.

After the war, the talented inventor faced new problem- a drop in Ford-T sales. Ford Motor's stock was limited, and the customer wanted variety. Ford's statement that he could offer a car of any color, if that color was black, corresponded to reality, but no longer met the needs of the market. The entrepreneur was betting on affordability by selling cars on credit, but rival General Motors offered a variety of models and pulled ahead.

Sales plummeted, and in 1927 Ford was threatened with bankruptcy. Then the inventor stopped the production process and started creating a new car. Ford was also assisted by his son, who was involved in the design of the car. In the same year, the industrialist presented the Ford-A model, which was distinguished by its spectacular appearance and improved technical specifications. These innovations restored Ford's leadership position in the automotive market.

Henry Ford's 1927 Ford A

Back in 1925, the entrepreneur decided to create an airline, which was called "Ford Airways". Then Ford bought the firm of William Stout and began to produce airliners. Subsequently, the Ford Trimotor was especially popular. This passenger aircraft was in mass production during 1927-1933. 199 copies were produced, which were operated until 1989.

In the 1920s, Henry Ford maintained economic relations with the USSR. The first Soviet tractor series production The Fordson-Putilovets, presented in 1923, was created on the basis of the Fordson tractor. During 1929-1932, Ford Motor employees contributed to the construction and reconstruction of factories in Moscow and Gorky.

Aircraft Henry Ford "Ford Trimotor"

In the early years of the Great Depression, the Ford company was confidently afloat, but in 1931 the crisis affected Ford Motor. Falling sales and increased competition forced Ford to close some factories again and cut wages for the remaining workers. The indignant crowd began to break through to the Rouge plant, the police dispersed the people only with the help of weapons.

Once again, Ford found a way out of a difficult situation thanks to a new invention. The industrialist presented the "Ford V 8" - a sports car, the speed of which reached 130 km / h. The new product allowed the company to resume full-fledged work and increase sales.

Political views and antisemitism

There are several pages in the biography of Henry Ford that caused condemnation among contemporaries. So, back in 1918, the inventor bought The Dearborn Independent and two years later began to spread anti-Semitic ideas. In 1920, a number of publications on this subject were combined into one book - International Jewry. Subsequently, Ford's ideas and publications were actively used by the Nazis to influence the younger generation.

In 1921, 119 prominent US citizens, including three presidents, spoke out against the views of the inventor. In 1927, Ford admitted his mistakes and published a letter of apology to the media.

The entrepreneur kept in touch with the NSDAP and even provided financial support to the Nazis. admired Ford and kept a portrait of the inventor in the Munich residence. In the book "My Struggle" only one American is mentioned - Henry Ford. In the Nazi-occupied city of Poissy (France), since 1940, the Henry Ford factory has been operating, producing cars and aircraft engines.

Personal life

In 1887, Henry Ford married Clara Bryant, the daughter of a simple farmer. "Automobile King" lived with Clara amicably and happily. The wife became a reliable support for a talented inventor. Bryant believed in her husband when the townspeople laughed at him and criticized colleagues. Once in an interview, Ford said that he would like to live another life only if he could marry Clara again.

The couple had only one son, Edsel (1893-1943), who later became his father's chief assistant. There were frequent disputes between Henry Ford and Edsel, but this did not prevent them from friendly relations and collaboration. The father was a teetotaler who loved country dances and bird watching, while his son preferred modern art, jazz, noisy parties and cocktails.

Death

The Car King ran Ford Motor until the 1930s, after which he handed control over to Edsel. The reason for the departure of the businessman from the management of the company was conflicts with partners and trade union organizations. Since 1919, Ford's son has been acting president, so he fully coped with the new powers. After the death of his son in 1943 from stomach cancer, the old industrialist again led the automobile empire.

But advanced years did not allow Ford to manage the company at the proper level, and therefore, two years later, he ceded the reins of power to his grandson, Henry Ford II. The outstanding inventor died on April 7, 1947 from a cerebral hemorrhage. At that time, Ford was 83 years old.

"Automobile King" managed to realize a childhood dream, leaving behind one of the largest automotive companies in the world. At the same time, the main task of the industrialist was not to earn money, but to improve people's lives with the help of his favorite pastime - the invention and production of cars.

After himself, Henry Ford left his autobiography "My Life, My Achievements", in which he vividly described the methods of organizing labor at the enterprise. The ideas presented in this book have been adopted by many companies, and quotes from the statements of the inventor remain relevant today.

Back in 1928, the businessman received the Elliot Cresson Medal for achievements in the automotive industry. The history of Ford's life and achievements is the subject of many books and films. So, in 1987, Allan Eastmans' film "Ford: Man-Machine" was released in Canada, telling about the inventor as one of the symbols of America.

Quotes

• “If you have enthusiasm, you can do anything. Enthusiasm is the basis of any progress."
• “When it seems that the whole world is against you, remember that the plane takes off against the wind!”
• “My secret to success lies in the ability to understand the point of view of another person and look at things from both his and my own points of view”
• "Quality is doing something right, even when no one is watching"
• “If you require someone to give his time and energy to a cause, then make sure that he does not experience financial difficulties”
• “Only two incentives make people work: the desire for wages and the fear of losing it”

Henry Ford from childhood was fond of technology, disassembled and assembled mechanisms. He saw a steam locomobile on the streets of Detroit, since then the car has become the meaning of his existence. A self-moving carriage turned the mind of a young man who was destined for the future of an ordinary American farmer.

But Henry Ford disobeyed his parents and did his own thing: at the age of 16, he ran away from home during adult life, worked, assembled the first car on his knees and drove around on it around the neighborhood, scaring horses and passers-by.

Two years later, he improved the transmission belts, and created another, lighter model. In 1899, he became head of a car manufacturing company. He was 36 years old. But sales were not going well, investors were nervous and looking for a way out. The plan for the transition to a new standard, from which Cadillac would subsequently grow, Henry Ford would not like. He had his own vision of the car, which was distinguished by simplicity and affordability.

At 40, he will create a company named after himself with an investment of $28,000. In ten years, the millionth car will roll off the assembly line: the legendary Ford T, which became the most popular among Americans in the 20s. Its price was less than one thousand dollars, and over the years has decreased to 250. The industrialist acted globally: he invested profits in new industries around the world.

The provincial billionaire died at the age of 83 in 1947. His family still owns the company. Ford Motor Company is one of the five largest manufacturers.

Against all odds

Henry was born in large family emigrants from Ireland who settled in the suburbs of Detroit and were engaged in farming. Mary Litogot was 27 years old when she gave birth to her son Henry in 1863. The father of the child, William Ford, was thirteen years older than his wife and had an authoritarian character. Maybe he inherited Irish industriousness and excitable temperament, but all the children got it from him: Henry did not like the monotonous work around the house and in the field, he often ran to a neighbor to help repair equipment. His father desperately sculpted a farmer out of him, his mother protected the guy. She lived a short life, died at 37. Henry was 13. As soon as he graduated church school, decided to move to Detroit, which would soon become the home of the most popular cars in America.

He worked at the factory of the famous entrepreneur George Westinghouse in a locomotive repair shop. Heavy and uncomfortable machines for rural needs, they were not affordable for many. Henry was thinking about the creation of light steam technology, capable of plowing endless fields instead of a person. Of course, he thought about his father and that after his departure, the large farm lost one more labor hand. It was not the car that reconciled them, but the marriage of the unlucky son to the farmer's daughter Clara Bryant.

They met in country club: she was 17, he was 20 years old. The father gave the newlyweds four dozen acres of land, in the hope that now he would settle down and take up a truly masculine business, and not some incomprehensible machines. But Henry secretly builds his first internal combustion engine car, which travels on bicycle wheels. He rode it for almost two days and believed that the experiment was a success.

Soon he and Clara leave their home, and again go to Detroit. The wife did not argue with her husband, she will always support him, and he will often tell how lucky he was with her.

He was hired as an engineer by the Detroit Electric Company owned by Thomas Edison.

They meet at an event in New York where young man will be introduced to an already well-known inventor as the creator of a car with a gas tank. Edison is 16 years older than Ford, but from the first days of their acquaintance they will remain friends and exchange ideas. For example, they come up with fuel cells together, and then Edison will design the first car batteries. Will later become a partner in the search for an alternative to rubber tyres. Naturally, they are passionate about cars, each of them was well versed in them.

Henry Ford in many years will buy a house next to his friend, and they will walk together like a neighbor until last day Edison's life.

And in 1899, three years after joining Edison's firm, Ford quit and created his own company, the Detroit Automobile Company. It will be a difficult two years and continuous losses. Two years later, he offers his partners a reorganization, a change in signage and a reduction in the cost of products. But the Henry Ford Company again falls short of expectations. The plant does not make a profit, the shareholders do not want to reduce the price tag. They hire a new man, Henry Leland, with a reputation for being a tough engine specialist.

Two Henrys had exactly opposite views on the organization of the plant. Ford increasingly began to feel unnecessary to the company, he took the new development project, the rights to the company name and left. Cadillac will be created on the basis of Ford's initiative. And Henry Ford will not give up his goal of making a car for every American, find partners and, with a capital of $ 28,000, establish the company that will lay the foundation for a giant industrial corporation known throughout the world.

And Leland will not be forgotten by them. In the 1920s, his enterprise Lincoln Motor Company would be on the verge of bankruptcy and it would be bought out by the prosperous Ford at the suggestion of his twenty-nine-year-old son Edsel.

Leland will be overboard, just like his namesake once was.

Ford Motor Company

In 1903, Henry builds a future empire. The goal is to produce a car for the middle class, as light and fast as possible. Quantity - the more the better. He completely overhauls the economy of production, introduces standards for parts and mechanisms, launches the assembly line and pays workers the highest in the automotive industry. wages. The in-line assembly cycle and low price turned out to be a winning move, Ford is making initial progress.

Five years later, his development of the Ford T brings good luck: the model is popular, and it is stamped in a million copies. A year later, the market favorite costs $850, after three years its price drops by $300. Six years after the launch of the T, the ten millionth car enters production. Ten percent of the market belongs to him. By the end of 1914, the number of dealers had exceeded seven thousand all over the world, including enterprises using Ford's technology that worked in Russia.

A successful industrialist raises the wages of workers by five dollars and prepares for the transition to an eight-hour day. Competitors do not understand his actions: why encourage a day off, if more can be squeezed out of a staff unit. Ford valued employees, qualified employees came to him, saying goodbye to the companies of his competitors. For his workers, he introduced a flexible system of payments for the purchase of a car.

High earnings made it possible to provide almost the entire team with the most popular Ford-T model. The head of the company redeems all the share of shareholders and becomes the sole owner of his offspring. In 1919, he passes the presidency to his only son, Edsel.

By the early 1920s, out of ten cars Americans bought, seven were Ford Ts. Henry becomes the unspoken "car king" and confirms this title by buying up the production required to produce his car, up to coal and ore mines. This made it possible to become independent from suppliers. In addition, in 1925, a small plane takes off with the inscription "Ford" on the side. The airline created by the magnate will produce almost 200 aircraft.

And Ford on earth with minimal changes to the original model brought fabulous money to its author until 1928.

Since that time, sales have plummeted, with General Motors and Chrysler taking the lead. Competitors called him "T" yesterday and scoffed.

He takes the decision to temporarily stop production, and throws all his strength into the development of a new model. Almost simultaneously with the beginning of the period of the American depression, the Ford A comes out in the economy: it has brake pads on wheels, hydraulics and a protective windshield. All these innovations were persuaded to introduce Excel Ford into production and the father did not immediately, but obeyed.

If not for the crisis, then this model would have sold out as well as the previous copy.

On military lines

On the eve of the Great Patriotic War Ford cars occupied twenty percent of the American market. In Germany, his business was becoming more and more in demand, the Nazis were preparing to attack the USSR, and they needed military equipment. Henry Ford quickly refocused production: he did not want to miss out on profits. In France, on the territory occupied by the Nazis, his plant will produce aircraft engines, trucks and cars, tracked vehicles.

A large contribution to Hitler's party will allow the industrialist to maintain and increase his business. It was said that the head of the Nazis preferred his model to others. Back in the 30s, a portrait of a successful entrepreneur was allegedly seen on the wall in Hitler's office. And in 1938 he was awarded the prestigious " Grand Cross Golden Eagle" for foreigners.

In 1943, at the height of the war between Germany and the USSR, the magnate turned 80 years old. He returns to the chair of the company's president in connection with the death of his son. Edsel died at the age of 49 from cancer. He is survived by his wife Eleanor and four children. The elder William, named after his grandfather, will be at the helm of the company in two years. He will join the board of directors after the death of his grandfather and will head the financial committee until 2005.

The death of the head of the corporation will occur from a cerebral hemorrhage in early April 1947. Next to him will be his faithful wife Clara, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Several books have been written about the successful billionaire and his life path. One of them, which tells about wartime, says that Ford repented of his actions when he saw a film about Nazi atrocities and concentration camps.

Ford Motor Company is still competing with General Motors, losing a little to her in capitalization. Ford's empire is valued on the market at about $60 billion and is still controlled by Ford's heirs, who own 40 percent of the shares.