History and Impact of the Automobile

At the heart of the early automobile age lies the story of Henry Ford, his automobile empire, and the development of the Ford Model T. In fact, the Model T became almost synonymous with the word automobile, and had a profound impact on both American culture and business. Ford's methods in mass production and wagelabor, although hotly debated at the time, clearly set the stage for modern industrialization in America.

Henry Ford was born in 1863, but remained relatively unknown until 1901, when he became a famous racing car driver in the early years of that sport. After two failed beginnings in the auto industry, in 1903 Ford founded the company which still bears his name. By 1913, Henry Ford had made his fortune, became one of the dominant leaders in the newly developed industry, and made international news when he more than doubled

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). The year's total did exceed the projected challenge, and the Ford Motor Company, true to its word, mailed out at least $15 million dollars in refunds (Clymer, p. 35). Throughout the rest of the decade, sales of Model T's continued to increase. The car was found in cities, on farms, as military transports, and even "souped" up with after market luxuries. By the mid 1920s, however, sales of Model T's were declining. This was primarily due to the increase in competitors, cheaper technology that allowed other automobile firms to mass produce and add more features, and the public's gradual tiring of the "same old car" (Lewis, 1976, p. 193). During the duo decade of the Model T, though, its impact on American culture and life was enormous. The Model T forever changed American attitudes, both toward Ford and the industry as a whole. The Model T had entered into almost every stratum of American life. It was often the brunt of jokes, since its simplicity and lack of pretense often made it look schoolboyish. Besides this simplicity, the Model T lasted longer on the average (8 as opposed to 6.3 years) than many of its higher priced competitors (Lewis, 1976, p. 195). This was partially due to the fact that the Model T could b
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Approximate Word count = 1699
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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