The history of Henry Ford: Career, life, and death

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, January 19, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This Day in Automotive History, Henry Ford died at the age of 83 from a cerebral hemorrhage in his Fair Lane Estate, Dearborn, Michigan, on April 7, 1947.

Born on July 30, 1863, Henry was greatly interested in mechanics. He built his first shop using scraps at age 12, and by age 15, he had constructed his first steam engine. Henry became a machinist’s apprentice in Detroit under James F. Flower and Brothers shop and after his apprenticeship, he began his professional career in July 1981 as an engineer in the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit.

While working as the chief engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company, Henry’s

interest in internal combustion engines led him to build Ford’s first gasoline-powered car called the Quadricycle in June 1896. The Quadricycle was a four-bicycle wheel powered by a two-cylinder 4hp gasoline engine. Henry later resigned from Edison Illuminating Company on August 19, 1899, to open his first company - Detroit Automobile Company which later became bankrupt after 18months.

Unfazed by his company’s closure, Henry continued to build racing cars, and in 1901, he founded his second company, the Henry Ford Company. But Henry would later leave the company due to consistent disagreement between himself and the investors in 1902. And the company was later renamed the Cadillac Motor Car Company. Henry established his third automobile venture, the Ford Motor Company with 12 other investors on June 16, 1903. On July 15, 1903, the company built and assembled its first car, Model A, at the Mack Avenue plant in Detroit. Ford’s dedication to building an efficient and affordable vehicle led to the manufacturing and debut of the Model T in October 1908.

The Model T brought great recognition and sales to the brand and was Ford’s most popular car that recorded up to 150million sales worldwide. It was also the first car to be mass-produced at the world’s first assembly line built by Ford in 1913. Henry was often lauded for his contributions to the automotive industry, and he received the first Gold Medal award from the American Petroleum Institute in 1946. 52 years after his death, Ford was named the Businessman of the Century by Fortune Magazine in 1999. Henry Ford is known for his success in the automotive industry as well as his commitment towards a better workplace for all workers.