Who was Henry Ford?

Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company. He invented the Quadricycle, the first "horseless carriage" that he produced. Its popularity helped fund and launch Ford's business, and the new Ford Motor Company was founded 7 years later, on 16 June 1903.

Ford used the assembly line concept to build his cars relatively cheaply, and revolutionized transportation by making automobiles affordable to the common man, and not just to the rich, as had been the case previously. His mass production methods included the use of completely interchangeable parts. His massive River Rouge plant began with raw materials (e.g. iron) and produced finished cars.

Ford's other innovation was to pay the then unheard of high wage of $5 a day. He believed that the producers of his automobiles should be able to afford to buy them.