[Side view of a Ford sedan with four passengers and a woman getting in on the driver's side]

Ford Company is an American automaker and the world's fifth largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. Based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the automaker was founded by Henry Ford, on June 16, 1903.

Henry Ford built his first automobile, which he called a quadricycle, at his home in Detroit in 1896. His first company called Detroit Automobile Company, founded in 1899 but failed soon. On June 16, 1903, the Ford Motor Company was incorporated. During its early years, the company produced a range of vehicles designated, chronologically, from the Ford Model A (1903) to the Model K and Model S of 1907. In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T. By 1913, Ford introduced the world's first moving assembly line that year, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12 1⁄2 hours in October to 2 hours 40 minutes (and ultimately 1 hour 33 minutes), and boosted annual output to 202,667 units that year. By 1920, production exceeds one million a year. Turnover of workers was very high. In January 1914, Ford solved the problem by doubling pay to $5 a day, cutting shifts from nine hours to an eight-hour day. It increased sales: a line worker could buy a T with less than four months' pay, and instituting hiring practices that identified the best workers, including disabled people, considered unemployable by other firms. Employee turnover plunged, productivity soared, and with it, the cost per vehicle plummeted. Ford cut prices again and again and invented the system of franchised dealers who were loyal to his brand name. Wall Street had criticized Ford's generous labor practices when he began paying workers enough to buy the products they made.

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The Ford Model T, also known as the Tin Lizzie, was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. It is considered one of the most important automobiles in history, revolutionising transportation and mass production. The Model T was the first affordable car for the average American. It was designed to be simple, reliable and easy to maintain. The car had a 2.9-litre, four-cylinder engine that produced 20 horsepower. It could reach a top speed of about 45 miles per hour. One of the key innovations of the Model T was the use of interchangeable parts, which allowed for efficient mass production. Ford introduced the assembly line, reducing the time it took to build a car from 12 hours to just 93 minutes. This made the Model T more affordable and accessible to the general public. The Model T was available in several body styles, including two-seater runabouts, four-seater tourers and sedans. It became immensely popular and quickly dominated the car market. By 1914 Ford was producing more than 300,000 Model Ts a year, accounting for half of all cars in the United States. The Model T had a significant impact on society and the economy. It provided affordable transportation for the masses, allowing people to travel longer distances and explore new opportunities. It also played a role in rural development by connecting isolated areas to urban centres. Over time, however, the Model T faced increasing competition from other car manufacturers offering more advanced features and designs. In 1927 Ford discontinued production of the Model T and introduced the Model A as its successor. Despite its eventual obsolescence, the Ford Model T remains an iconic symbol of the early automotive industry and a testament to Henry Ford's vision of making cars accessible to everyone.