Ford introduced the moving assembly line that transformed automobile mass production. The breakthrough began operating at Ford’s Highland Park plant in Michigan in 1913, initially for the Model T.
Ford did not invent every form of assembly-line production. Ransom Olds had used a stationary assembly-line method for the Oldsmobile Curved Dash from 1901, and industrial manufacturers had long divided work into specialized stages. Ford’s major innovation was combining standardized, interchangeable parts with a continuously moving conveyor and tightly sequenced worker stations.
The method dramatically reduced Model T assembly time. Chassis assembly eventually fell to about 93 minutes, compared with many hours under earlier methods. Ford could therefore lower prices and produce cars in volumes that made automobile ownership accessible to a much larger American middle class.
The system also changed factory work. Jobs became highly repetitive and were paced by the line, contributing to worker turnover. Ford responded in 1914 with a famous five-dollar daily wage for qualifying workers. The company’s approach became known as Fordism and was copied across industries worldwide.