Which company introduced the first moving assembly line for mass-producing automobiles in 1913?

Ford Motor Company introduced the first moving assembly line for mass-producing automobiles in 1913. The system was developed for the Ford Model T at the Highland Park plant in Michigan.

Ford’s moving line began operating on 7 October 1913. Instead of having workers move around a stationary car, conveyor belts brought the chassis through a sequence of specialized stations. Each employee performed a limited, repeated task, creating a much faster and more predictable production process.

The method reduced Model T chassis assembly time to about 93 minutes, compared with roughly 12½ hours under earlier production methods. Higher output allowed Ford to lower prices, helping turn the automobile from a luxury purchase into a product affordable to much of the American middle class.

Henry Ford is often described as the sole inventor, but the system evolved through the work of Ford employees including Charles E. Sorensen, Peter E. Martin, Clarence Avery, and C. Harold Wills. Ransom Olds had used an earlier stationary assembly-line concept, so Ford’s key breakthrough was the moving line applied to large-scale automobile production.