When you see a Ford vehicle, you think Ford tough or some other mantra that is ingrained into the psyche of the American public. The Ford Motor Company has been around for way longer than most of us can remember. We hear all the time that Henry Ford invented the automobile, which by the way isn’t entirely true. We drive Fords or know someone who does. We watched as Ford Mustangs and Ford trucks took on every challenge we could throw at them, and while we think we know Ford, we may not be as familiar with the company as we think. Here are five factoids you probably didn’t know about Ford.
- Ford did not invent the Assembly Line: Henry Ford did not invent the assembly line or the car itself, even though he is often credited with such. Slaughterhouses were already using a form of assembly line production. Ford used that process as a starting point and applied engineering technology and we have the mass production assembly line of factories all over the world today. By using the assembly line and mass production Ford did produce a car that was affordable for almost every person. Up to that point in time, cars had been highly luxurious items that were only enjoyed by the super-rich.
- Henry Ford and Thomas Edison: Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were the best of friends. They were peers of significant intelligence and often spent time together. They even owned vacation homes right next door to each other in Florida. Always the scientist and inventor, Ford was even present at the death of Edison and captured his dying breaths in a test tube.
- A lot of Cars: Ford Motor Company is the second largest car manufacturer in the United States and fifth worldwide. Ford makes a lot of cars! Ford is even part owner in several car companies throughout the world that you would have never imagined: Troller, Mazda, and Aston Martin are all partially owned by Ford. Then also have partnerships with other companies in smaller countries as well.
- Charlie Brown: Ford Motor Company is probably responsible for the mass popularity of Charlie Brown and Snoopy! While Charlie Brown and company was still just a comic strip, Ford Motor Company used them in a live animation television commercial in 1963. It was such a hit that later that year the first television special was aired, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
- Fair Wages: When the company was still young and taking off by making a ton of money, Henry Ford realized that his workers were only making about 50 cents a day. This was unsettling to Ford, and he increased wages for workers substantially giving them fair wages. The other major car manufacturers waited years before they followed Ford’s lead.
These five factoids you probably didn’t know about Ford Motor Company make you realize the rich history behind such an American company and the man who founded it.
