October 7 was a great day for Ford (and the whole automotive industry actually) 100 years ago, when Henry Ford and his team fired up the world’s first moving assembly line.
Used to built the iconic Model T, Ford’s moving assembly line dropped assembly time for a single vehicle from 12 hours to only 90 minutes, allowing the company to drop the car’s price from $850 to less than $300. The Model T became the first affordable automobile and sold more than 15 million examples worldwide.
To further build on its legacy, the Blue Oval company is expanding its advanced manufacturing capabilities and introducing new technologies that will help the automaker roll out more than six million vehicles per year beyond 2013, Ford announced today, adding that it will open seven new facilities over the next couple of years in China, Brazil, India and Russia.
“One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather had a vision to build safe and efficient transportation for everyone,” said Ford executive chairman Bill Ford. “I am proud he was able to bring the freedom of mobility to millions by making cars affordable to families and that his vision of serving people still drives everything we do today.”
“Henry Ford’s core principles of quality parts, workflow, division of labor and efficiency still resonate today,” said John Fleming, Ford executive vice president of global manufacturing. “Building on that tradition, we’re accelerating our efforts to standardize production, make factories more flexible and introduce advanced technologies to efficiently build the best vehicles possible at the best value for our customers no matter where they live.”
To further build on its legacy, the Blue Oval company is expanding its advanced manufacturing capabilities and introducing new technologies that will help the automaker roll out more than six million vehicles per year beyond 2013, Ford announced today, adding that it will open seven new facilities over the next couple of years in China, Brazil, India and Russia.
“One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather had a vision to build safe and efficient transportation for everyone,” said Ford executive chairman Bill Ford. “I am proud he was able to bring the freedom of mobility to millions by making cars affordable to families and that his vision of serving people still drives everything we do today.”
“Henry Ford’s core principles of quality parts, workflow, division of labor and efficiency still resonate today,” said John Fleming, Ford executive vice president of global manufacturing. “Building on that tradition, we’re accelerating our efforts to standardize production, make factories more flexible and introduce advanced technologies to efficiently build the best vehicles possible at the best value for our customers no matter where they live.”