Ford's Moving Assembly Line

What happened

In 1913, at his Highland Park plant in Michigan, Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line to build the Model T. Bringing the work to the worker on a moving chain cut the time to assemble a car from over twelve hours to about ninety minutes, and the plant's output soared.

Why it matters

Mass production slashed the price of the automobile and put it within reach of ordinary families, and the moving assembly line became the template for modern manufacturing worldwide.

Sources

• Library of Congress. Ford Implements the Moving Assembly Line · Primary source