On December 1, 1913, Henry Ford revolutionized the car-making industry with the first moving assembly line. Heretofore, cars were hand-made in a slow, arduous and painstaking process. Although the Ford brand had been around since 1903, this assembly line became one of its defining innovations, improving speed tremendously.
Congrats @Ford for being named one of the MOST trusted brands in America! https://t.co/QkdEKexq6n pic.twitter.com/uo2MdDjPbo
— Reader's Digest (@readersdigest) September 23, 2016
Why was the assembly line so important?
Simple: it drastically reduced the time it took to make an automobile. Experts believe that it reduced the time from 12 hours to two hours and 30 minutes. This allowed Ford to increase quantity and lower the price.
Ford also increased wages, which was a very popular move with labor unions. Eventually, Ford's own employees could afford to purchase the motorcars they had made.
You also must remember this important date: 1913. World War I started in 1914 and Ford’s innovation was also useful for war production.
Perhaps, Ford helped America win the World War.