Before finding huge success, Henry Ford actually tried and failed twice to start an automotive company. In mid-June 1903, he tried for a third time. He gathered a group of twelve stockholders, including the Dodge brothers, Horace and John, to officially sign the papers and form the Ford Motor Company. One of the investors, Albert Strelow, owned a small wooden factory building on Mack Street, now Mack Avenue, in Detroit. He rented it to the new company, and a small assembly room measuring 250 by 50 feet became Ford’s very first factory.
Inside this small building, small groups of two or three men worked together to assemble each car by hand. That summer, they began working on the company’s very first vehicle, the Ford Model A.
The first official order was for Dr. Ernst Pfenning, a dentist from Chicago. Dr. Pfenning paid $850 for a red Model A. His car came with simple controls operated by a foot pedal, a bench seat, and no top. However, he paid extra to add a “tonneau,” which was a backseat.
Designed mostly by Ford’s assistant, C. Harold Wills, the Model A was a hit. Its biggest selling point was its two-cylinder, eight-horsepower engine. At the time, it was the most powerful engine found in a passenger car, and it could reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
Just over a week after ordering it, Dr. Pfenning’s car was delivered to him. Dr. Pfenning was just the first of many. His order saved the company from running out of cash and helped Ford start on its path to making a profit. Within two months, Ford sold 215 cars. By the end of its first year, around 1,000 vehicles were delivered to their owners.
Today, Ford remains one of the most well-known vehicle manufacturers in the world.
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