In three minutes, witness the revolution in mass production.
Are you up for a journey back in time? No doubt you’ve heard about Henry Ford’s assembly-line. Ford did not invent it. However, he did refine it by setting it up and bringing the product to workers. While it’s easy to read about the invention, seeing it in action gives you a new perspective.
This cool look at motoring’s early days can be credited to Boss Tweed, Vimeo. This video shows the Ford Model T’s final assembly at the Highland Park assembly plant in Detroit circa 1915. It is worth noting that the video does not include the sub-assembly work taking place in other areas of this sprawling, 102-acre complex. Ford was able to build a new Model T every 90 seconds thanks to this moving assembly line. The cost of the Model T dropped to below $300 due its efficiency.
This video may look familiar to Motor1.com users. It’s because it is based upon a well-known image by David Kimble, an automotive cutaway artist. We took a close look at Kimble’s Model T factory sketch in 2017. This was done using archived footage and photos from the old plant. Unfortunately, there was no video footage of the Model T being built. This recreation allowed for a continuous view of the final production moving from one station to another.
This is exactly what we see. But it takes three minutes instead of 90. There are also some surprises, such as seeing the dash and steering wheels installed before the body is added. This is something that you won’t find in modern vehicle assembly. However, it is still a surprise that the final testing is done before the body is added. There isn’t much left for testing at this point, as there are no electric windows, door locks or roofs.
It is amazing to see how much has happened in the 100 years since this assembly plant was first established. The Model T would eventually produce 15 million units, but Highland Park’s plant continued to operate long after its demise. It manufactured tractors and tanks in World War II. It will always be remembered for the Model T. This is why it was designated a National Historic Landmark back in 1978.