Biography

Ford was born of Irish immigrant parents in Dearborn, Michigan. His education was nominal, but he displayed a high mechanical aptitude, which he developed as an apprentice on leaving school.

By the 1921 he had established the largest automobile company in the world, employing 80,000 people in his main factory and selling one and a quarter million units.

As a businessman he believed in vertical integration, and owned all his own coal mines, steel mills and power plants – he even tried to grow rubber in Brazil. He also introduced the conveyor belt to car manufacturing.

As the owner of the business, he believed it was his right to manage as he pleased. His maxim was that the customer could have any colour he wanted, providing it was black.

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