The Car That Changed America
Ford has introduced countless models over the years, yet the Model T – unveiled in the early 1900s – remains iconic to this day. It stands among the best-selling cars of all time, alongside the Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Beetle. But before the Model T achieved legendary status, company founder Henry Ford endured two failed business ventures roughly 125 years ago, fighting to bring his vision of an affordable car for the masses to life.
After building his first vehicle – the Quadricycle – in 1896, Henry Ford left the Edison Illuminating Company three years later to co-found the Detroit Automobile Company, where he served as chief engineer. He soon realized the cars were too slow to produce, which caused the company to struggle financially. In 1901, stockholders ultimately decided to dissolve the business.
A Vision in Conflict
His second failed venture was the Henry Ford Company, established shortly after he secured financial backing following a race victory at a track in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe in October 1901. However, internal conflicts – particularly over the direction of the company and its focus on building race cars – led Ford to leave. After his departure, the company was reorganized and eventually renamed Cadillac.
A year later, Henry Ford partnered with several investors to establish Ford Motor Company. Before the Model T debuted in 1908, the company introduced models such as the Model A and the Model K – the latter aimed at wealthier buyers. The Model T marked Ford’s mass market breakthrough and, over nearly two decades of production, went on to sell more than 15 million units.
The Spirit Lives On
Today, Ford Motor Company remains one of the top-selling brands in the United States, led by the F-Series ≠ consistently among the best-selling vehicles alongside the Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Silverado. The Blue Oval also continues to offer the Mustang, originally introduced in 1964. Now in its seventh generation (S650), the pony car is available in multiple configurations, including track-only machines and high-performance variants such as the Mustang Dark Horse.
Henry Ford’s ambition to go racing lives on today, with the company campaigning the Mustang in GT3 competition and serving as the engine technical partner of Red Bull Racing in Formula 1. Had he not pushed forward with his vision 125 years ago, despite repeated setbacks, Ford Motor Company might not have evolved into the global powerhouse it is today.
