Henry Ford was born near Dearborn, in the United States, in July 1863.  As a boy, he enjoyed playing with clocks and machines. It was a great experience for the person who would create the first affordable car. 

Cars had already been built in Europe when Ford tested his first vehicle in 1899. It had wheels like a bicycle’s and a gasoline-powered engine that made it move. It was called a Quadricycle and had only two speeds and no reverse. In four years Ford had started the Ford Motor Company. His ideas about making automobiles would change history. 

Carmakers at that time used parts that were made by other companies and put them all together. Ford’s company made every part that went into its cars. What’s more, the company made sure that each kind of part was the same. 

In 1908 Ford introduced the Model "T".  This car worked well and wasn't expensive. It was a big success, but the company couldn’t manufacture them quickly. In 1913 Henry Ford built a large factory with the conveyor. 

Instead of having workers go from car to car, the cars moved gently down a line while mechanics stood in place adding parts to them. Each worker added a different part until a whole car was put together. It helped to produce more cars. By 1918 half of all automobiles in the United States of America were Model "Ts". Ford’s company became the largest machine manufacturer in the world. And Ford had transformed the process of manufacturing.