The Moving Assembly Line Turns 100 Years Old
It’s hard to believe, but the moving assembly line as we know it today in automotive manufacturing is celebrating its 100th birthday.
When Ford developed its Model T in 1908, it was supposed to be “a car for the masses,” which meant the vehicle had to be mass produced, but at the same time maintain a level of high quality. On October 7 1913, the team at Ford rigged up a crude final assembly line at the Highland Park Assembly plant.
That day, 140 assemblers were stationed along a 150-foot line. Those assemblers installed parts onto a chassis as it was dragged across the floor by a winch. As a result, final assembly time dropped from an average of 12 hours to under three hours. The success of the assembly line saw Ford replacing the rope with an endless chain in January 1914.
And that was the advent of mass automotive production as we know it today. In 1912, Ford produced 82,388 Model Ts while in 1916, the American automaker was able to make 585,388 units. The result was not just more vehicles, but more vehicles at a cheaper price.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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