Before 1913, building a single Model T Ford took over 12 hours of painstaking handcraftsmanship. Skilled workers assembled each car from start to finish, making automobiles a luxury only the wealthy could afford.
Ford's moving assembly line changed everything. Introduced in 1913, it broke production into simple, repetitive tasks performed by workers stationed along a conveyor belt. The result: a Model T could be assembled in just 93 minutes.
This innovation slashed costs, allowing Ford to sell the Model T for $850 initially and eventually under $300. It transformed the automobile from a rich man's toy into a mass-market product.
But the assembly line also redefined labor. Craftsmen who once built an entire car now performed one task over and over. While this boosted efficiency, it also reduced skill requirements and created monotonous work.
Ford's system became the blueprint for 20th-century manufacturing, influencing industries from electronics to food processing. It remains a pivotal moment in industrial history.