The Evolution of the American Auto Industry: From Henry Ford to Tesla

2023-07-10 13:21:34

Series. The American auto industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. Tesla is the symbol of a new electronic world. However, the traditional manufacturers still exist.

Vienna. A life without a car? In Europe this is quite possible, but in the USA it is unthinkable – unless you live in downtown Manhattan and hardly move outside of the center of New York. When Henry Ford founded his automobile factory in Detroit in 1903 and introduced assembly line production a few years later, he had in mind the rapid production of larger quantities at reasonable prices. But at the time he might not foresee the radical upheaval he had triggered in the newly created branch of industry.

As early as 1929, 4.5 million cars rolled off the production lines – not only at Ford, but also at General Motors and Chrysler, which were also founded just following the turn of the century. The car, especially inexpensive robust models like the Ford T, was no longer a status symbol for the rich. It revolutionized society, embodied growing prosperity, it stood for mobility and freedom in the huge country, it brought progress as well as social and economic changes – in both a positive and negative sense.

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