Chapter 4: Ford’s Development and use of the Assembly Line, 1908–1927

Ford’s assembly line at Highland Park is one of the most influential conceptualizations of a production system. Past anecdotal commentary and a limited set of annual data have provided the foundation for popular opinion about Ford and past research on his factory and its management. New data on the factory’s operations and management is used to explore Ford’s development and use of the assembly line. This confirms and strengthens research on the line’s impact on labor productivity during its introduction and extends the assessment of its effects to the 1920s when it was exploited more intensively to drive productivity increases. The new data reveal significant seasonality in Ford’s operations that raise several significant incongruities vis-à-vis its modern stereotype. The line is shown to be adaptable to strongly increasing and highly variable demand, and a relatively inexpensive operation. Deskilling enabled Ford to cope with large monthly demand variations besides increasing volume. These analyses show that Ford’s assembly line was used differently than modern ones and its production systems were more flexible than previously recognized.