Buzz
Henry Ford is best known as an American industrial giant, the innovator of the assembly line, and the man who made cars affordable for the common American. However, his life was filled with controversy, and he held some rather questionable views. Below, we explore 10 intriguing moments from Ford's life.
10. Bonnie And Clyde Favored Ford Cars for Their Escapes
In 1934, Clyde Barrow sent Henry Ford a letter in which he praised the Ford V8 as the perfect getaway vehicle. The letter, dated April 10, 1934, read:
As long as I have breath in my lungs, I’ll tell you what a great car you make. I’ve driven Fords exclusively whenever I could get my hands on one. For speed and reliability, the Ford beats every other car, and even though my line of work hasn’t always been strictly legal, it doesn’t hurt to tell you how fine a car you’ve built with the V8.
Naturally, there has always been debate over the authenticity of the letter. Some argue it was likely written by Bonnie Parker, as the handwriting appears more similar to hers.
However, after considering the content and the circumstances surrounding the letter’s delivery, Clyde Barrow biographer Jeff Guinn concluded that it is highly probable that Barrow himself wrote and sent the letter.
9. Ford Had a Strong Aversion to Experts
Ford had a deep dislike for experts and went out of his way to avoid hiring them. In his 1924 book, My Life and Work, he stated, “I never hire an expert in full bloom. If I ever wanted to crush opposition unfairly, I would arm the opposition with experts.”
As a result, Ford Motor Company never employed individuals with advanced engineering or design expertise. In fact, the company didn’t even have a proper testing facility, preferring instead to test vehicles on public roads.
The absence of experts on-site often led to costly consequences. For instance, when Ford’s electrical engineers struggled to fix a major problem with a massive generator, they called in electrical engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz for assistance. Steinmetz arrived and, after rejecting all offers of help, solved the issue in just two days using only a notebook, a pencil, and a cot.
On the second night, Steinmetz climbed atop the generator and made a chalk mark on its side. He then instructed Ford’s engineers to remove a plate at the marked spot and replace 16 windings from the field coil. Once completed, the generator worked perfectly, much to Ford’s satisfaction.
However, Ford’s joy was short-lived when a bill for $10,000 arrived. Astonished, Ford requested a detailed breakdown of the charges. Steinmetz responded with the following:
Chalk mark on generator: $1 Knowing where to mark: $9,999
8. Ford’s Ship Of Fools
In 1915, Henry Ford embarked on a voyage to Europe aboard his “Peace Ship,” a chartered ocean liner adorned with a prominent white cross on its hull. As reported by the Chicago Daily Tribune, Ford was joined by 63 pacifists, 54 journalists, and “four Chicago babies.”
The mission was clear: to end the bloodshed of World War I by persuading soldiers on both sides to stage a general strike. Though the idea of soldier strikes eventually gained traction, it was initially met with ridicule and outrage. The London Standard labeled Ford’s journey as “Pro-German Peace Cruise,” while the Brooklyn Eagle dubbed it “Junketing in the Name of Peace.”
When the Peace Ship arrived in Copenhagen, only eight college students showed up to welcome the delegates. Disappointed by the lack of support for his peace initiative, Ford spent much of his time in his stateroom.
On Christmas Eve, Ford feigned illness and skipped the pacifists’ train to Stockholm. Instead, he boarded a Norwegian liner to return home. Soon after, other pacifists followed his lead.
7. Ford’s Trial with a Six-Cent Verdict
After Ford opposed President Woodrow Wilson’s plan to send troops to help suppress revolutionaries along the Mexican border, the Chicago Tribune called him an “ignorant idealist… and an anarchist enemy of the nation.” In response, Ford filed a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, demanding $1 million in damages.
In the summer of 1919, the lawsuit went to trial, lasting for 14 weeks. It produced two million words of testimony as the Tribune tried to prove to the world that Ford was indeed an ignorant idealist.
After the trial, the media were harsh on the “people’s tycoon” who had struggled to answer high school-level questions. As The New York Times put it, “Mr. Ford has been subjected to a thorough examination of his intellectual abilities. He has not passed.” Meanwhile, the New York Post labeled Ford as “a joke.”
The jury ruled in Ford’s favor. However, they only awarded him six cents in damages, an amount which the Tribune never paid.
6. Ford’s Sociological Department
To ensure his workers embodied the ideal American values, Ford created a division within his company known as the Ford Sociological Department. A team of “investigators” was appointed to scrutinize every detail of the lives of Ford employees, including their children’s health and their marital relationships.
Patriotism and assimilation were not merely encouraged; they were imposed on the employees. Ford established the “Ford English School,” a demanding program so comprehensive that a diploma from it could be used to meet the requirements for citizenship.
If you failed to meet Ford’s expectations, you were first blacklisted and then your wages were slashed to $2.34 a day. And if these penalties didn’t compel you to fall in line, you would eventually be dismissed.
5. The Dearborn Independent And The Jewish Conspiracy
At the close of 1918, Ford acquired a newspaper named The Dearborn Independent. In 1920, the paper published an article titled “The International Jew: The World’s Problem.” Subsequent articles placed the blame on Jews for the decline in US culture, values, products, and entertainment. The articles also accused Jews of being the instigators of World War I.
Many of these articles were compiled and published as a book titled The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem. It became a bestseller in Nazi Germany, with Adolf Hitler praising Ford in Mein Kampf.
In 1927, Jewish lawyer Aaron Sapiro sued Ford for defamation. Ford denied responsibility for the articles published in The Dearborn Independent and allegedly staged a car accident to avoid testifying in court.
The lawsuit ended in a mistrial, and Ford opted to settle privately with Sapiro. A public apology was issued in his newspaper, and by the year’s end, The Dearborn Independent was shut down.
4. Ford, Edison, And Their Friends Went Road-Tripping In Model Ts
Between 1914 and 1924, Ford, Thomas Edison, tire magnate Harvey Firestone, and renowned nature writer John Burroughs embarked on a series of historic road trips together.
Edison typically selected the route. From the front car, he guided the journey using a compass and a pair of atlases, while the roads were dotted with hand-drawn signs that warned, “DRIVE SLOW–DANGEROUS AS THE DEVIL.”
Ford played the part of mechanic, organizing tree-climbing and wood-chopping contests. Firestone took responsibility for meals and spontaneous poetry readings. Burroughs led botanical excursions and taught the group how to identify wild plants and the songs of birds.
However, the trips were not as rugged or untamed as they might seem. At times, as many as 50 Ford vehicles accompanied the group, bringing along supplies, a film crew, and personal attendants. The men also had a gourmet kitchen team, complete with bow ties. Each had a 1-square-meter (10 ft) canvas tent furnished with a cot and mattress.
3. Ford’s Attempt To Put The Average Man In The Air
Ford's achievement in making cars accessible to every citizen in the US led him to believe he could do the same with airplanes. He hired engineer Otto Koppen, tasking him with designing a small, lightweight aircraft.
By 1926, the design was completed, and it was named the “Ford Flivver.” The plane’s flaps were configured to provide maximum lift in small areas, and it featured a rear wheel so it could be driven from a home directly to a temporary runway.
The plane proved to be a success.
In 1928, pilot Harry J. Brooks attempted to fly the Flivver from Michigan to Miami on a single tank of gas. Unfortunately, while flying over the ocean, the engine failed, causing the plane to crash and Brooks to fall into the water. His body was never recovered.
The accident brought the project to a halt. However, in 1940, Ford confidently declared, “Mark my words: A combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come.”
2. Ford For President
In 1916, Ford won the Republican presidential primary in Michigan without ever campaigning. Many Americans wished to see Ford in the White House. By the 1924 election, his supporters had set up Ford-for-President clubs across the country.
When news spread that Ford might run for US president, Hitler told the Chicago Tribune, 'I wish I could send some of my shock troops to Chicago and other large American cities to aid in the elections.'
Ford, on the other hand, had no interest in running for office. In 1916, he declared, 'I don’t think any man should run for president,' and no one was able to convince him otherwise.
1. Model Ts Were Highly Unreliable
Model Ts were designed to be as affordable as possible for the masses, but this resulted in poor design and frequent breakdowns that required constant maintenance and repairs.
As police forces began using motor vehicles, many chose Model Ts as their new mode of transportation. Yet, over time, these vehicles were swapped out for more dependable options, as police departments found that the costs for repairs exceeded the original price of the car.
Henry Ford had a simple guideline when it came to the Model T’s improvements: if making a change meant spending more money or taking extra time, he wasn’t interested in pursuing it.
