Ford: Assembly Line vs Craft Production (1913)
by Anonymous
Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line, reducing Model T assembly from 12 hours to 93 minutes. He also doubled worker wages to $5/day. This created mass production and the modern middle class.
Moving Assembly Line
1913
year
93 minutes per car
production time
$5/day (doubled industry standard)
worker wages
Chosen — made cars affordable for workers who built them
outcome
Traditional Craft Production
Pre-1913
year
12+ hours per car
production time
$2.34/day
worker wages
Replaced — couldn't compete on cost
outcome
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