Henry Ford (1863-1947), US car manufacturer. Ford was a pioneer of the automobile. He built his first car in his spare time in 1896. In 1903, Ford set up his own manufacturing company in Detroit, USA. Fifteen million of his famous 'Model T' cars were made from 1908-1927. In 1913, Ford introduced factory production line techniques that greatly improved efficiency. Ford became one of the wealthiest car manufacturers in the USA. He also reduced the length of the working day, and introduced a five-day week. Artwork from Histoire de la Locomotion Terrestre (Paris, 1936).