Particle Data Platform

The Founding of Ford Motor Company

6/16/202617 min

June 16, 1903. Henry Ford incorporates the Ford Motor Company, marking the beginning of one of the world's most influential automobile manufacturers. This episode originally aired in 2023.

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First 90 seconds
  1. Lindsay Graham· Host0:00

    History Daily is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes, and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. So visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. [instrumental music] It's October 10th, 1901, at a horse track in Detroit, Michigan, where the city's first car races are underway. 38-year-old Henry Ford nervously grips the wheel of his self-built racer as it's rolled out to the starting line. Today is his first-ever race, and he has stiff competition. Next to him is his sole competitor and one of the reigning monarchs of early American racing, Alexander Winton. Filling the lawn beside them is a crowd of uninterested spectators. People flock to the racetrack, selling out the event with high hopes of seeing the still-novel automobile in action, but so far the event hasn't been all it's cracked up to be. The preliminary races have been long and lackluster, with one car winning at a pace slower than a human running on foot. So to perk up the crowd, the contest's clear favorite, Alexander Winton, got behind the wheel and broke a world speed

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