1896: Ford builds his first automobile
Henry Ford was one of the early builders of automobiles powered by the internal-combustion engine. Early cars had been run by steam and were dangerous to operate. Ford simplified the automobile so that more people could operate one.
Ford built his first car in a little shed behind his home. It had a two-cylinder engine over the rear axle that developed four horsepower, a single seat fitted in a boxlike body, an electric bell for a horn, and a steering lever instead of a wheel. In 1899 Ford helped organize the Detroit Automobile Company, which built cars to order. Ford wanted to build in quantity at a price within the reach of many.