Henry Ford incorporates the Detroit Automobile Company
- When
- 1899–1901
- Where
- Detroit, Michigan
- Episodes
- 4
Henry Ford, an automotive mechanic, incorporated the Detroit Automobile Company in Detroit, Michigan, on August 5, 1899, with backing from twelve investors. The venture, the first of its kind in the city, aimed to profit investors by manufacturing automobiles. Although the company dissolved in January 1901, its operations established Detroit as a manufacturing hub and informed Ford's later successes.
Episodes
- Incorporation
Henry Ford incorporated the Detroit Automobile Company in Detroit, Michigan, on August 5, 1899, with twelve investors.
- First Product
The company's first product was a gasoline-powered delivery truck completed in January 1900.
- Dissolution
The Detroit Automobile Company floundered and was dissolved in January 1901.
- Reorganization
The company was reorganized into the Henry Ford Company in November 1901.
Background and detail
Background. Henry Ford, an American industrialist, founded the Detroit Automobile Company after resigning from the Edison Company. The company was the first venture of its kind in Detroit. Its primary objective was to generate profit for investors, who had observed the profitability of the Oldsmobile plant. Ford managed the manufacturing plant, initially without pay, before receiving a monthly salary.
Operations. The company's first product was a gasoline-powered delivery truck completed in January 1900. A 1900 catalog showed that automobiles were cheaper to maintain than horses. Ford managed the plant at 1343 Cass Avenue. The company floundered and was dissolved in January 1901. Ford later designed and raced a successful automobile, leading to the formation of the Henry Ford Company.
People involved
- Henry Ford · Founder and Manager
- William Maybury · Investor
- William H. Murphy · Investor
- Harold Wills · Collaborator who helped Ford design and race a 26-horsepower automobile in October 1901
Sources
- Detroit Automobile Company Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-11
- Henry Ford Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-06
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.