In this blog post, we will imagine how our daily lives would have been different if cars had not been invented.
Have you ever imagined riding a horse to work, walking to meet friends, and traveling by carriage? This would be an unfamiliar scene for us living in a city where there are more cars than trees. However, the truth is that the automobile only appeared in the world just over 120 years ago. In 1886, the automobile, which was created as a means of transportation powered by gasoline, was initially perceived as a special form of bicycle and did not receive much attention. Nevertheless, there are more than one billion automobiles in the world today, and they are now accepted as an essential means of transportation. So, what is the reason for the rapid increase in the number of automobiles?
First, let’s go back to 1910. It was before the First World War. At that time, cars were difficult to start, complicated to operate, and frequently broke down. The mechanical structure was complicated and difficult to repair, and it was a less efficient means of transportation than trains in terms of speed and long-distance travel. Nevertheless, for those who were seeking adventure and pleasure, the automobile presented a new challenge. The vibration of the car body and the view ahead gave a unique sense of speed that could not be felt on a train, and the complicated operation led to a display of the ability to handle the car. This led to many people becoming enthusiastic, and racing competitions were held to compete for who was the fastest. At the time, a record of 202.648 km/h had already been set. However, cars were mostly produced by hand, and productivity was very low, taking more than a year to make one. For this reason, the price was also very high, and it was difficult for cars to become a means of transportation for the general public. Cars were still considered a luxury item for sports and leisure.
However, the situation changed with the outbreak of the World War. In ground combat, mobility became an important factor in determining victory or defeat, and leaders from various countries paid attention to the maneuverability of automobiles. As a result, various technological researches for mass production and performance improvement of automobiles were actively conducted with the support of the state. After the war, expectations for the popularization of automobiles also increased. However, productivity did not improve significantly because automobiles were still mostly manufactured by hand.
It was the United States in the 1910s that innovatively increased this low productivity and created a car that everyone could ride in. It was Henry Ford, known as the “King of the Automobile,” who devised the “Ford System,” an efficient mass production system. In the manual manufacturing method used until then, skilled workers had to move between different processes, and the inefficient arrangement of machines resulted in excessively long travel distances for parts. Henry Ford divided the entire process into simple and repetitive tasks by using machines for only one process and relocating them according to the work process. He also introduced conveyor belts to optimize the production process. In the previous method, each part was slightly different, requiring additional assembly work, but Ford solved this problem by standardizing parts and introducing precision production equipment. In addition, by using some parts purchased from outside, the number of process steps was reduced, and workers were offered high wages to increase their motivation to work.
In this way, Henry Ford succeeded in mass-producing cars for the first time. The Ford Model T, which was designed to be easy to operate and repair and had a raised body to enable it to run well even in rural areas with poor road conditions, was a huge success. At the time, there was a huge shortage of cars compared to demand, so the Ford T sold like hotcakes. As production methods were continuously improved, the price dropped by a whopping eighth, and 15 million Ford T cars were produced from 1913 to 1927. In 1925, half of the passenger cars in the world were Ford T.
However, by the mid-1920s, Ford’s car empire was in crisis. This was due to Henry Ford’s insistence on the same style for too long. The popularity of the Model T, which was good for driving on unpaved roads, gradually declined, and consumers wanted more stylish, convenient, and fast cars. Ford hastily released a new model, but it still failed to break away from its uniform style and was rejected by consumers. At this time, the company that took the lead in the market was GM under Alfred P. Sloan. He acquired several car brands and established a diverse lineup ranging from low-priced models to high-priced models. This was a strategy to capture a wide range of consumers, from low-income groups who value price and practicality to high-income groups who value individuality. In addition, the company quickly reflected changes in the market by introducing new models every year.
GM adopted Ford’s standardized parts production method to maintain high productivity while offering a variety of options at the final assembly stage to create unique cars. This flexible mass production method, which harmonizes “model diversification” and “parts standardization,” has since had a major impact around the world. The market, which could not meet the huge demand in the post-war economic situation, created enormous wealth through mass production. However, the Ford and GM examples show that maintaining that success requires “flexibility” in response to market changes.
This production system, which originated in the United States, spread around the world, and as a result, the number and types of cars increased dramatically. If it weren’t for Ford’s production revolution, cities would not be as crowded with cars as they are today.
