Which person revolutionized the mass-production process when, in 1913, he introduced the first moving assembly line?

In 1913, the manufacturing world was transformed at the Highland Park Ford Plant. By introducing the first moving assembly line for automobiles, Henry Ford fundamentally changed how cars, and eventually countless other products, were made. Inspired by the continuous-flow processes of industries like meatpacking, Ford's innovation involved bringing the vehicle to the worker. The Model T chassis was pulled by a rope, and later a mechanized belt, from one workstation to the next, with each worker performing a single, specific task. This method dramatically slashed the assembly time for a single car from over 12 hours to just about 90 minutes.

This newfound efficiency was the key to Ford's vision of producing a "motor car for the great (Review) multitude." By streamlining production, he could significantly lower the cost of the Model T, making it affordable for the average American family. The price dropped from $825 to under $300 over the years. The assembly line's success did create challenges, as the repetitive nature of the work led to high employee turnover. In a bold move to stabilize his workforce, Ford introduced the five-dollar workday in 1914, which was nearly double the average wage at the time.

This combination of mass production, low prices, and high wages, often referred to as "Fordism," had a profound impact that reached far beyond the auto industry. It helped create a new middle class of consumers, including Ford's own employees, who could now afford the products they were building. While not the inventor of the automobile itself, his pioneering production methods sparked a new industrial revolution, setting the standard for manufacturing worldwide for decades to come.