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Ford celebrates 100 years of moving assembly line

Ford Motor Company

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the moving assembly line.

Henry Ford brought the method for mass-producing cars to his Highland Park Assembly Plant. 140 workers installed parts on a chassis that was dragged across the floor by a winch. The results were immediate and remarkable. 

"And we went from building one in about 12 hours to one in about 90 minutes,” said  Bruce Hettle, executive director of manufacturing engineering at Ford Motor Company. “And what happened is the cost structure of the vehicle came down down dramatically."

The Highland Park plant now sits vacant. A non-profit group is raising money to buy the plant. It wants to renovate the factory and open it for public tours.

See more pictures here.

Sarah Hulett is Michigan Public's Director of Amplify & Longform, helping reporters to do their best work.