The American Automobile

In the 1770s people tried to make cars that run on steam. Some steam cars worked well, some did not. Some were fire pumpers that moved by themselves and others were small trains with road wheels.
      Henry Ford changed the world he lived in because he had an idea he really believed in even if people were making fun of his idea. His idea was to build an automobile that was affordable so everyone could own one. It would be just as cheap as a horse or a buggy. To any reasonable person at that time thought the idea of a cheaper car seemed crazy. When Henry went to The House of Morgan, the biggest bank in the nation at that time, to ask for a loan to get started, they turned him down. They said automobiles were for rich people. Wealthy people bought cars for pleasure, comfort, and status. By the way, cars were called “horseless carriages” back then.
      If you were rich and liked new things back then, you might own a Stanley Steamer, an awesome car powered by a steam engine or you might have an electric car powered by a battery. But, the problem with the steam engine was that it sometimes blew up, and the problem with the electric car was that it always needed to be recharged. Henry Ford loved to mess around with things to design and make things. He believed he would be able to make a low-priced car powered by a liquid fuel.
      Ford was a farmer’s son with a head filled with insane ideas. He ran every day before running was even a popular thing to do, and sometimes he even ate grass sandwiches. He was never stuck up, but he could be stubborn. He believed in the value of hard work. When Ford was young, he became a trainee in a machine shop. Later, he got a job at Thomas Edison’s company. He told Edison about his idea about the low-priced car powered by a liquid fuel. Edison liked the idea and encouraged Ford.
      He designed several cars to get what is known as the Model T. It was exactly what he wanted: a car that worked well and was easy to build. But, he...