Henry Ford. Portrait of Henry Ford (1863-1947), American pioneer of the automobile, sitting on his motorised quadricycle of 1896. Working as a mechanical engineer, Ford built his first car in his spare time in 1896. The quadricycle had two cylinders, was rated at four horsepower and had forward gears only. In 1903 Ford set up his own manufacturing company in Detroit, America. Fifteen million of his famous 'Model T' car were made during 1908-27. In 1913 Ford introduced production line techniques into his factories and helped to popularise the method in America. Ford finally retired in 1945. In 1996 the Ford Motor Company is one of the world's leading car manufacturers.