“FORD WINS AT GROSSE POINTE”
October 11, 1901
Henry Ford was a man with an idea, an idea that had become his dream, perhaps his obsession. Ford believed the world was hungry for a dependable, moderately priced automobile. He was certain that the first man to produce such a vehicle would grow rich. But in 1901 Ford’s fortunes were at low ebb. He had already been given two opportunities to design and manufacture the motorcar of his dreams. But both times his companies had been woefully undercapitalized. Both times he had failed, creating hardly a ripple in the automobile industry. In 1896, while still employed as a mechanical engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company, Ford organized the Henry Ford Motor Car Company. He designed and produced a vehicle called the
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Another failure might end his dream. Then he learned that renowned car builder and racer Alexander Winton would be a contestant in the races at the nearby Grosse Pointe track in October. Ford recognized that the exciting new sport of automobile racing by drivers who built and drove their own cars had caught the public’s imagination. News of major competitions dominated newspaper headlines throughout the world. Perhaps he could turn this development to his advantage. Ford determined to take a huge gamble. If he did not succeed all might be lost. But if he could build a fast, reliable car in just five months and win the match at Grosse Pointe he would take a purse of one thousand dollars. More importantly he would gain the attention of the public at large and perhaps attract potential investors as well. Despite his earlier setbacks the young Henry Ford was confident of his abilities. With the assistance of the craftsmen in his shop he quickly designed, tooled, and assembled a vehicle capable of a top speed of nearly seventy-five miles per hour. While the motorcar Alexander Winton would enter was even faster, it had a history of