Henry Ford is most commonly credited with inventing the modern moving assembly line for automobile production in 1913, but the underlying idea was developed by several people over time. Earlier contributors include Eli Whitney, who used interchangeable parts and linear assembly for muskets around 1799, and Ransom Olds, who implemented a stationary automotive assembly line in 1901.
Modern assembly line
Henry Ford introduced the first large‑scale moving assembly line at Ford’s Highland Park plant in Michigan in 1913 to build the Model T. This system used conveyors to bring the car chassis past workers who each performed a single, specialized task, dramatically cutting production time and cost.
Earlier precursors
Long before Ford, manufacturers experimented with dividing production into sequential, specialized steps. Examples include Eli Whitney’s firearm production with standardized parts in the late 18th century and Portsmouth Block Mills in early 19th‑century Britain, which used specialized machinery for naval pulley blocks.
Ransom Olds’ role
Automotive pioneer Ransom Eli Olds used a stationary assembly line to mass‑produce the Oldsmobile Curved Dash in 1901, increasing output dramatically and creating one of the first mass‑produced cars. His system became a direct model for Ford’s later moving line and is sometimes cited as the first true automotive assembly line.
How credit is usually given
Histories of technology typically describe Ford as the “father” of the modern moving assembly line because of the scale and efficiency of his 1913 system. At the same time, they emphasize that the assembly line was an evolutionary invention built on earlier innovations in interchangeable parts, division of labor, and linear production.