Evening star., 1932-02-11
NEW PULSE BEATS IN FORD PLANT;
LOW-PRICED "EIGHT' IS OFFERED
Production on Mighty and Rapidly In
creasing Scale Will Start This Month,
With Public Showing in March.

born Laboratories. Henry Ford came
over Father and son were together,
alone, an hour or so. Then things pe-
gan to happen.
Orders went out to the plants to stop
So' IS ooo Of the new ss1G improVed po model Jas AS
were already manufactured and on their
way West for early January showing,
with $4,000 more in float"-that Is,
coming through the plant in finished
parts and bodies ready for assembly.
The whole productive organization
was suddenly thrown on its launches.
The carriers slowed down. The trains
Of raw materials dumped. went out
empty. and came no more. The assem-
bly, line again was empty. Everybody
was put to work on something else.
The Birth Of the Eight.
What had happened?
The Ford eight" had been born.
Henry Ford had decided to put it into
production as his chief Offering for the
coming year. That same morning he
ordered the laid.away plans to be
brought out and prepared for large-scale
production
From that moment Mr.. Ford in per-
son became the dynamo OF the whole
works. He was everywhere, ordering,
directing, changing. A task immeas-
urable by words confronted him. The
whole works had to be changed. The
eight" required finished parts Mr.. Ford
did not make. These had to be de-
signed, contracted for, put into produc-
ton elsewhere. A vast amount of ma
chinery had to be taken out. New ma
chinery had to be designed, built else
where, brought in and installed.
A rumor got around that Mr.. Ford
had discontinued the "fours" A food
Of letters urged that they be continued.
That was good-it showed something of
the market; lot of buyers would con-
tinue to want "fours.''
A Disconcerting Demand.
The volume was much greater than
Mr.. Ford had planned. For the time,
SO far as it affected building Of the
eight" this unexpected demand was
disconcerting. Mr.. Ford then had ap-
proximately $4,000 men working. He
put half back making the improved
Model A, and with the other half he
flung himself into changing the plant
to get out the Weight"
Meantime plans for the eight" were
coming through. Mr.. Ford was again
about the plant as he was twenty-five
years ago.
MY father is never happier than
when solving some big mechanical
problem" said Edsel Ford. when the
new model A was brought out he left
many things to others. but I have never
seen him give such attention to detail
as he Is now He has worked hours
at a time trying to eliminate a single
part. He figures that the fewer parts
in car the less the risk of trouble.
In the model A this was carried so
far that repair bills were cut in two.
Our business in parts for the old model
GOO Sesa ooo 11 monsh a oeSeo1S On the %odef this
fen on to $4,000 900 to $4,000 900. The
model A didn't require as much
service"
Asked exactly when the new eight"
would be ready to show. Edsel Ford said:
We can't tell yet. Well first have
to make cars to supply dealers"
How certin are you that you have
market for your new cars?' Henry
Ford was asked.
We're not certain" he replied. But
we're going to risk it. Some one has
to risk something to get things started.
And faith is catching; II We have con-
fidence, others will too. The chief thing
is to meet the public's demand for some
thing new and better at . price the
average man can pay.
We're doing everything in our power
to give the public that kind of car.
It will be the first really low-priced
automobile in America, taking quality
and price together"
Though you're not certain Of your
market you are certain you've got the
carr"
That's it exactly"
No one would say anything definite
regarding the retail price Of the cars.
(copyright. 1882. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance Incl