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Period: to
Management Through Time
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First Gasoline Powered Automobile
The first gasoline powered automobile in America. (Lee, 1998) Since then there have been good and bad intorductions to the car industry. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford revolutionalized the car industry. He and his team pioneered the development of mass-production manufacturing. (George, Jones, 2014) -
Mass-production
Mass-production increased efficiency and reduced costs so much that Ford sold more than two million cars that year. Ford became the leading car comany in the world. (George, Jones, 2014) -
End of Passenger Car Producing
World War II was the reason why there was an end of passenger car producing. The car companies started to produce tanks, jeeps, airplanes, and other military materials would be produced in the qutomobile factories. Originally this raised GM and Crysler's stock.(Kane,2012) -
Ford Style
In the 1920's Ford had said people can have any color of car they wanted. In the 1950's Ford's Chief stylist defended hazardous tail fins and other dangerous cosmetic innovations. He blamed the American public because they are just giving them what they want. (Lee,1998) -
Toyota
Toyota production engineer, Ohno Taiichi, pioneered the development of lean manufacturing. This relyed on workers input, their knowledge which reduces costs and increase efficiency. (George, Jones, 2014) -
Steering Column Safety
There was a hearing on steering column safety. At the time steering columns represented a major safety hazard in very low speed front-end collisions. The metal rod in the steering column would not collapse in the accident and would often cause fatal results. The Ford President Arjay Miller defended the steering column saying that it held the driver in the car. (Lee, 1998) -
National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act
After World War II the Americans had a "broadbased rise in affluence" and a "general expectation of justice". There was a need for safety regulations on the Auto industry. The National Traffic and Motor Vehicles Safety Act was passed, this had the auto industry looking at safety and the general environment. (Lee, 1998) -
Lean Manufacturing
The Toyota company was utilizing the lean manufacturing. They were producing higher quality cars at a lower price than the United States car makers. (George, Jones, 2014) -
BMW of North America
BMW of North America was established, when the company assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities of BMW vehicles in the United States from a private distributor. BMW is represented by more than 375 automobile and mortorcycle retailers in the U.S. and Canada. (PR Newswire,1998) -
Journalist Mark Dowie
Mark Dowire wrote an article that Ford Motor Comapnay knew that there was something wrong with the Pinto but the companies executives decided to produce and market the Pinto. They did this even after it had been shown in crash tests that the gas tank would rupture after rearend collisions. (Lee,1998) -
The Pinto Investigation Begins
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration started their own investigation on the Pinto gas tank. The tests they did met the minimum standards for a gas tank were that they need to withstand a 30mph hit. The Pinto's gas tank would result in a fire between 30-35mph. (Lee, 1998) -
Ford Recalls the Pinto
The NHTSA tested the Pinto at 35mph and more beyond the minimum requirements. With this they deemed the Pinto gas tank was considered a safety defect. Ford voluntarily recalled the Pintos 1971-1976, even though they were built before the standard took effect. (Lee, 1998) -
Ford Pinto
$6.6 million was awarded to a plaintiff that was badly burned when he was rear-ended. The Pinto was called a fire trap, it was the most controversal build ever. Ford was indicted for homicide of three teenage girls in Indiana burned to death after the Pinto was struck from behind, Ford was found not-guilty. (Lee,1998) -
Japanese Carmakers
The Japanese carmakers dominated the global market. The US carmakers wanted to learn the lean manufacturing, so they could implement it in the United States. (George, Jones, 2014) -
Robots
The United States carmakers started to use more robots and their IT to build and track quality cars, It was realized that there should be a balance between people, machinery, computers, and IT to have optimal manufacturing. (George, Jones, 2014) -
BMW
BMW introduced one of the first dual airbag systems. The dual threshold was for seatbelted and unseatbelted occupants. It used a different system for the seatbelted person versus the nonseatbelted person. It was considered an "intelligent safety system" (PR Newsire, 1998) -
BMW
TIG insurance offers lower insurance rates to BMW owners because of their car safety. For some customer's their insurance rates for a year decreased by $3000. Some of the reasons for the dicounts are the anti-theft system, Anti-lock breaks, and dual front and side airbags. (PR Newswire,1998) -
The Year of Honda
"The Year of Honda" as stated at the 2015 North American International Auto-Show the company has many new innovations that they will introduce in 2015. The Honda FCV Concept is the next genration of fuel cell car, slated for introduction in the US in 2016. The companies John Mendel(VP) believes no-one can compete with research and development know how and experience to create adavanced products. (PR Newswire, 2015) -
Honda in Formula One Racing
Honda F1 racing power in the form of a new power unit - a 1.6liter turbocharged engine and hybrid -type kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems will return to Formula One Racing. The begining with the opening race of the series in Melborne, Australia on March 15, 2015. (PR Newswire, 2015) -
Honda in the Spring
In the Spring of 2015 Honda will launch the all new 2016 H-V Crossover and the introduction this summer of the fully redesigned Pilot-8-Passenger SUV. Followed by a new Ridgeline pickupin 2016. They have new innovations that they will implement in the future; the fuel Cell and all new battery electric vehicles. Plus two - three motor hybrid systems. (PR Newswire, 2015)
