The assembly line for the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of Ford’s popular pickup, in production in Dearborn, Mich. on Jan. 25, 2022. With computer chips scarce throughout the global economy, Ford and other automakers have been forced to intermittently halt production. Image: Brittany Greeson/The New York Times
DEARBORN, Mich. — Henry Ford, the godfather of mass production, was tormented by the possibility of running out of parts and raw materials. Suspicious of financiers — a spirit that animated his fervent antisemitism — he was especially distrustful of his suppliers. He was consumed with stockpiling enough materials to ensure that his assembly lines could continue operating without debilitating shortages.©2019 New York Times News Service