When Henry Ford was born on June 30, 1863, neither he nor anyone else knew what an important role he would play in the future of humanity. Ford saw his first car when he was 12 years old. He and his father were in Detroit at the time. At that moment he knew what he wanted to do with his life: he wanted to make a difference in the automotive industry. Over the course of his life, he achieved this goal in an extraordinary way. For this reason he will always be remembered in everyone's hearts. Every time you drive down the road, you can thank Henry Ford for all of this. Throughout his life he achieved extraordinary things, going from a poor farm boy to a wealthy inventor who helped Thomas Edison. When he was young, he understood how to use simple inventions, such as the light bulb. He then taught himself to design a steamboat engine. His goal was to build a horseless carriage. He had devised several designs and in 1896 he produced his first automobile, the Model A. When Ford's first automobile came out, he was interviewed by a reporter and when asked about the history of the car, he said, "History is more or less a bunk." Ford worked for years in Thomas Edison's factory and left to become an apprentice to an automobile manufacturer in Detroit. While working there, he determined how he would make the car. He looked through hundreds of books on bicycles and books on horses and buggies. Ford decided to use bicycle wheels and the same steel structure. From the horse and buggy he got the idea for the shape of the actual frame. He also made a handlebar that was in the same place as the rider for a buggy. When Henry For opened his first automobile plant, he not only brought a lot of attention to the industry, but also made people want to own a car so that it looked "cool." People knew this would be a successful industry, so they wanted to work in it. Although many think that the first real automobile Henry Ford ever made was the Model A; in reality they are deceived. Henry Ford's first real cars were made for racing. Only about a year later did Ford begin producing the Model A.