Couzens
Parker says he's a bad judge.
Ford
Give him a car.
Couzens
That's bribery!
And this case isn't our only problem.
You make cars too damn slow!
What are you going about it?
Ford
I don't know.
Couzens
What do you mean you don't know?
I run my side of the business,
why can't you run yours?
Ford
If you don't like the way I run things,
then quit!
Couzens
Why don't you quit?
Ford
You have the money to buy me out?
Couzens
No, but Billy Durant does.
Ford
What's his offer?
Couzens
Eight million.
Ford
All mine?
Couzens
Half, or stock in the new company,
and you can still work.
Ford
I don't work with anybody.
I want cash.
Couzens
Durant's idea is to combine
REO, Buick and Ford.
Ford
Misery loves company.
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It's fantastic!
The racer comes to town;
the dealer hires a band;
kids run behind;
the whole town comes out
to see the Model T
roar on to Seattle.
A million in publicity!
They're out of Utah
The wire says Car Two
was stuck. It took a day
to get four miles.
The other cars are stuck
in Colorado somewhere.
I know we'll win.
Get a photographer
to Seattle.
Write a book!
The Great Race!
Where's Snoqualmie Pass?
That's where
they expect real trouble.
Tell Mr. Ford,
he'll meet those boys
when they ride over.
And get a picture
of Ford, the car and the drivers.
And clean up the car first!
Keep the dirt!
That's the whole point!
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Couzens
Are you serious about selling
out?
Ford
Here this Judge is trying to
take my company
and I can't make the car I want.
If we sell
would you stay with the company?
Couzens
You saying you'll sell?
Ford
Sure, I'll sell.
Couzens
I'll tell Durant.
Meanwhile I want Hawkins to
start
a thorough accounting system
so I can fine out where the hold
ups are in production.
Ford
All right.
Couzens
Sure you made the car for the
people, but face it Ford,
you can't get the car to them.
Money and power
at our grasp and you can't make
enough cars!
The only thing we can do is
build a bigger company
or join in with Durant. To build
a new plant
we need more money. The only way
we can get it
is to raise the price of the car
to $900.
Ford
We should cut the price.
Couzens
Sure, sure, then more people can
buy the car.
But we have enough people who
want to buy the car!
We already look pretty damn
foolish.
If more people wanted the car,
we'd look like the biggest fools
on earth!
Ford
I'm selling out.
Couzens
You're not a business man Ford.
Malcomson set you up
and I've been keeping you going.
If you ditch me
all the damn businessmen in
Detroit
would be at your neck and tear
you apart!
You're not a businessman. I am.
I'm your protector, and don't
you forget it!
Ford
If I called the car the Couzens,
nobody'd believe it Jim.
Judge Hough
continues his decision
All the discussion as to differences of
type of various engines,
if they are a liquid hydrocarbon
gas engine of the compression
type
would seem to me at present to be
beside the issue.
In short,
this American patent represents to me
a great idea conceived in 1879 which
lay
absolutely fallow until 1895, was untl
then
concealed in a file wrapper and is now
demanding tribute from later
independent inventors who more promptly
and far more successfully reduced their
ideas
to practice.
But patents are granted for
inventions.
The inventor may use his discovery or
he may not.
That the applicant acquieces in delay
or even
desires delay is immaterial to the
Court so long
as statute law is not violated.
On these principles
complainants are entitled to a
decree.
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In a New York hotel
room
Ford
So they run the business now.
Couzens
Parker hired the best appeals lawyer in
New York.
Ford
I told Durant I want a million in cash,
now.
Couzens
What did he say?
Ford
He said he'd have to talk with Olds.
Jim, me and the boys shoveled
up that road, snow 4 feet high,
to see the Model T come over
Snoqualmie Pass, and we were
there an hour and it came
roaring over! Tickled me to death!
Enter Ransom Olds
Olds
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Couzens
You talk to Durant?
Olds
Oh, I talked to Billy. I
told him that if Ford
got a million in cash, why
I thought
I should get a million
too. He went pale,
sighed and said:
"Well Ransom, that scotches it!"
Couzens
So that's the end of
Durant's General Motors.
We're still in business
Ford.
Olds
I see Fred Smith and that
crowd beat you.
Ford
We appealed.
Olds
Smith will beat you. Back
when I ran Oldsmobile,
I tried to get out a good
inexpensive car,
but Smith forced me out
and made it so I got a bad price
when I tried to sell my
stock. But my new REO Company
Ford
I got lumbago! Go away!
Couzens
This means we expand!
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Couzens
Martin, in 1908 we had 500 men
and built 10,000 cars; in 1909
we have 1200 men and built only
17,000 cars!
Martin
Too crowded and labor turnover.
Couzens
Well, no more. In five years
you'll have twenty-seven stories
of factory - forty-five acres
to graze your damn machines on!
The architect Kahn will be here
in an hour. You tell him
everything you want.
Martin
Where's the plant going to be?
Couzens
Cross the city-line, in Highland Park.
Damn the mayor and his taxes!
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A clerk
Mr. Ford, could you sign this?
Ford
What's this?
Clerk
The routing re-check form.
It verifies that all a batch
of pistons was properly
accounted for.
Ford
You get me every one of these forms
and any other forms
that Hawkins brags about
Clerk
Yessir!
Ford
I got some gasoline around here.
You help me burn 'em.
Only thing paper is good for
is to wipe your ass with!
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Avery
I'm Clarence Avery. I taught Edsel Ford
in high school.
I guess Mr. Ford got a good report on
me.
He hired me to look over the shop.
Mr. Martin gave me Bill Klann as an
assistant.
We want to know what your men do and
how long it takes.
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| This man assembles magnetoes. He sits at this bench
with all his tools and materials
spread out so he doesn't walk far.
He's pretty much by himself.
But I'm always around.
Most guys find their own speed.
Half an hour to assemble one.
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This man puts the piston on the rod. He drives out this pin with this hammer,
oils the pin, slips the pin in the rod
eye.
Then he turns the pin so it can
take the screw, turns the pinch screw
with a hand brace, tightens the screw,
then spreads the cotter pin end
with this jobber.
He makes 175 in 9 hours.
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Avery
That's very interesting. One basic
question:
How long does it take to make a car?
Wills
Too damn long!
Avery
How many hours?
Sorensen
I'd say ten hours or so.
Martin
You know, you just can't
answer that.
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| I'll tell you why it takes so long to make
radiators. You got to
stick each of these
brass tubes, ninety-five
of them! just right
into these fins.
If you goof the radiator leaks.
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Engine work is held up when they lay the crank. It's a bitch
of a job. Sometimes it takes
an hour. The tough part
is filing the angle
on the bearing and chipping
the gear cover.
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Martin
There's some hold ups. Now these
assembly pits,
they get messy at times. Sometimes
they get cars together real fast.
Other times somethings short
or they have to work a new man
into the pit.
Avery
Maybe we could answer the question
if we put a stop watch
to every operation.
Klann
I got the watch.
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| 1. Walk to bench 2. Get out tools
3. Clean tools
4. Get rods
5. Get pistons
6. Drive out pin
7. Walk to oil box
8. Dip pin in oil
9. Back to bench
10. Enter pin in piston
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10 seconds
12 seconds
10 seconds
10 seconds
5 seconds
5 seconds
5 seconds
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11. Get rod 12.
Put rod in piston
13. Get brace
14. Turn screw
15. Get wrench
16. Tighten screw
17. Place cotter pin
18. Spread end
19. Inspection
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4 seconds 5
seconds
3 seconds
1 second
5 seconds
4 seconds
2 seconds
4 seconds
10 seconds
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Total time: 95 seconds
Time getting something entailing
moving feet or bending: 37 seconds
Avery
Of this list is right. He spends
40% of his time
shifting around.
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