Fasten your seatbelt…
Drive off with Michigan’s Innovation dollar
I want to start off by sharing a fun fact with you. Do you know where “car” comes from? Meaning “wheeled vehicle”, it’s actually derived from the Latin word carrus.
Well, whatever you call them – automobile, motor vehicle, car – chances are you’ve seen one. Whether you’re a classic car enthusiast or feel the need for speed, cars have a way of driving off with our imaginations.
Since Karl Benz’s novel invention of the motor car, automobiles have taken the world by storm. Today, you’ll find cars anywhere from the heartland of the United States to the streets of Thailand and the outback of Australia (and everywhere in between). But it’s not just travelling that automobiles have revolutionized… just look at how they’re made.
So, hop in! Join the 2025 Michigan Innovation dollar on a road trip to the early days of the automotive assembly process.
Shifting gears
At the turn of the 20th century, a method known as “static assembly” was used. This meant that instead of the car moving, it was built in one spot while the workers would move around it. While each worker was assigned a specific function – like installing windshields or tires – it wasn’t the most efficient technique.
Often a worker would go to the next car in line and need to uninstall something the previous person had done. All before they could begin their part! This led to production taking longer and lots of back tracking. Overall, the system to produce automobiles needed some fine tuning.
Here’s where Ransom E. Olds comes in.
A business man and inventor, Olds became interested in automobiles at a young age. Curious about the mechanics behind the wheel, it’s rumored he built his first steam-powered car in the 1880s. Afterwards, it wouldn’t take Olds very long to start thinking about expansion.
Pedal to the metal
Let’s fast forward through the next seventeen years. Days that would not only see the motor vehicle gain in popularity but also the onset of the ice cream scoop, Nikola Tesla’s coil, and the radio.
It was in Lansing, Michigan, that Olds’ set out to change the face of car production.
In 1901, Ransom Olds’ factory burnt to the ground…and with it, 10 of his prototypes. Fortunately, one automobile emerged unscathed. Known as the “Curved Dash”, this gas-powered machine would become the first ever to be produced on Olds’ assembly line.
Called the “progressive assembly line,” the automobile moved to the workers rather than having workers move to the automobile! Placed onto a frame with wheels, the vehicle was pulled from work station to work station. In the span of just one year, production jumped from 425 cars in 1901 to almost 2,500 in 1902.
Several years later, a certain Michigan native would go on to create an automotive empire of his own (do these Littleton exclusives ring any bells?!) Using Olds’ blueprint for the assembly line, he’d turn it into the one we know today.
The “moving assembly line,” which shifted production into the fast lane, is featured on the 2025 Michigan Innovation dollar. Implemented using a conveyer belt system that brought the vehicle to the worker, the time it took to make the vehicles went from more than 12 hours to just over 90 minutes! But it wasn’t just production that was cruising along… so was the public. By creating the moving assembly line, vehicles had become more attainable for the average person.
Hit the road
From the vehicles that drove our soldiers across the battlefields of World War II to American classics and more, today you can have your pick. In fact, thanks to the automotive assembly line, over 90 million cars were produced globally in 2024.
The second release for the year, the 2025 Michigan Innovation dollar recalls the trial and error (and ultimate success) that led to the assembly line. And remember – there’s still two more dollars to look forward to this year! So, don’t hit the brakes on your set of Innovation dollars for 2025 just yet. What’s a fun car fact that you know? Are you gearing up to put this new release into your collection? We’d love to hear from you!
Sources:
Automotive Hall of Fame. “The Patriarch of Mass Production.” Accessed February 20, 2025 https://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honoree/ransom-e-olds/
Logistics Hall of Fame. “Henry Ford and Ransom Eli Olds.” Accessed February 24, 2025 https://www.logisticshalloffame.net/en/members/henry-ford-und-ransom-eli-olds
Detroit Historical Society. “Olds, Ransom E.” Accessed February 24, 2025 https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/olds-ransom-e
Mayco International. “A History of the Automotive Assembly Line.” Accessed February 24, 2025 https://maycointernational.com/blog/a-history-of-the-automotive-assembly-line/
Library of Congress. “Ford Implements the Moving Assembly Line.” Accessed February 25, 2025 https://guides.loc.gov/this-month-in-business-history/October/Ford#:~:text=In%20October%201913%2C%20Henry%20Ford,breweries%2C%20and%20meat%20packing%20plants
