Ford, the Company and the Man Throughout his childhood Henry Ford liked to tinker with things and find out how and why they worked. Ford went from tinkering with his fathers farm equipment to trying to build a self propelled vehicle. Ford finally accomplished his goal in 1896. ford’s success with the self propelled vehicle led to the start of the Ford Motor Co., which over the years has become one of the most successful car manufacturers. The Ford family moved to Michigan from England in the 1830s-1840s they later settled around Dearborn Michigan birthplace of Henry Ford. Henry Ford was