stjorthotic Chapter 166 Getting Back on Track
Chapter 166 Getting Back on Track
Chapter 166 Getting Back on Track
Over the next week, Larry devoted himself entirely to various company projects.
On Thursday, Larry and Kennedy first visited the Southport Industrial Complex to inspect the progress of Ford Motor Company.
Upon their arrival, Henry Ford rushed out of the newly built factory to greet them with a warm embrace.
"Gentlemen, Ford's Model A is now officially complete!"
Henry Ford led the two men into the workshop and showed them the first test vehicle of the Ford automobile.
This is a deep red car with no roof and two rows of benches. The body still retains the style of a horse-drawn carriage, continuing the traditional design of the carriage.
The driver's seat features a tall, somewhat conspicuous steering wheel, but the driver has excellent visibility.
In addition, the car used a horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engine. After communication between Henry Ford and the engine manufacturer, the horsepower was indeed increased to 8 horsepower, which was the most powerful engine available on the market at the time.
"This is a temporary solution. I will manufacture the engines myself later!" Henry Ford said, pointing to the engine.
Next is the transmission, a two-speed planetary gearbox, shifted by foot pedals, with a chain-driven rear axle, capable of reaching a top speed of 35 miles per hour.
At this point, Henry Ford continued, "For the production model, we will strive to make the car's top speed 48 miles per hour."
Larry and Kennedy exchanged another glance and nodded.
Henry Ford went on to describe the chassis: a C-channel steel frame, a 72-inch wheelbase, and a full elliptical leaf spring suspension to improve adaptability to bumpy roads.
"Very thoughtful! The roads are absolutely terrible right now," Kennedy exclaimed, because the biggest problem for cars right now is the roads. The current roads are designed for horses and carriages, and the road surface is poorly paved. Moreover, on most ordinary dirt roads, bumps are indeed unavoidable.
Larry didn't say anything, but turned to look at Kennedy.
Kennedy just hit the nail on the head; this is indeed a potential project, namely road construction.
Roads were in terrible condition back then; paved roads were scarce and expensive to build, but now cement has been invented. Using cement to create new paved roads is a very important engineering infrastructure project for the future.
Kennedy had just casually mentioned the pain points of automobile development in this era, but Larry thought he might not have thought of building concrete roads.
This can't be rushed. Larry can only propose this project once the automotive industry has reached a certain scale and there's a greater public demand for new types of roads. This is also key to Larry's previous promise to expand Kennedy's influence to cities along the East Coast.
But just like in "The Three-Body Problem," where the aliens' ultimate weapon is to turn the three-dimensional world into two dimensions, this idea cannot be thrown out casually, otherwise it will lose its originality.
Larry felt he had to wait for a special opportunity to throw this idea at Kennedy, such as when Kennedy was hesitant to leave Ford, so he could do him a favor and find him a more effective new project.
Larry wouldn't be able to handle these kinds of infrastructure projects that involve dealing with ordinary workers, but that doesn't stop him from using them to curry favor.
Henry Ford finished describing the car's advantages, his face beaming with delight. But Larry insisted that he point out the car's shortcomings.
Henry Ford subconsciously touched his nose and said, "Because this car uses a gravity fuel supply system, it is easy to stall on steep slopes... When encountering a very steep slope, it is best to reverse uphill, because the reverse gear is larger."
Larry blinked, thinking to himself that this problem probably wouldn't be easily solved in the next few years.
Kennedy didn't see anything wrong with it, so he nodded and said, "It looks good. Mr. Ford, would you like to take it for a test drive?"
Henry Ford took the driver's seat without hesitation, and his assistant took out a crank and struggled to start the engine.
The internal combustion engine started turning with a "bang bang bang", and a light black smoke was emitted from the tailpipe.
Kennedy instinctively took a large step back, fearing that the machine would hurtle towards him.
Larry also took a half step back, thinking that this Model A looked more powerful than the previous Ford test car, and that getting hit by it would be no joke.
Ford carefully drove the car slowly, circling the yard without shifting gears.
The workers and engineers in the workshop also came out, hands on their hips, watching the car test run. Although it wasn't the first time they had watched a car test drive, they still felt proud every time they saw this groundbreaking machine running smoothly.
A short while later, Henry Ford smoothly parked the car in front of Larry and Kennedy.
Kennedy nodded, then turned to Larry, as if to say, "Do you have any other questions?"
Larry certainly has higher expectations for cars, but he has already brought forward the advent of automobiles by a great deal. Furthermore, the advancement of technology and the perfection of various car components all take time, and Larry does not intend to be too demanding of people today regarding specific technological aspects.
Larry cleared his throat and said, "I have only one request: produce one generation, test one generation, and conduct preliminary research on one generation. This way, we can address any issues discovered in this model as early as possible in the new model. Oh, and one more thing: the engine and transmission should be developed in-house as much as possible; that's the core of a car."
Henry Ford nodded. He found Larry's suggestions for improving the car very inspiring, and he also believed that core technologies such as engines and transmissions were the key to Ford's differentiation from other cars, and the key to his ability to control Larry and Kennedy.
Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, Kennedy clapped his hands and said, "That's good! The funds from the foundation have arrived. Starting tomorrow, I'll arrange for the construction of the first phase of the factory and office building!"
As he spoke, Kennedy turned to Henry Ford and asked, "By the way, Mr. Ford, has your $5000 arrived?"
Henry Ford suddenly felt a toothache. He grimaced, inhaling the cold air, glanced at his car, and said softly, "...The $5000 has arrived. Oh, it was really tough raising that money..."
Larry smiled but remained silent.
.
That afternoon, Kennedy accompanied Larry to inspect the steam tea project and the pioneer barbecue project.
Now, two different models of barbecue machines are being tested in Chinatown. Huang Meitang and others, following Larry's instructions, stand the meat upright to grill it. After the meat is fragrant, they cut it off with a knife and put it into a cornbread, which has a unique flavor.
Kennedy tried two pieces of grilled meat and drank a bottle of milk tea, praising the fresh taste, but like other superiors, he also offered some suggestions for improvement.
Logan stood aside, not daring to speak, so Larry had no choice but to explain the project's process, the arrangements for health supervision, and the distribution of profits to Kennedy on Logan's behalf.
Kennedy roughly understood the project's process, asked a few questions that concerned him, and then said loudly, "Great, this mature project is very feasible. I can go to Washington tomorrow."
Larry said in a low voice, "Remember to mention public opinion. Positive guidance is one aspect, but criticizing the Republican Party for being cruel, cold-blooded, and protecting the perpetrators is another form of political correctness. We must make them lose their balance and take control of public opinion by attacking Carnegie Steel. This will also benefit the election."
Kennedy frowned at Larry after hearing this, a strange smile appearing on his face. "Mr. Livingston, you're going to make another quick buck, aren't you?"
Larry was taken aback, thinking to himself, "I really hadn't thought of that."
"What do you mean?" Larry turned to Kennedy, a hint of doubt on his face.
Kennedy gave him a knowing look and said with a smile, "Why ask when you already know the answer?" "Once we start our media offensive, you can short Carnegie Steel!"
(End of this chapter)