Detroit will soon opens the doors to a secretive room operated by Henry Ford at the corner of its Piquette Avenue factory. While working on the first Model T, Henry Ford is said to have spent months creating mockups and design sketches of prototypes. Rather than doing this in the open, he typically did this behind closed doors in a hidden room.
Historians believe that only a small number of people were allowed to enter Henry Ford’s secretive room. It was so hidden, in fact, that many people close to Henry didn’t even know about it. Soon, however, everyone will be able to look inside Henry’s room to marvel at the true origins of the modern-day automobile.
Piquette Avenue factory is opening the doors to Henry’s secretive room, allowing the public to enter for free. This isn’t the actual room used by Henry, however. Instead, it’s a recreation with all of the objects that Henry used. The exhibit comes just in time for the Piquette factory’s 109th birthday of the Model T. In addition to free admission to Henry’s room, the plant will also offer free Model T rides, beverages, music and games. Some of the companies sponsoring the event include Platform Group, Ford Fund, Golden Spice Catering, Alonosis Ice Cream and Candy, and UAW International.
When speaking about the new exhibit, a spokesperson for the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant explained that only a handful of people were allowed to enter Henry Ford’s room. Now, however, anyone can look inside to see the origins of the modern-day car.
“Only a handful of people were allowed inside the room in the early 1900s, but a recreation of the secret room will soon be open to the public. Grand opening ceremonies for Piquette’s newest exhibit area take place at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, followed by free public admission to the plant,” wrote the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in a press release announcing the plans.
Ford has come a long ways in its 114 years of being in business. While it suffered a financial hit at the beginning of the 21st business, it has since rebounded with great success. In terms of revenue, it’s currently the second-largest U.S.-based automaker, only behind General Motors. Globally, Ford is the fifth-largest automaker in the world, only behind Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai-Kia and General Motors. Ford employs more than 201,000 workers as of 2016.