---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some years ago a top Ford official was…"
description: "\"Some years ago a top Ford official was showing the late Walter Reuther through the very automates plant in Cleveland, Ohio and he said to him jokingly,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/ronald-reagan-119_answers_some-years-ago-a-top-ford-official-was-s_2176824.jpg"
---

#  Some years ago a top Ford official was showing the late…

![“Some years ago a top Ford official was showing the late Walter Reuther through the very automates plant in Cleveland, Ohio and he said to him jokingly, &quot;Walter, you'll have a hard time collecting union dues from these machines.&quot; and Walter said, &quot;you are going to have more trouble trying to sell…” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/ronald-reagan-119_answers_some-years-ago-a-top-ford-official-was-s_2176824.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/ronald-reagan-119_answers_some-years-ago-a-top-ford-official-was-s_2176824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/ronald-reagan-119_answers_some-years-ago-a-top-ford-official-was-s_2176824.jpg)

> “Some years ago a top Ford official was showing the late Walter Reuther through the very automates plant in Cleveland, Ohio and he said to him jokingly, "Walter, you'll have a hard time collecting union dues from these machines." and Walter said, "you are going to have more trouble trying to sell automobiles to them." Both of them let it stop there. There was a logical answer to that ... the owners of the machines could buy automobiles and if you increase the number of owners you increase the number of consumers.”

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Automation may reduce labor demand, but it also expands consumer base, changing economic dynamics.

**In simple terms:** Machines change who buys cars.

Key Takeaway

Adapt strategies to new markets.

Themes

economics technology labor market adaptation

Mood

analytical forward‑looking

Type

economic strategic

When to use this quote

- manufacturing planning
- policy making
- business strategy

Key Concepts

automation consumer behavior industrial change

Questions to Reflect On

- How can workers retrain for tech‑driven markets?
- What policies balance automation benefits with employment?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on tech can cause job loss.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Automobile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobile/) [Automobiles Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobiles-increase-4684960/) [Buy Automobiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-automobiles-4684961/) [Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleveland/) [Cleveland ohio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleveland-ohio/) [Collecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collecting/) [Collecting Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collecting-union-4684964/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Dues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dues/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-time/) [Hard times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-times/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Logical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officials/) [Ohio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ohio/) [Owners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners/) [Owners Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners-increase-4684963/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sell Automobiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell-automobiles-4684962/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/)

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