Henry Ford had seen horse-drawn steam engines, but when, in 1876, at the age of twelve, he saw one with "a chain that made a connection between the engine and the rear wheels of the wagon-like frame," he became obsessed with "making a machine that would travel the roads" under its own power. Henry Ford would not invent the automobile, but more than any other single individual, he would make it affordable for people from all walks of life.