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A century ago Henry Ford, Sr. was asked "How many colors does it come in"? America's great auto industry leader responded, "Any color - so long as it's black."

Now, 100 years later, we learn again the reasons underpinning Mr. Ford's glib response about auto paint choices still apply. Henry Ford was pointing to the bottom line reality of what it takes to measure market viability.

It applied then. It applies now.

The objective for any business must be to achieve the true accounting measure of being "in the black".

Could it be that the continuing involvement of Henry Ford's great-grandson, William Clay Ford Jr., is one reason why, today, the Ford Motor Company is doing better than its domestic competition, is not in bankruptcy, and has not taken taxpayer dollars?

Too bad, for taxpayers and respective company stakeholders, that Ford's modern counterparts at GM and Chrysler could not, or would not, make the hard decisions to achieve and keep their companies in the black. Rather, it was easier to take billions of taxpayer dollars via government bailout; and, now welcome the government interveners who obviously do not understand either how to manage or make an auto company profitable.

No wonder that 61 percent of Americans, in a recent Rasmussen poll, believe that only Ford Motor Company will survive.

So, what is that GM and Chrysler must do? The answer is found in American history.

Back in Henry Ford's time, the automobile was new to society and the marketplace. Ford understood that his product had to be affordable to those with discretionary income; and, ultimately, to everyone - including the average worker. Otherwise, how could the motorized vehicle be expected to, no pun intended, unsaddle the horse and the horse-drawn carriage or wagon as a means of personal transit or to move commercial goods?

Henry Ford realized too, that if he were to initially offer a choice of colors, that decision would undermine the advantages inherent in his manufacturing methods, which were designed to increase output -- a key objective.

Further, color variety would make it even more difficult to continuously lower the purchase price, impeding buyer affordability -- another key objective.

So, black was the decided color in order to get the new mode of transit into the marketplace at the lowest possible price point, gain the most customers; and, at the same time, help the fledgling company get into the accounting black.

We know, as historical fact, Henry Ford's strategy worked.

Here's another reality -- the 'Henry Ford Way' will work again.

And, Americans won't be limited to one color.

First, consider what Henry Ford did not have to deal with. Ford did not have to modify his cars to meet government imposed requirements -- from bumpers to seat belts to minimum mileage per gallon averages. You get the point.

And the years fast did roll...

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