Born in Detroit, Michigan, William Klann was first employed by Ford Motor Company in 1905 as a machinist. Klann became a Ford production expert. By 1912, he was in charge of Model T motor assembly at the Highland Park Plant. In 1917 he was in charge of Ford Motor's mass production of the U.S.A. Standardized Aircraft Engine, popularly known as the Liberty engine, for the U.S. War Department. In 1923, the company sent Klann, along with a number of other key personnel, to England to improve the manufacture of the Model T in that country and to initiate the development of a plant in Dagenham. Klann left the Ford Motor Company in 1928. He subsequently worked for the Studebaker Corporation and the Hudson Motor Car Company.
From the description of William C. Klann papers, ca. 1918-1926. (The Henry Ford). WorldCat record id: 52849442
Production engineer, Ford Motor Company.
From the description of Interview, 1955. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70949491
