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The Houdaille type of shock absorber used on the early Fords were actually  the  invention of  a Frenchman called Maurice Houdaille who invented recoilless artillery during World War I. And He then spent 27 years developing and promoting his design.

The advert below is from the British subsidiary

im19200117a-houd

Houdaille Industries, of the USA, took its name from Houdaille,  After the war, a U.S. corporation bought the name and the rights to the shock absorber Houdaille had patented. By the 1930s, the company was one of the largest auto-parts subcontractors in Detroit and the premier U.S. manufacturer of shock absorbers.

Some more detailed history can be found here
Nice video on the rebuild of the Houdaille shock absorber