When the Ford Motor Company was incorporated on June 16, 1903, they had about $28,000 in cash on hand (although the capitalization was $100,000). By mid-July they had burned down to their last $233 without making a single sale.

But sales exploded that fall. By April 1st, 1904, Ford had earned a net profit of $98,000 (350%). Each of the 658 Model A's that were sold by that date sold for $850. So if I'm doing the math correctly, Ford Motor Company only needed to sell 33 cars to recoup the initial investment (ignoring ongoing operating expenses, of course)

The money didn't come from the usual Detroit investors. There had been a series of automobile companies that went under (many of which Henry Ford was involved in), and it was hard to find investors to bankroll another one. Almost half the money came from John Gray, the uncle of Henry's business partner, Alexander Malcolmson. Other investors were the Dodge Brothers (who also supplied the engines), the president of the Daisy BB gun company, and an old maid schoolteacher who put in $100, and sold that 1 share 16 years later... for $355,000.

source: "Henry and Edsel: The Creation of the Ford Empire" by Richard Bak, 2003