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View information about Ford. You can view the history of Ford and their impact on branding.
Ford
- Ford
- Cars and Trucks
- 1903
The story of the Ford Motor Company:
It wasn't the first car company by any means, but it was the first to garner the mass market. In fact, founder Henry Ford…
…tried starting his own car company – the Henry Ford Company -in 1901, but left and took his name with him. That company was renamed Cadillac in 1902.
The next version of the Ford Motor Company was launched in 1903, with the help of a cash investment from a group that included John and Horace Dodge – who also went on to build cars using their family name.
In the earliest days, Ford produced just a few cars a day in its factory in Detroit, naming the models with letters of the alphabet. But Henry hit pay dirt in 1908 with the Model T…
…which sold in the millions.
And Ford's Model A, introduced in 1929…
…was the first car with safety glass in the windshield. The first low-priced model with a V8 engine was introduced in 1932. Henry would add the Mercury and Lincoln brands to gain access to the upscale, luxury car market.
Ford pioneered the assembly line manufacturing process…
…and its facilities and staffing expanded greatly.
Ford's River Rouge plant…
…was huge and was designed to take advantage of convenient water access to ship in raw materials. In the ensuing years, Ford's built manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa.
Although its stock is publicly traded, Ford remains one of the largest family controlled companies in the world. Members of the Ford family have traditionally headed the firm, most notably Henry Ford II, grandson of the founder, and the company's current chief, William Clay Ford, great-grandson of the founder.
Ford introduced several popular models, especially in the sports car class, like the Thunderbird.
That car inspired the Beach Boys' song "Fun, Fun, Fun" ('till her daddy takes the T-Bird away!")
Another popular Ford product: Mustang.
Ford's also built cars for NASCAR stock car racing and Formula One racing events. And they're not just about cars! Ford builds trucks, buses and tractors too.
As the look of its cars have evolved over time, so has the Ford logo.
Ford is currently based in this building in Dearborn, Michigan, nicknamed the "Glass House".
The company's assets were estimated at close to 225 billion dollars in 2015 on revenue that year of close to 150 billion dollars.