1863 |
Henry Ford is born on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan |
1887 |
He marries Clara Bryant, a farmer’s daughter. |
1893 |
Their only son, Edsel, is born. |
1901 |
Henry Ford wins a race against the auto-racing champion of the day, Alexander Winton. His win gave him the credibility to obtain the financial backing to start Ford Motor Company. 1903 Ford Motor Company is founded. |
1908 |
Ford introduces the Model T. |
1913 |
The first moving assembly line is instituted at Ford’s Highland Park Plant. This immediately made assembly almost eight times faster. Eventually Model T’s were rolling off the line every 10 seconds of each working day. |
1913 |
Two daily 9-hour shifts are replaced by three successive 8-hour shifts and pay is increased to an unheard-of $5 per day. |
1914 |
Henry Ford announces that the minimum wage would be $5 a day (more than double the existing rate) for an eight-hour day. |
1918 |
The River Rouge plant is begun, the world’s largest industrial complex for its time. The facility allowed for the complete production of vehicles from raw materials processing to final assembly. It produces cars to this day. |
1919 |
One in every three cars purchased in the United States is a Model T. Henry Ford turns over company presidency to son Edsel. |
1920 |
Installing its first blast furnace, Ford begins producing steel for itself at the River Rouge plant. |
1921 |
The 5 millionth Model T is produced and placed ceremoniously in Dearborn’s Henry Ford museum. |
1922 |
Ford purchases the Lincoln brand. |
1924 |
The 10 millionth Ford car rolls off the assembly line. |
1927 |
The 15 millionth and last Model T is produced. The River Rouge plant is silenced while production equipment for the new Model A is installed. |
1932 |
Five million Model A’s are on the nation’s highways. Ford is the first company in history to successfully case a V-8 block in one piece. |
1933 |
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (formerly the Edison Institute) opens to the public. |
1936 |
The Ford Foundation is established and becomes by the early 1950s the largest American foundation, valued at over $1 billions. |
1941 |
Edsel Ford drives the first Ford World War II vehicle off the line at the Rouge Complex. Ford builds the first general-purpose vehicle (jeep) for military use in March 1941. |
1942–1946 |
The Willow Run plant is re-tooled to produce over 8,000 giant Liberator bombers for the war effort. |
1943 |
Edsel Ford dies unexpectedly at the age of 49. Henry Ford returns as president of 140,000 employees. |
1945 |
Henry Ford II, Edsel’s eldest son, becomes Ford president and leads the company into a great postwar revival. |
1946 |
Henry Ford II hires 10 young former U.S. Air Force officers, nicknamed the Whiz Kids, who bring the principles of modern management to the company. |
1947 |
Henry Ford dies at his home at the age of 83. |
1948 |
Ford builds the first F-Series pickup truck, the most successful vehicle line in automotive history. Ford’s first new car model design after World War II goes into production. |
1955 |
Ford Motor Company goes public. |
1961 |
Ford Parts Division is formed (Motorcraft). |
1964 |
The GT40 Mark II is introduced and goes on to take the top three places in Le Mans in 1966 and breaks almost every established track record at the Daytona 2000-kilometer race. |
1967 |
Ford of Europe is established to coordinate the development, manufacturing and sale of cars and trucks in Europe and Africa. |
1970 |
Asia-Pacific Auto operations formed. |
1976 |
The retractable safety belt restraint system, a new industry standard, is placed in the Mercury Bobcat. |
1979 |
Henry Ford II retires |
1982 |
Ford and U.A.W. reach an historic agreement encompassing innovative labor-management concepts. |
1988 |
Ford is the world’s fourth largest industrial corporation and the largest family-controlled business with family members controlling over 40% of shareholder votes. |
1989 |
Ford acquires Jaguar for $2.5 billion. |
1993 |
Ford is the first automaker to have dual air bags as standard equipment in most cars. |
1996 |
Ford becomes first and only auto company to certify all of its plants (140 plants in 26 countries) under ISO 14001, the world environmental standard. |
1999 |
Bill Ford becomes chairman of Ford Motor Company. In October 2001, he adds the role of Chief Executive Officer. Ford buys Volvo for $6.45 billion. |
2000 |
Ford Focus is the first vehicle to receive both ‘North American Car of the Year’ and ‘European Car of the Year’ awards. Redevelopment begins of the entire Ford Rouge Center, which will include a new vehicle assembly plant as the centerpiece of the nation’s largest industrial redevelopment project. |
2003 |
Ford Motor Company celebrates its 100th anniversary. |