When was ford motors founded amazon

It has since added the Fusion, Fiesta, Mondeo and Endeavour models to its product line. On March 9, , Ford launched its first made-for-India compact car. The company said that it intends to maintain its parts and service network. Ford's market presence in the Middle East has traditionally been small, partly due to previous Arab boycotts of companies dealing with Israel.

Ford and Lincoln vehicles are currently marketed in ten countries in the region. Ford also established itself in Egypt in but faced an uphill battle during the s due to the hostile nationalist business environment. Ford employs over 18, people and operates seven assembly or other plants in the region. In early , Ford's Brazil branch announced it would completely cease production in the country over the course of a few months.

In Africa, Ford's market presence has traditionally been strongest in South Africa and neighbouring countries, with only trucks being sold elsewhere on the continent. Ford in South Africa began by importing kits from Canada to be assembled at its facility in Port Elizabeth ; the company later sourced its models from the UK and Australia, with local versions of the Ford Cortina including the XR6, with a 3.

Following international condemnation of apartheid , Ford divested from South Africa in , and sold its stake in Samcor, although it licensed the use of its brand name to the company. Ford now sells a local sedan version of the Fiesta also built in India and Mexico , and the Focus. The Falcon model from Australia was also sold in South Africa, but was dropped in ; the Mondeo, after briefly being assembled locally, was dropped in The Mondeo was later reintroduced in , badged as the Fusion , but was dropped in The Ford Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto was first opened in , and in January , announced plans to significantly expand its operations.

Ford has the position of chief futurist in charge of forecasting which was started in by Sheryl Connelly, and is currently held by Jennifer Brace. Ford decided to shut down their entire operations in Indonesia , including their dealer network by second half of Ford established a manufacturing facility in the port city of Yokohama in February , where Model T vehicles were assembled using imported knock-down kits.

Production ceased in as a result of political tensions between Japan and the United States. After World War II, Ford did not have a presence in Japan, as the Ford facility was appropriated by the Japanese Government until when property was returned as a possession of the Ford Motor Company and became a research and development location for Ford partner Mazda.

In , Ford acquired a The Autorama sales channel was renamed Ford Sales of Japan in Mazda manufactured Ford vehicles in Japan and sold them as Fords at the Autorama locations. Ford increased its shareholding in Mazda to As of February [update] , Ford no longer maintains a regional office in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and sales of new cars in Japan have ended.

In Australia and New Zealand, the popular Ford Falcon — had long been considered the average family car and is considerably larger than the Mondeo, Ford's largest car sold in Europe. Between and , the Falcon was based on a U. High-performance variants of the Falcon running locally built engines produce up to hp kW. A ute short for "utility", known in the U.

In addition, Ford Australia sold highly tuned limited-production Falcon sedans and utes through its performance car division, Ford Performance Vehicles until it closed in In New Zealand, Ford was second in market share in the first eight months of with Ford discontinued the Fairlane in and LTD in Ford had announced that their Geelong engine manufacturing plant would be shut down between and They had earlier announced local manufacturing of the Focus small car starting from , but instead decided to import the model from Ford's plant in Thailand.

In Australia, the Laser was one of Ford Australia 's most successful models and was manufactured in Ford's Homebush West plant from until the plant's closure in September It outsold the Mazda , despite being almost identical to it because the Laser was manufactured in Australia and Ford was perceived as a local brand. The scheduled closure of Ford's Australian manufacturing base in was confirmed on May 23, It was noted that the corporate fleet and government sales that account for two-thirds of large, local car sales in Australia are insufficient to keep Ford's products profitable and viable in Australia.

The decision will affect Ford workers—over employees in Geelong and more than in Broadmeadows—who will lose their jobs by October Ford Motor Company sells a broad range of automobiles under the Ford marque worldwide, and an additional range of luxury automobiles under the Lincoln marque in the United States. The company has sold vehicles under a number of other marques during its history.

The Mercury brand was introduced by Ford in , continuing in production until when poor sales led to its discontinuation. In , the Merkur brand was introduced in the United States to market products produced by Ford of Europe; it was discontinued in In November , it reduced its Ford and Mazda remain strategic partners through exchanges of technological information and joint ventures, including an American joint venture plant in Flat Rock, Michigan called Auto Alliance.

On April 25, , Ford announced that it planned to phase out all but one of its North American automobile models the Mustang will be the sole surviving model to focus primarily on pickup trucks and SUVs. Ford had also planned to introduce an "Active" crossover version of the next-generation Focus , but canceled those plans due to tariff issues between the United States and China.

From the s to the late s, Ford's Ford F-Series was used as the base for light trucks for the North American market. Most of these ventures are now extinct. The European one that lasted longest was the lorries arm of Ford of Britain , which became part of the Iveco group in Ford had a minority share in the new company and Iveco took over sales and production of the Ford Cargo range.

At the end of , Ford sold the rights to its heavy trucks division to the Freightliner Trucks division of Daimler AG, with Ford producing the Cargo, Louisville, and Aeromax, through the model year. During the model year, Freightliner began production of its own versions of Ford-developed trucks in St. Thomas, Ontario, launching the Sterling truck brand.

For , Ford briefly withdrew from production of medium-duty trucks. In Europe, Ford manufactures the Ford Transit jumbo van, which is classed as a Large Goods Vehicle and has a payload of up to 2, kg; there are options of a panel van, pickup or chassis cab. Ford manufactured complete buses in the company's early history, but today the role of the company has changed to that of a second stage manufacturer.

In North America, the E-Series is still used as a chassis for small school buses and the F is used in commercial bus markets. In the s and s, the medium-duty B was a popular chassis used by school bus body manufacturers including Thomas Built , Ward , and Blue Bird , but Ford lost its market share due to industry contraction and agreements between body manufacturers.

Older bus models included:. In , Ford introduced the Ford Transit Bus , a series of small transit buses with bodies built by a second party. Originally a front-engine design, it was modified to a rear-engine design in About 1, to 1, of the original design were built, and around 12, of the rear-engine design, which was in production until [ ] rebranded as the Universal Bus in Rear-engine Transit Bus chassis model numbers: [ ].

The "Henry Ford and Son Company" began making Fordson tractors in Henry's hometown of Springwells later part of Dearborn , Michigan, from to , from to , at Cork , Ireland, and between and at Dagenham , England, later transferred to Basildon. They were also produced in Leningrad beginning in Ford reentered the tractor market in with the Ford N-series tractors.

The Ford 8N, introduced in , became the most popular tractor of all time in North America. Production of the N line of models ended in The Ford NAA tractor was introduced as an entirely new model in It was a replacement for the Ford N-Series tractors. Larger than the 8N, with a four-cylinder engine, and streamlined styling. In , Ford expanded its tractor business when it purchased the Sperry-New Holland skid-steer loader and hay baler, hay tools and implement company from Sperry Corporation and formed Ford-New Holland which bought out Versatile tractors in Ford offers automotive finance through Ford Motor Credit Company.

Ford's FoMoCo parts division sells aftermarket parts under the Motorcraft brand name. It has spun off its parts division under the name Visteon. As a constructor, Ford won the World Sportscar Championship three times in both sports prototype category and Grand Touring GT category , GT category , and sports prototype category , and at the World Rally Championship Ford won 4 World Drivers' Championships in , , and as well as 4 World Manufacturers' Championships in , , and Ford is also one of only three constructors to complete the Triple Crown of Motorsport wins at the Indianapolis , 24 Hours of Le Mans , and Monaco Grand Prix , a feat that Ford achieved as an engine manufacturer by winning the Monaco Grand Prix.

Formula Ford , conceived in the UK in , is an entry-level type of formula racing with wingless single-seater cars. Many of today's formula racing drivers started their car racing careers in this category. Ford was heavily involved in Formula One for many years and supplied engines to a large number of teams from until These engines were designed and manufactured by Cosworth , the racing division that was owned by Ford from to Ford entered Formula One as a constructor in under the Jaguar Racing name, after buying the Stewart Grand Prix team which had been its primary 'works' team in the series since Jaguar achieved little success in Formula One, and after a turbulent five seasons, Ford withdrew from the category after the season , selling both Jaguar Racing which became Red Bull Racing and Cosworth to Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven.

The Ford nameplate has won eight manufacturer's championships in the Cup Series while Mercury has won one. Ford has a long history in rallying and has been active in the World Rally Championship since the beginning of the world championship, the season.

When was ford motors founded amazon

Ford is the only manufacturer to score in the points for 92 consecutive races; since the season opener Monte Carlo Rally. Ford has competed in rallycross with its Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus. Ford sports cars have been visible in the world of sports car racing since Most notably the Ford GT40 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in , , and and is the only American car to ever win overall at this prestigious event.

The Ford Mustang has arguably been Ford's most successful sports car. Ford dominated Trans-Am in the s with Tommy Kendall winning championships in , , , and with Paul Gentilozzi adding yet another title in Ford and Michelin teamed up to provide custom-engineered tires for the Ford Performance vehicle lineup. Ford has branched out into drifting with the introduction of the new model Mustang.

Part of the challenge of successful marketing alternative and flexible fuel vehicles in the U. Significant efforts to ramp up production and distribution of E85 fuels are underway and expanding. In , Ford and Toyota agreed a patent-sharing accord that granted Ford access to certain hybrid technology patented by Toyota; in exchange, Ford licensed some of its own patents to Toyota.

With this vehicle, Ford was third to the automotive market with a hybrid electric vehicle and the first hybrid electric SUV to market. This was also the first hybrid electric vehicle with a flexible fuel capability to run on E The similar Mazda Tribute will also receive a hybrid-electric powertrain option, along with many other vehicles in the Ford vehicle line.

In , Ford announced a goal to make , hybrids a year by , but by mid announced that it would not meet that goal, due to excessively high costs and the lack of sufficient supplies of the hybrid-electric batteries and drivetrain system components. This engineering study is expected to yield more than new hybrid-electric vehicle models and derivatives.

Under the multimillion-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer settings", according to Ford. By June , Ford had sold , full hybrids in the U.

Bill Ford was one of the first top industry executives to make regular use of a battery electric vehicle , a Ford Ranger EV , while the company contracted with the United States Postal Service to deliver electric postal vans based on the Ranger EV platform. Ford discontinued a line of electric Ranger pickup trucks and ordered them destroyed, though it reversed in January , after environmentalist protest.

From to , Ford offered the Ford TH! NK car. Ford ended production and ordered all the cars repossessed and destroyed, even as many of the people leasing them begged to be able to buy the cars from Ford. After an outcry from the lessees and activists in the U. The — Azure Transit Connect Electric is an all-electric van that was developed as a collaboration between Azure Dynamics and Ford Motor Company, but Azure was the official manufacturer of record.

The — Ford Focus Electric is based on the third-generation Focus internal combustion vehicle, converted to an all-electric propulsion system as a production electric car by Magna International , and retail sales began in the U. In October , Ford announced its Team Edison battery electric vehicle group to lead the company's renewed efforts into the EV market, which had plans for a small mile range SUV by On November 17, , the Mustang Mach-E was introduced which later went on sale December as a model.

On May 19, , Ford revealed a new electric pickup truck, the F Lightning. As the result of Ford-VW global alliance cooperation agreement, [ ] Ford began developing electric vehicles for the European market using the Volkswagen Group MEB platform along with batteries supplied by Volkswagen. It is produced in the Cologne plant in Germany, which previously manufactured the Fiesta small car.

In March , Ford increased its focus in battery electric vehicles by establishing Ford Model E, a division for Ford's electric vehicle business. Ford Model E is expected to be profitable by , and the company said the division "should be seen as a startup ". Existing Ford electric models will be able to connect to the NACS system and its chargers by use of an adapter.

Ford also continues to study fuel cell -powered electric powertrains and has demonstrated hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine technologies, as well as developing the next-generation hybrid-electric systems. Ford has launched the production of hydrogen-powered shuttle buses, using hydrogen instead of gasoline in a standard internal combustion engine , for use at airports and convention centers.

The Fuel cell Explorer has a combined output of hp kW. It has a large hydrogen storage tank which is situated in the center of the car taking the original place of the conventional model's automatic transmission. The centered position of the tank assists the vehicle reach a notable range of miles km , the farthest for a fuel cell vehicle so far.

The fuel cell Explorer the first in a series of prototypes partly funded by the United States Department of Energy to expand efforts to determine the feasibility of hydrogen-powered vehicles. The fuel cell Explorer is one of several vehicles with green technology being featured at the L. In July , Ford Motor Company announced that it would accelerate its plans to produce more fuel-efficient cars, changing both its North American manufacturing plans and its lineup of vehicles available in the United States.

In terms of North American manufacturing, the company planned to convert three existing pickup truck and sport utility vehicle SUV plants for small car production, with the first conversion at its Michigan Truck Plant. Ford then also planned to introduce to North America six of its European small vehicles, including two versions of the Ford Fiesta, by the end of Ford of Europe developed the ECOnetic programme to address the market and legislative need for higher fuel efficiency and lower CO 2 emissions.

As opposed to the hybrid engine technology used in competitor products such as the Toyota Prius , ECOnetic improves existing technology. Using lower-consuming Duratorq TDCi diesel engines, and based on a combination of improved aerodynamics, lower resistance, and improved efficiency, the Ford Fiesta was the lowest-emitting mass-produced car in Europe [ ] while the Ford Focus ECOnetic will have better fuel consumption than the Prius or the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion.

In , under the leadership of the current Ford chairman, William Clay Ford, the company announced [ ] a planned 25 percent improvement in the average mileage of its SUVs—to be completed by the calendar year. In , Ford announced that competitive market conditions and technological and cost challenges would prevent the company from achieving this goal.

For the model year, Ford had thirteen U. Ford claimed to have eliminated nearly three million pounds of smog-forming emissions from their U. The sedum retains and cleanses rainwater and moderates the internal temperature of the building, saving energy. In , Ford announced a ten-year renovation plan for its Dearborn campus. Ford sponsors numerous events and sports facilities around the U.

The company has also been a major sponsor of the UEFA Champions League for over two decades, and is also a longtime sponsor of the Sky media channel's coverage of Premier League football. Between and , Ford was the main kit sponsor of German Bundesliga club 1. Only models sold in Continental Europe and the British Isles are shown, overseas territories often have different offerings.

Developed in collaboration with other manufacturers Manufactured in Ford factories in other continents. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. American multinational automobile manufacturer. For other uses, see Ford disambiguation.

Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Traded as. Dearborn , Michigan. Automobiles Performance vehicles Luxury vehicles Commercial vehicles Automotive parts. Ford Lincoln Motorcraft. Automotive finance Vehicle leasing Vehicle service. Operating income. Net income. Main article: History of Ford Motor Company. Main article: Ford of Europe.

Main article: Ford Motor Company of Japan. Main article: Ford Performance. Main article: Ford World Rally Team. Environmental initiatives. This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: this section did not include newer electric and hybrid models. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.

January See also: Hybrid electric vehicle. Plug-in electric vehicles. See also: Plug-in electric vehicle. Increased fuel efficiency. June National Park Service. Archived from the original PDF on February 22, Retrieved August 18, December 31, Retrieved February 4, Securities and Exchange Commission. February 7, Retrieved February 11, Archived from the original on July 18, Retrieved May 15, The Wall Street Journal.

Archived from the original on September 30, Retrieved September 16, Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 3, Archived from the original on June 20, Retrieved August 31, Ford Motor Company. August 2, Archived from the original on August 3, Retrieved August 2, The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, Retrieved August 28, December 19, Retrieved April 8, CNN Money.

Archived from the original on July 2, Retrieved December 20, Archived from the original on August 23, Retrieved November 9, Archived from the original PDF on April 12, Retrieved February 1, — via Sohu. March Retrieved May 10, The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising. ISBN Archived from the original on June 14, Retrieved August 15, Archived from the original on November 20, Retrieved May 24, August International Economic History Congress.

Archived from the original PDF on October 20, Retrieved August 8, Wheels for the world: Henry Ford, his company, and a century of progress, Retrieved June 4, IEEE Spectrum. Archived from the original on December 23, Retrieved December 19, Archived from the original on November 29, Archived from the original on December 22, Quaker Scribe Publishing.

Archived from the original on October 9, Retrieved February 13, September 30, May 17, Archived from the original on May 19, Retrieved June 22, Good Car Bad Car. Retrieved August 11, BBC News. Archived from the original on March 27, Retrieved September 19, The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 4, January 3, Archived from the original on January 3, January 23, July 5 - Ford Guest Center opens on the 50th anniversary of Rouge plant tours.

June 20 - "Topping out" ceremonies held for first of four story office towers in Detroit's new Renaissance Center. January 1 - A new industry standard, the retractable safety belt restraint system is placed in the Mercury Bobcat. A snarling cougar head is introduced as the new Cougar emblem. January 1 - Ford produces its one millionth Transit in Germany.

March 11 - Marian Heiskell becomes first woman elected to the board; retires May 1, April 14 - Three-member Office of the Chief Executive established: Henry Ford II continues as chairman and chief executive officer; Lee Iacocca continues as president and is designated chief operating officer; Philip Caldwell is named vice chairman, a new position.

October 8 - Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr introduced. October 15 - CL line-haul diesel truck goes on sale. June 16 - Ford Motor Company marks its 75th anniversary with observances at World Headquarters and around the globe. July 27 - Benson Ford, director and vice president, dies September 14 - Philip Caldwell elected company president.

December 14 - One-hundred-fifty-millionth vehicle built. He retires as Chairman in Lincoln Town Car is introduced as the company's top-of-the-line model. Ford Escort is introduced in the US. Profit-sharing plan established. Ford employees hold first celebration of Black History month. Harold "Red" Poling becomes President. Ford Taurus introduced with revolutionary "aero design" styling.

Ford Motor Company earnings exceed those of General Motors for the first time since Donald Peterson retires. Harold Poling named new Chairman. Mazda MX-5 Miata unveiled. Ford Motor Company is honored to claim five of the eight top selling vehicles in the United States. Ford President Philip Benton, Jr. The first formal Ford Dealerships are placed inside Mainland China.

Later, Ford China Operations is created, securing the establishment of manufacturing and assembly centers inside China. Development begins on a marketable natural gas-powered vehicle. Ford Motor Company is the first auto maker to have dual airbags as standard equipment in most of its cars. The first Ford vehicle assembly begins in India.

The Ford Motor Company, in keeping with its globalization goals, develops a new family-car designed to fit global needs. Ford is the first and only Auto Company to certify all of its plants plants in 26 different countries under the provisions of ISO —the world environmental standard. The millionth Ford Vehicle is assembled. Research begun in , leads to the first fleet of natural gas-powered cars to be sold commercially.

These automobiles were then marketed to New York City as taxis. The Ford Motor Company creates Visteon Automotive Systems to design, develop, and deliver fully integrated systems for the world market. Ford Motor Company and the Mobil Corporation ally in the ongoing search for alternative, and cleaner, fuel sources. With the environment in mind, Ford rallies with Ballard and Daimler-Benz automotive groups to develop fuel-cell technology.

The AI is designed to improve fuel economy by monitoring fuel combustion rates. Major redesign of nearly all Ford, Mercury, Lincoln and Jaguar models. Ford and UAW reach agreement that will allow Visteon auto parts unit to be divested as long as Ford agrees to keep Visteon workers on its payrolls. To start an automotive e-business integrated supply chain, Ford joins with the Oracle Corporation.

In addition to the certification of its own plants as ISO friendly, Ford requires all suppliers with manufacturing facilities to adhere to that same standard. Ford establishes Jaguar Racing Formula One team. Visteon, created in by Ford Motor Company, becomes an independent organization. Retro-styled Ford Thunderbird is reintroduced. June 16 - Ford Motor Co.

The Ford GT was released to celebrate this occasion. October - Ford unveils a hybridized fuel cell-powered automobile built into the frame of the wildly popular Ford Focus. Ford announces major restructuring, called The Way Forward, aimed at bringing production capacity and fixed costs into alignment with projected market share. Gray sided with Ford.

Gray died unexpectedly in , and his position as Ford's president was taken over by Ford himself soon afterward. Ford was subject to lawsuits or threats from the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers early in its history. The association claimed patent rights to most gasoline-powered automobiles. After several years of legal wrangling, the association eventually dropped its case against Ford in During its early years, the company produced a range of vehicles designated, chronologically, from the Ford Model A to the Model K and Model S Ford's last right-hand steering model [ 10 ] of In , Henry Ford introduced the Model T.

Earlier models were produced at a rate of only a few a day at a rented factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit , Michigan and later at the Piquette Avenue Plant the first company-owned factory , with groups of two or three men working on each car from components made to order by other companies what would come to be called an "assembled car".

The first Model Ts were built at the Piquette Avenue Plant and in the car's first full year of production, , just over 10, Model Ts were built. As demand for the car grew, the company moved production to the much larger Highland Park Plant in In , 69, [ 15 ] Model Ts were produced, with , in These innovations were hard on employees, and turnover of workers was very high, while increased productivity reduced labor demand.

Ford cut prices again and again and invented the system of franchised dealers who were loyal to his brand name. Wall Street had criticized Ford's generous labor practices when he began paying workers enough to buy the products they made. While Ford attained international status in with the founding of Ford of Canada , it was in the company began to rapidly expand overseas, with the opening of assembly plants in Ireland , England and France, followed by Denmark , Germany , Austria , [ 15 ] and Argentina The low price also killed the cyclecar in the U.

Of U. It also transformed technology. Henry Ford is reported to have said, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black. Now, paint had become a production bottleneck; only Japan Black dried quickly enough, and not until Duco lacquer appeared in would other colors reappear on the T. In , Henry Ford went on a peace mission to Europe aboard a ship, joining other pacifists in efforts to stop World War I.

This led to an increase in his personal popularity. Ford would subsequently go on to support the war effort with the Model T becoming the underpinnings for Allied military vehicles, like the Ford 3-Ton M tank, and the ambulance. Ford Motor Company. The decision was then upheld in the appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court which stated that: [ citation needed ].

A business corporation is organized and carried on primarily for the profit of the stockholders. The powers of the directors are to be employed for that end. The discretion of directors is to be exercised in the choice of means to attain that end, and does not extend to a change in the end itself, to the reduction of profits, or to the non-distribution of profits among stockholders in order to devote them to other purposes In response Henry Ford determined to buy out the remaining shareholders.

To encourage this, he threatened to leave and set up a rival company, offering to buy out the minority shareholders, at varying prices. While prices were kept low through highly efficient engineering, the company and neglected consumer demand for improved vehicles. So, while four-wheel brakes were invented by Arrol-Johnson and were used on the Argyll , [ 15 ] they did not appear on a Ford until , [ 15 ] only a year before Chevrolet.

Ford steadily lost market share to GM and Chrysler , as these and other domestic and foreign competitors began offering fresher automobiles with more innovative features and luxury options. GM had a range of models from relatively cheap to luxury, tapping all price points in the spectrum, while less wealthy people purchased used Model Ts.

The competitors also opened up new markets by extending credit for purchases, so consumers could buy these expensive automobiles with monthly payments. Ford initially resisted this approach, insisting such debts would ultimately hurt the consumer and the general economy. Ford eventually relented and started offering the same terms in December , when Ford unveiled the redesigned Model A , and retired the Model T after producing 15 million units.

An early version of the Ford script in the oval badge was first used on the Model A; the Ford script had been created in by Childe Harold Wills , and the oval trademark in On February 4, , Ford expanded its reach into the luxury auto market through its acquisition of the Lincoln Motor Company from Henry M. Leland who had founded and named the company in for Abraham Lincoln whom Henry Leland admired.

The Mercury division was established later in to serve the mid-price auto market between the Ford and Lincoln brands. Henry Ford would go on to acquire Abraham Lincoln's chair, which he was assassinated in, from the owners of Ford's Theatre. Abraham Lincoln's chair would be displayed along with John F. Kennedy's limousine was leased to the White House by Ford.

In , Henry Ford negotiated a deal with the government of Brazil for a plot of land in the Amazon Rainforest. There, Ford attempted to cultivate rubber for use in the company's automobiles. After considerable labor unrest, social experimentation, and a failure to produce rubber, and after the invention of synthetic rubber , the settlement was sold in and abandoned.

During the Great Depression in the United States , Ford in common with other manufacturers, responded to the collapse in motor sales by reducing the scale of their operations and laying off workers. Although Ford did assist a small number of distressed families with loans and parcels of land to work, the majority of the thousands of unskilled workers who were laid off were left to cope on their own.

However, Henry Ford angered many by making public statements that the unemployed should do more to find work for themselves. On March 7, , some 3,—5, unemployed workers assembled in West Detroit to march on Ford's River Rouge plant to deliver a petition demanding more support. As the march moved up Miller Road and approached Gate 3 the protest turned ugly.

The police fired tear gas into the crowd and fire trucks were used to soak the protesters with icy water. When the protesters responded by throwing rocks, the violence escalated rapidly and culminated in the police and plant security guards firing live rounds through the gates of the plant at the unarmed protesters. Four men were killed outright and a fifth died later in the hospital.

Up to 60 more were seriously injured. A few American workers stayed on after the plant's completion, and eventually became victims of Stalin's Great Terror , either shot [ 28 ] or exiled to Soviet gulags. Both these Ford models were immediately adopted for military use. By the late s production at Gorki was 80,, "Russian Ford" vehicles per year.

With its original Ford-designed vehicles supplemented by imports and domestic copies of imported equipment, the Gorki operations eventually produced a range of automobiles, trucks, and military vehicles. Chamber of Commerce stating that Henry Ford was "one of the world's greatest industrialists". Ford insisted that peaceful trade was the best way to avoid war.

Ford had a subsidiary in Germany. In , a Ford executive visiting Germany was informed by a Nazi official that Ford's Cologne plant manager was a Jew he had one grandparent who was Jewish , prompting discussions at Ford offices in both Germany and the U. Heinrich Albert, Ford's Germany-U. The manager was replaced by Robert Schmidt, who would play an important role in Germany's war effort.

Henry Ford had said war was a waste of time, and did not want to profit from it. Ford nevertheless established a close collaboration with Germany's Nazi government before the war—so close, in fact, that Ford received, in July , the Grand Cross of the German Eagle medal from the regime. Ford factories contributed significantly to the buildup of Germany's armed forces.

Ford negotiated a resource-sharing agreement that allowed the German military to access scarce supplies, particularly rubber. During this same period, Ford was hesitant to participate in the Allied military effort. The company enthusiastically supported the war effort after Pearl Harbor, making it a major component of the "Arsenal of Democracy" that President Roosevelt had promised would mobilize industrial resources to win the war.

The company produced , tanks and trucks, 27, engines, , Jeeps, over 8, B Liberators , and hundreds of thousands of parts, gun mounts, and machine tools for the war effort. The company's new Willow Run factory was designed for the production of B bombers although the production line was initially characterized by bungling and incompetence.

The U. Treasury Department investigated Ford for alleged collaboration with German-run Ford plants in occupied France, but did not find conclusive evidence. By , Ford's business dealings with Nazi Germany and alleged profiteering from Nazi Germany became the subject of lawsuits. In , a despondent Edsel Ford died of stomach cancer. Henry decided then to resume direct control of the company, but this proved a very poor idea as he was 78 years old and suffering from heart problems and atherosclerosis.

His mental state was also questionable, and there was a very real possibility that the company would collapse if he died or became incapacitated. The Roosevelt Administration had a contingency plan in place to nationalize Ford if need be so that they wouldn't lose vital military production. At this point, Ford's wife and daughter-in-law intervened and demanded that he turn control over to his grandson [ 42 ] Henry Ford II.

They threatened to sell off their stock amounting to half the company's total shares if he refused. Henry was infuriated, but there was nothing he could do, and so he gave in. Henry Ford died of a brain hemorrhage on April 7, Mourners passed by at a rate of 5, each hour at the public viewing on Wednesday of that week at Greenfield Village in Dearborn.

Paul in Detroit on Thursday April 9, Ernest R. Breech , head of Bendix Aviation , [ 42 ] was hired in , and became first executive vice president, then board chairman in In , Ford became a publicly traded corporation. Also in , following its emphasis on safety improvements in new models, Motor Trend awarded the company its "Car of the Year" award.

In , Robert McNamara joined Ford as manager of planning and financial analysis. Ford's recruitment process was designed to identify and sort out potential homosexual applicants. Ford pioneers moving assembly lines and mass production, selling over 1 million Model Ts in one year for the first time. Ford acquires the prestigious luxury automaker Lincoln Motor Company to expand into the high-end market.

After selling over 15 million Model Ts, the cornerstone Model A goes into production as Ford shifts to a more conventional design. Ford unveils its groundbreaking flathead V8 engine, the first affordable and mass-produced V8 bringing unprecedented power to mainstream cars. With American auto plants redirected for the war effort—Ford manufactures bombers, jeeps, tanks, aircraft engines helping the Allies achieve victory in WWII.

Post-war economic boom fuels massive auto demand—Ford division sells over 1 million vehicles again now that factories have retooled for consumer production.