|
Year
|
Date
|
Event/Milestone
|
|
1863
|
July 30
|
Henry Ford born on a
Springwells Township farm, near Dearborn, Michigan.
|
|
1896
|
June 4
|
Henry Ford completes his
first car, the Quadricycle, in a shed behind his home at 58 Bagley Ave.,
Detroit, and takes it for a drive in the middle of the night.
|
|
1903
|
June 16
|
Henry Ford and 11
investors sign the Articles of incorporation for his car company. The
cars would be built in a converted wagon factory on Mack Avenue in
Detroit.
|
|
1903
|
June 17
|
Articles of incorporation
for the formation of the Ford Motor Company are filed with the State of
Michigan in Lansing.
|
|
1903
|
July 20
|
Ford Motor Company sells
its first car, a Model A, to a Detroit physician.
|
|
1904
|
Aug. 17
|
Ford Motor Company of
Canada, Ltd., receives its Provincial Charter to do business in
Walkerville, Ontario, near Windsor.
|
|
1906
|
Oct. 22
|
Henry Ford succeeds John
Gray as company president; acquires majority of stock.
|
|
1908
|
Oct. 1
|
Ford introduces the Model
T (destined to be one of the world's most popular cars).
|
|
1908
|
Oct. 1
|
First overseas sales
branch opens in Paris, France.
|
|
1909
|
Oct. 1
|
Sales company opens in
London, England.
|
|
1911
|
Oct. 1
|
Ford opens assembly plant
in Manchester, England, its first outside North America.
|
|
1913
|
Sept. 25
|
Contract signed to sell
Model T in China.
|
|
1913
|
Oct. 1
|
Contracts signed to sell
Model T in Indonesia, Siam and Dutch East Indies.
|
|
1913
|
Oct. 7
|
World's first moving
automobile assembly line begins operation at Ford's Highland Park
(Michigan) Plant.
|
|
1913
|
Dec. 31
|
Sales operations begin in
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
|
|
1914
|
Jan. 5
|
$5 pay for eight-hour day
announced at Model T Plant in Highland Park (replacing $2.34 for nine
hours); attracts thousands of job applicants.
|
|
1915
|
Dec. 10
|
One-millionth Ford car
built.
|
|
1916
|
June 1
|
Ford establishes
Automobiles Ford (France) and announces plans to build an assembly plant
in Bordeaux.
|
|
1917
|
July 27
|
Ford introduces its first
truck, the Model TT.
|
|
1917
|
Sept. 4
|
Henry Ford II born to
Eleanor and Edsel Ford.
|
|
1917
|
Oct. 8
|
Fordson, world's first
mass-produced tractor, begins production in Dearborn.
|
|
1918
|
Jan. 4
|
Construction of massive
Rouge automotive manufacturing complex begins.
|
|
1919
|
Jan. 1
|
Edsel Ford succeeds Henry
Ford as company president.
|
|
1919
|
July 9
|
Present-day Ford Motor
Company incorporated in Delaware.
|
|
1922
|
Jan. 30
|
Ford of Belgium founded in
Antwerp.
|
|
1922
|
Feb. 4
|
Ford buys Lincoln Motor
Company for $8 million.
|
|
1923
|
Jan. 27
|
Ford Italiana Spa
established, with an assembly plant in Trieste.
|
|
1924
|
June 4
|
Ten-millionth Ford car
built.
|
|
1924
|
Aug. 5
|
First public tours of
Rouge facilities.
|
|
1925
|
Feb. 17
|
Ford Japan formed;
vehicles to be built from imported components.
|
|
1925
|
Mar. 14
|
Birth of William Clay
Ford.
|
|
1925
|
Aug. 18
|
Ford Motor Co.
Aktiengesellschaft is founded in Berlin for the import of cars and
tractors.
|
|
1926
|
Sept. 28
|
Sales branch opens in
Alexandria, Egypt.
|
|
1926
|
|
Parts depot and assembly
operation set up in Berlin. Eight days later, the first Model T
assembled in Germany comes off the lines.
|
|
1927
|
Feb. 10
|
First radio-range guidance
of Tri-Motor plane.
|
|
1927
|
May 26
|
Henry and Edsel Ford drive
15-millionth Model T off assembly line at Highland Park, officially
ending Model T production. Production in England ends on Aug. 19; in
Ireland on Dec. 31. Total world production of Model T: 15,458,781.
|
|
1927
|
Oct. 27
|
Production of new Model A
begins at Rouge Assembly Plant.
|
|
1927
|
Dec. 2
|
New Model A introduced in
North America.
|
|
1928
|
Dec. 7
|
Ford of Britain (Ford
Motor Company Ltd.) formed to centralize Ford activities in Europe.
|
|
1929
|
Oct. 21
|
Henry Ford and Thomas
Edison dedicate the Edison Institute in Dearborn, Michigan, on the 50th
anniversary of the discovery of the electric light.
|
|
1930
|
Oct. 2
|
Henry Ford lays the
foundation stone for the Cologne plant on a 68-acre site in the Niehl
district.
|
|
1931
|
April 14
|
Ford builds its
20-millionth car.
|
|
1931
|
April 15
|
Ford closes Berlin plant.
|
|
1931
|
Oct. 1
|
Production begins at
Ford's Dagenham, England, plant, Europe's largest factory.
|
|
1932
|
Feb. 19
|
Ford launches its first
car designed specifically for Europe, the Model Y, starting in England.
|
|
1932
|
Mar. 9
|
Ford builds its first V-8
vehicle.
|
|
1933
|
June 7
|
Last of 199 Ford Tri-Motor
planes built.
|
|
1933
|
June 12
|
Edison Institute (now
called Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village) opens to the public
in Dearborn.
|
|
1936
|
Jan. 17
|
Henry and Edsel Ford
establish Ford Foundation, fund it with company stock.
|
|
1936
|
May 16
|
Ford Rotunda opens in
Dearborn. Built for 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair, took 18 mos. To
dismantle and rebuild as visitor center.
|
|
1937
|
Jan. 18
|
Ford builds its
25-millionth car.
|
|
1938
|
Oct. 6
|
Mercury line introduced by
Ford.
|
|
1938
|
|
A car is built at Cologne
every three minutes. The plant operates at full capacity.
|
|
1939
|
April 30
|
N.Y. World's Fair opens;
Ford Exposition building gives visitors a ride on the "Road of
Tomorrow."
|
|
1939
|
Oct. 3
|
Lincoln Continental
introduced.
|
|
1941
|
Mar. 1
|
Ford builds first general
purpose (G.P., or "jeep") vehicle for U.S. military at Rouge
Plant.
|
|
1941
|
June 20
|
UAW-CIO & Ford agree
to first closed-shop contract.
|
|
1942
|
Feb. 1
|
World War II halts
civilian car output; Ford shifts to total military production.
|
|
1943
|
May 26
|
Edsel Ford dies at age 49.
|
|
1943
|
June 1
|
Henry Ford re-elected
company president.
|
|
1944
|
Jan. 22
|
Henry Ford II elected vice
president.
|
|
1944
|
April 10
|
Henry Ford II elected
executive vice president.
|
|
1945
|
June 28
|
Last B-24 Liberator bomber
built at Willow Run Plant. (Ford built 8,600 bombers, 278,000 jeeps and
57,000 aircraft engines.)
|
|
1945
|
July 3
|
Ford resumes production of
civilian vehicles.
|
|
1945
|
Sept. 21
|
Henry Ford II named
company president.
|
|
1945
|
Oct. 22
|
Lincoln-Mercury Division
is established. With the war over, Mercury is slowly resuming production
with 1942 models. By year's end, Mercury production total is 2,848
vehicles.
|
|
1946
|
July 1
|
Ernest Breech named vice
president of the company.
|
|
1947
|
April 7
|
Henry Ford dies at age 83
at Fair Lane, his estate in Dearborn.
|
|
1948
|
Jan. 30
|
Benson Ford elected a
company vice president and general manager of Lincoln-Mercury Division.
|
|
1948
|
April 26
|
Production begins on
1949-model Ford, first new postwar design.
|
|
1948
|
June 3
|
William Clay Ford elected
a director.
|
|
1949
|
|
A special version of the
Taunus and a so-called rapid truck are launched.
|
|
1950
|
|
The export of German Ford
vehicles is resumed.
|
|
1950
|
August
|
One-millionth Mercury, one
of 293,658 automobiles manufactured by the division this year, rolls off
the line.
|
|
1950
|
Sept. 7
|
Cost-of-living salary
adjustment (COLA) plan for hourly and salaried employees announced.
|
|
1951
|
|
Ford produces its first
cars with Ford-made automatic transmissions; the Merc-O-Matic is offered
in the Mercury Monterey. The division manufactures a total of 310,387
cars for the year, but material limitations due to the Korean War begin
to affect production.
|
|
1951
|
|
In Frankfurt, Ford takes
part in the first International Motor Show (IAA) since the war.
|
|
1952
|
Aug. 31
|
Henry Ford Trade School
closes after 35 years.
|
|
1952
|
Oct. 9
|
William Clay Ford named
general manager of Special Products Operations.
|
|
1953
|
May 7
|
Ford Archives dedicated at
Fair Lane (former Henry Ford Estate).
|
|
1953
|
May 20
|
Research & Engineering
Center in Dearborn dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower via
closed-circuit television from the White House.
|
|
1953
|
June 16
|
Ford Rotunda, closed to
the public during World War II, reopens for the company's 50th
anniversary.
|
|
1953
|
Sept. 29
|
Groundbreaking ceremony
for the 12-story World Headquarters building in Dearborn.
|
|
1954
|
Oct. 22
|
Ford introduces
Thunderbird.
|
|
1955
|
Jan. 25
|
Ernest Breech elected
board chairman.
|
|
1955
|
April 15
|
Separate Lincoln and
Mercury divisions established; Special Products Operations becomes a
division.
|
|
1955
|
June 8
|
Ford adopts Supplemental
Employment Benefits (SUB) program.
|
|
1955
|
Oct. 4
|
Continental Mark II
introduced.
|
|
1956
|
Jan. 17
|
Sale of Ford common stock
begins.
|
|
1956
|
|
Ford buys a planned plant
site in Wulfrath, Germany.
|
|
1956
|
Feb. 1
|
Savings & Stock
Investment Program (SSIP) initiated for all eligible salaried employees.
|
|
1956
|
Sept. 26
|
New Central Office
Building dedicated at Michigan Avenue and Southfield Roads, in Dearborn;
later renamed Ford World Headquarters; in 1996, HQ and Ford Credit
complex renamed Henry Ford II World Center.
|
|
1957
|
Aug. 31
|
Lincoln and Mercury
divisions recombined.
|
|
1957
|
Sept. 4
|
Public introduction of
Edsel, new medium-priced car.
|
|
1958
|
January
|
Mercury, Lincoln and Edsel
divisions are joined to form M-E-L (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) Division.
|
|
1959
|
April 29
|
Fifty-millionth vehicle
built.
|
|
1959
|
Aug. 24
|
Ford Motor Credit Company
formed.
|
|
1959
|
Nov. 19
|
Ford announces it will
discontinue Edsel car line. Lincoln-Mercury Division is re-formed.
|
|
1960
|
Mar. 17
|
Ford introduces Mercury
Comet, first upscale compact car.
|
|
1960
|
July 13
|
Ernest Breech resigns as
board chairman, is succeeded by Henry Ford II, who also remains
president.
|
|
1960
|
Sept. 29
|
Ford Econoline series,
including van, pickup and station wagon bus, introduced.
|
|
1960
|
Nov. 9
|
Robert McNamara elected
company president.
|
|
1960
|
Dec. 12
|
President John F. Kennedy
names Robert McNamara as secretary of defense; McNamara resigns as Ford
president.
|
|
1961
|
Jan. 1
|
Henry Ford II resumes
duties as company president.
|
|
1961
|
April 12
|
John Dykstra elected
company president.
|
|
1961
|
April 18
|
Ford Parts Division formed
(MOTORCRAFT).
|
|
1961
|
Oct. 3
|
UAW calls first
company-wide strike against Ford (ends Oct. 20 with a three-year
contract).
|
|
1961
|
Oct. 12
|
Ford Fairlane introduced.
|
|
1961
|
Dec. 11
|
Ford acquires Philco
Corporation.
|
|
1962
|
July 2
|
Thirty-millionth V-8
engine produced.
|
|
1962
|
Nov. 9
|
Fire destroys Ford
Rotunda. (Total visitor attendance since opening in Dearborn in 1936:
18,019,340.)
|
|
1963
|
Jan. 7
|
Sixty-millionth vehicle
produced.
|
|
1963
|
May 1
|
Arjay Miller elected
company president.
|