"Ford Motor" Ford motor Company, an American automobile company specializing in the production of cars brands "Ford", "Mercury", "Lincoln", trucks, various agricultural machinery. Ford owns Jaguar. The headquarters is located in Dearborn (Michigan), near which was once the farm of Henry Ford's parents.
The company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and, according to the idea of its creator, was immediately intended for the production of a mass cheap car. Initially, this was the "A" model, in 1908 it was replaced by the "T" model, dubbed "tin Lizzy" by cartoonists. The success of the new model was so great that the ever-expanding Ford factories could not cope with orders. In the first year of production of this model, 10,660 cars were sold, which broke all records in automotive industry that time.
At Ford Motor in 1913, for the first time in the world, a method of standardizing interchangeable parts of products and a conveyor technology for assembling automobiles were introduced in production, which made it possible to raise labor productivity by 40-60% in just one year. At the same time, the wages of workers and employees increased so that they exceeded the industry average twice. Enterprises are introducing an eight-hour working day. By the middle of 1914, 500,000 Model Ts had been produced; by 1923, every second car in America was made at Ford Motor factories.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Ford Motor actively opened branches in many countries of the world, including cooperating with Soviet Russia (creating GAZ and AMO plants). Although Henry Ford was sharply negative about the October Revolution, he nevertheless believed that Russia had a great future if it embarked on the path of industrial development.
In 1922 Ford Motor acquired the Lincoln Company, which was entrusted to Edsel Ford. The older Ford's authoritarian management style becomes a favorite target of the leftist press, and Ford's refusal to tolerate unions in his factories sparks a campaign of real harassment. However, by the end of the 1920s, Americans were tired of the monotonous “T” model. Competitors from General Motors are breaking ahead, Ford Motor responds with the Ford A model, the popularity of which still lags behind Chevy and Buicks.
The Great Depression of 1929 dramatically reduced car sales. Wages are cut in half.
In 1932, the beginning of mass production of V-shaped 8-cylinder engines. Ford Motor Company becomes the first company to produce a monolithic eight-cylinder block. It will be many more years before Ford's competitors can mass-produce reliable V-8 engines. In the meantime, the Ford car and its reliable engine have become a favorite of practical Americans. An assembly plant was opened in Cologne.
Comparatively successful was the Mercury line of cars, launched in 1938. The company is nominally run by Edsel Ford, but his authority cannot be compared to that of his father. Business begins to stagnate, which lasted until the outbreak of World War II, when military orders improved things.
From 1942 to 47, the production of civilian vehicles stopped abruptly, because. the company directed all its efforts to military needs. The gigantic wartime program started by Edzel Ford produced 8,600 four-engined V-24 Liberator bombers, 57,000 aircraft engines, and more than a quarter of a million tanks, anti-tank mounts, and other military equipment in less than 3 years.
After the short reign of old Ford (Edsel died in 1943), in 1945 power passed to Henry Ford II, who inspired new life to the company.
Ford Jr. reorganizes the recruitment system, uses brainstorming methods known to him from the war to develop the firm's strategy, inviting a group of system analysts.
In 1949 Ford Motor Company sells approximately 807,000 vehicles, increasing its profit from $94 million (the previous year) to $177 million and reaching its highest sales since 1929. Henry Ford II's post-war reorganization program quickly restored the company's health. The result was the construction of 44 manufacturing plants, 18 assembly plants, 32 parts depots, two huge test sites, and 13 engineering and research laboratories in the United States.
The launch of the Thunderbird series in 1955 and the now classic Mustang strengthened Ford Motor's financial position. The attractive 1965 4-seater Mustang became America's darling. In the first 100 days, 100,000 of these cars were sold. Total sales for the year were 418,812 vehicles, generating $1 billion in profits for the company.
In 1968, the first 1.6-litre Escort Twin Cam launched its racing career, successfully opening the season and winning circuits in Ireland, the Danish Tulip, the Austrian Alps, the Acropolis and the Scottish Rally for eight weeks. By the end of its first season, the Escort had won the famous 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland, helping Ford secure a strong position in the World New Car Rally Championship. System implementation electronic control vehicle speed. Models with the Twin Cam Escort design continued to win worldwide in 1969 and 1970.
The Western European model Ford Taunus / Cortina was very common in the 1970s and 1980s. The production of the station wagon (Kombi) Ford Taunus / Cortina family began back in 1970 (in Germany, models called Taunus have existed since the 63rd). The car was produced in almost all of the then European Ford plants, and the name Cortina was given to the English version with "right-hand drive". In January 1976, the second-generation Taunus/Cortina model, substantially redesigned, went into production.
Since 1976, with the launch of the new generation of Ford Econoline E-series hooded cargo-passenger models, chassis elements, engines and transmissions similar to the F-series SUVs and pickups began to be used. In 1992, they brought to the market new scale comfortable 7-, 8-, 12- and 15-seater all-metal minibuses and four-door vans with a body.
The Fiesta family has existed for over 20 years - the first generation appeared back in 1976. The life path of the current generation models, which began on Geneva Motor Show-89, approaching sunset. For 11 years, the Fiesta family has undergone a serious restyling twice (in 1995 and 1999), thanks to which it remains quite modern to this day.
Crown Victoria is one of the most popular models in the USA (in the police, taxi, rental, secondary market). Manufacturing in Canada. The debut of the model took place in 1978. The new generation of the car was released in December 1990. Appearance update - 1998.
The 1980 Bgonco full-size station wagon was an all-wheel drive pickup truck with a shortened base. The cross-country ability turned out to be quite high, so the model remained popular for a long time (in particular, in Alaska), even after the appearance of more modern models. In the first half of the 1990s, Vgopso became one of the leaders in the Russian market among used cars of this type. In 1990, the Vgopso models were replaced by the more practical Ford Explorer five-door station wagons.
Ford Escort is produced in the US and Europe, as well as in Argentina in three body styles: a five-seat sedan, a five-door station wagon and a ZX2 coupe. A generation of front-wheel drive European Ford Escort (Mod. 80) with a transverse engine was introduced in August 1980. Production of the American Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx continued until the summer of 1990. They were replaced by models developed on the platform of the Japanese Mazda 323. In January 1995, the design of the car was improved, a 4x4 version with a 1.6 liter engine appeared (in 1997, the production of the 4x4 model was discontinued). In 1998, a convertible was introduced.
In September 1982, models of the rear-wheel drive Sierra family with five-door hatchback and station wagon bodies (Kombi) appeared on sale, and the start of production of a three-door all-wheel drive model(XR4x4) with a 2.8-liter V6 engine was postponed until September 1983.
In November 1986, the launch of the 4x4 version of the Ford Scorpio. At the very end of 1991, the presentation of the roomy station wagon Scorpio Turnir took place. In the summer of 1998, the production of Scorpio was stopped, and the European branch of Ford decided to make the Mondeo model the flagship of the company.
Since the mid-1980s, Taurus has been produced. This model was named Car of the Year 1986, and in 1987 it became a bestseller in America. Streamlined cars with futuristic design beautiful names Taurus and Sable, became a major milestone on the transition path Ford to the production of a new generation of cars of the 80s - economical (in full compliance with the standards established by Congress), high-tech and aesthetically perfect.
In the same year, the purchase of a 75% stake in Aston Martin-Lagonda took place.
The purchase of the Jaguar company in 1990 further increases the range of Ford models, which in terms of comfort are in no way reminiscent of the “tin Lizzie”, and a year later for release multi-purpose vehicle Ford Galaxy created joint venture with the German corporation Volkswagen.
The company is open to innovation and change; it is interesting that Ford Motor, a pioneer in the introduction of the conveyor, is the first among large corporations and abandoned it, since modern workers are more productive in doing work in which there is an element of independent creativity.
The Ford Explorer, which debuted in January 1990, sits between competing Blazer models and Tahoe and for many years has been the best-selling among all SUVs in the north American market(about 400 thousand per year). The debut of the new generation of Explorer in the 2001 model year.
In 1993, the model was released Ford Mondeo which immediately set new safety standards in its class. The very next year, this car was recognized as the Car of the Year in Europe and became a favorite among buyers. For 1994, the Windstar minibus was also new. In the same year, the purchase of the remaining shares of Aston Martin-Lagonda took place.
Ford Windstar was first shown in January 1994. In 1998, the model was restyled. Produced in Canada.
The first show of the Ford EUROPE Galaxy took place in February 1995 in Geneva. At the Geneva Motor Show 2000, a modernized model with an updated design was presented.
In 1996, the 250 millionth car rolled off the assembly line of the company. The implementation of the Ka model has begun.
Ford EUROPE Puma, a small sports coupe based on Ford Fiesta, was first presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1997.
FORD Focus, for a long tradition bearing the name of Turnier. The European premiere of the hatchback took place in early 1998 in Geneva.
In 1998, Ford Motor Company becomes the 2nd largest car and truck manufacturer in the world in terms of total.
In 2000, an international jury of 126 automotive journalists, summing up the results of the unprecedented competition "Car of the Century" ("Car of the Century"), chose the legendary Ford T. Tin Lizzie ("Tin Lizzie") became the "Machine of all times and peoples" car, the assembly of which was established on the assembly line on a massive scale. New method made it possible to start large-scale production of machines, improve their quality and sharply reduce the cost. It was the conveyor assembly that made the car a means of transportation accessible to everyone. And the first in a row really production cars was a Ford model.
The Ford Escape compact SUV was first shown as a prototype in January 2000 in Detroit. The development was carried out jointly with Mazda. Car production is carried out at a plant in Kansas City.
Ford EUROPE Maverick, compact all-wheel drive SUV, the European equivalent of the Ford Escape. Since 2000, it has been produced jointly with Mazda on the basis of the Mazda Tribute. The new Ford Maverick combines the hallmarks of an SUV and a road car.
2001 - the company presents a fundamentally new Ford Mondeo model. Its appearance can be considered a revolutionary event. This car, developed by the European division of Ford Motor Company, was created on the basis of fundamentally new design technologies. The essence of this technological revolution is in a powerful software product, called SZR, which is a complex of computer design systems, computer-aided design and an extensive information database.
Today, Ford Motor Company has its own production, assembly and sales centers in 30 countries around the world. The company annually produces millions of cars, trucks and tractors and is a leader automotive sales outside of North America. Ford Motor Company sells more than 70 different models of cars worldwide, produced under the brands Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar and Aston Martin. The company also has a stake in Mazda Motor Corporation and Kia Motors n.Corporatio
In the "big three" of the American automobile business, Ford Motor occupies an honorable second place in terms of sales.
Before buying a brand of car you like, every buyer will certainly have the question of which country's manufacturer's car to choose. After all, as you know, if a car starts to be in great demand in the world, manufacturers of other countries buy the rights to its production. It happens in Russia too, "Reno Logan", "Toyota Camry", " Ford Focus”,“ ”, etc. are examples of this. But now our conversation will be about a middle class car with richly equipped"Ford Focus", which can be found in three types of assembly in the car markets of the Russian Federation:
European;
- American;
- Russian.
To begin with, let's start with the fact that many people, as soon as they find out that a car Russian assembly they immediately turn away and go to see any other car produced abroad. This is understandable, after all, for almost the entire life of the Soviet automobile industry, nothing worthwhile has been done that could even catch up with a foreign car twenty years older than our car. But do not jump to conclusions about any machine, even our assembly, because each has its pros and cons! As for the car of the Russian assembly, there are not much more minuses than its European and American counterparts. On the contrary, the Russian "Ford Focus" is more adapted to our driving conditions, and sitting behind the wheel of this car, you will feel like in a spaceship from the comfort and abundance of electronics. Outwardly, they almost do not differ from each other except for the headlights, but the design differences are greater, spare parts from the Russian Ford Focus will not be able to fit a foreigner. And now more about the differences between them:
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The Russian Ford Focus, in comparison with its relatives, has very good, high-quality brakes, and therefore, when high speed he seems to be starting to slow down with his nose. This raises the fear of damaging your bumper on some object that has fallen on the road, it feels like the brakes were designed by a “coward”. As for its American sibling, the brakes are pretty sluggish and sometimes you have to slam them all the way to the floor to get good braking. But the leader in this criterion is clearly the European-built Ford Focus, whose brakes were clearly made for driving on the autobahns. They are of medium sensitivity, when braking, the speed drops almost instantly, but in comparison with the Russian Ford Focus, the European does not skid, and he does not strive to throw you out through the windshield.
With regard to manageability. In this criterion, the first place is shared between the manufacturers of the USA and Europe, on whose machines, even at a speed of 190 km / h, significant rocking is imperceptibly significant. The car is coming almost following the indicated trajectory, which cannot be said about their Russian counterpart. Russian car already at a speed of 140 km / h makes you think about possible consequences, since the steering wheel is made wadded, and the car does not exactly follow the trajectory of movement. On the other hand, the Russian Ford Focus has a fairly high ground clearance, which, unlike its foreign counterparts, makes it possible not to be afraid of every bump.
The ergonomics of machines from all manufacturers are on top. There are no backlashes, squeaks, as is usually the case on our cars, the interior is adapted for driving at high speeds, as there is lateral support for the seats. As a result, almost on any turns you sit like a glove. The main difference in this paragraph is in the headlights, where the Russian-assembled Ford Focus is at its best. The standard optics of its foreign counterparts are too dim and do not provide enough space for viewing, which is why you have to install xenon, but based on the fact that this is prohibited in many countries, you have to change all the optics.
As a result, one thing can be said that all these machines are approximately on the same level, each of them has its pros and cons. But the most important common minus of these cars is too thin body material. It is slightly susceptible to corrosion, but even with a small accident, you will have to invest more than one penny in the repair of your iron horse.
Good luck in choosing a car!
We understand what is the focus of Ford, whose "Tricks" are exactly the same as they once were legendary model"T" are now one of the most popular cars in the world. The only difference is that since the appearance of the “T” model, no less, but more than a century has passed. We find out how it all began and what the company was doing in this period. Moreover, there is a worthy occasion - the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Henry Ford!
Entrepreneur Henry Ford
The name of the brand was in honor of its founder, Henry Ford, a man who would now be described in one word - "techie". As a teenager, Henry was not afraid complex mechanisms and with pleasure he understood the principles of the work of everything and everything, for which the neighbors were grateful to him, to whom, while still a very young boy, he repaired watches.
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 in a family of farmers. At the age of sixteen he moved to Detroit, where he was engaged in the installation and repair of steam engines. The job gave Ford the opportunity to practice mechanics and engineering. The result was not long in coming and already in 1893, Henry assembled his first single-cylinder gasoline internal combustion engine, and three years later built his first car. This was followed by not very successful attempts to create an automobile company on their own and even performance in races. The first gave Ford invaluable experience, and the second brought fame in the late 1890s.
Demonstrating good achievements in the nascent motorsport and a genuine passion for the automotive industry, by 1903 Henry still convinces several financiers to enter into a share and invest in production. In June of the same year, the Ford Motor Company finally appears in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit.
In 1905, Ford had a serious quarrel with partners who did not agree to produce cheap cars. Who knows what would have become of the company if not for Ford's stubbornness, which simply forced Alexander Malcolmson, the holder of the main shareholding, to sell his stake to a fanatical engineer. Thus, Henry took over a controlling stake and no one prevented him from releasing, as they would now be called, budget cars.
Model"T» and the world's first assembly line for the production of automobiles
In 1907, the company produced the four-cylinder models N, R, S and the prestigious six-cylinder model K. All of them had to compete with cars of other brands, which at that time appeared like mushrooms after rain. Even then, Ford realized that it was much more profitable to sell ten cars to ten buyers than one car for the price of ten. After all, the lower the cost of the car, the more people will be willing to buy it.
Therefore, in 1908, Ford decided to take a desperate step: he abandoned the entire model range and began production new development, model "T". For the next twenty years, she becomes the only stock car stamps. Everything ingenious is simple, because organizing the mass production of one chassis is much easier than several different models at once. It remains only to fasten a suitable body to the “trolley” and you will get the desired model: from a two-seater pickup truck to a six-seater sedan.
Manufacturers still use a similar approach. For example, the Volkswagen Group, in addition to Golf, produces on the same platform as the Audi A3, SEAT Leon, and Skoda Octavia. On the one hand, this significantly reduces the cost of production, and on the other hand, it allows the buyer to choose a car for every taste and budget.
When Ford T first appeared on the market, it was not the cheapest car. For an open two-seater model in 1909, they asked for $ 825, and for a six-seater Town Car - a thousand dollars. If we take into account competitors, then the new model cost a little below average. But when in 1913 Ford introduced conveyor production, prices began to decline rapidly.
In 1924, a two-door convertible could be bought for as little as $265! This despite the fact that back in 1914, Ford raised the minimum wage at the plant to $ 5 a day. Thus, even low-skilled Ford workers could earn about $100 a month and eventually buy their own product, the Model T. Fantasy by the standards of the time!
At first, only the generator was made by the conveyor method. The experiment was successful, so soon the same manufacturing principles were applied to the engine, the production process of which was divided into 84 operations performed by 84 workers. The assembly time of the motor was reduced by 40 minutes. pipeline method turned out to be so effective that since 1913, improvements began to be carried out almost every day. Already in 1914, the production time for the chassis was reduced from 12 hours to two.
By the 1940s, Ford's share, even in the American market, was reduced to 20%. But this does not mean that the company has stopped producing good cars. It's just that Ford's methods were adopted by other automakers, from the fierce competition between which buyers ultimately benefited.
All Star Team
The company has produced more than a dozen models, so it is simply unrealistic to dwell on each one in detail. However, there are a few cars that cannot be passed by.
Ford F Series
Fordand others
In the possession of the blue oval were not always only Geely cars, and in 2011 sunk into oblivion Mercury brand. Thus, now "Ford" owns only Lincoln.
From diversity to unity of technologies
The new development concept, which the company announced in 2012, was called Go Further. In short, its essence lies in the fact that absolutely dissimilar cars should not be sold in the USA, Europe and Australia, on the contrary, Ford intends to significantly increase the production of global models, that is, cars built on the same platform and using the same design.
In addition, the concept assumes that in the near future all the latest achievements of the American and European offices will also be combined in global models. In particular, we are talking about the distribution of low-volume engines of the EcoBoost family and robotic boxes PowerShift, the latest in passive and active safety.
And finally, the beautiful transformation of the black “blot” into a blue oval is the evolution of the Ford emblem:
In 1872, the son of an Irish immigrant fell off his horse while working on his father's farm near Dearborn, Michigan, USA. It was on this day that he decided to create a vehicle that would not cause suffering and would be more reliable than vehicles using animal power. That bad rider was Henry Ford.
Subsequently, Henry and his eleven enthusiastic friends raised a hefty sum of $28,000 and on June 16, 1903, filed an application to organize an industrial enterprise in the state of Michigan.
Ford Motor Company began its production activities, and as a result, a "gasoline sidecar" driven by an 8 hp engine was created, called "Model A".
Ten years after that, Ford was known around the world as a genius who gave Ford world T a car accessible to everyone. Ford Motor Company was the first to introduce the conveyor. Thanks to this technical novelty Henry Ford reduced the cost of the Tin Lizzy from $850 to $290.
What is the secret of Ford Motor Company's hundred years of success? When creating the company, Henry Ford dreamed of a car whose cost would not exceed the annual salary of those ordinary workers who assembled cars at a factory in Detroit.
Ford has gone through many changes in its 100 years of history. However, the belief that people should have affordable, reliable and modern cars has remained unchanged.
Henry Ford was born in Springfield, Michigan on July 30, 1863. He was the eldest of six children of William and Mary Ford (William; Mary Ford), who owned a prosperous farm. Henry spent his childhood on his parents' farm, where he helped his family and attended a regular rural school.
At the age of 12, Henry equipped a small workshop, where he enthusiastically spent all his free time. It was there that a few years later he designed his first steam engine.
In 1879, Henry Ford moved to Detroit, where he got a job as an assistant machinist. Three years later, Ford moved to Dearborn and for five years was engaged in the design and repair of steam engines, moonlighting from time to time at a factory in Detroit. In 1888 he married Clara Jane Bryant and soon took over as manager of a sawmill.
In 1891, Ford became an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company, and two years later was appointed the company's chief engineer. A decent salary and a sufficient amount of free time allowed Ford to devote more time to the development of internal combustion engines.
Ford assembled the first internal combustion engine in the kitchen of his home. Soon he decided to put the engine on a frame with four bicycle wheels. So in 1896, the ATV appeared - a vehicle that became the first Ford car.
After leaving the Edison Illuminating Company in 1899, Henry Ford founded own firm Detroit Automobile. Despite the fact that a year later the company went bankrupt, Ford managed to collect several racing cars. Ford himself took part in motor racing and in October 1901 managed to defeat the American champion Alexander Winton (Alexander Winton).
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903. Its founders were twelve businessmen from Michigan, led by Henry Ford, who held a 25.5% stake in the company and served as vice president and chief engineer of the company.
Under car factory converted a former van factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. Brigades, consisting of two or three workers, under the direct supervision of Ford, assembled cars from spare parts that were made to order by other enterprises.
The company's first car was sold on July 23, 1903. Ford's first creation was a "gasoline sidecar" powered by an 8 hp engine, called the Model A. The car was described as "the most advanced car on the market, which even a 15-year-old boy can drive." In 1906, Henry Ford became the company's president and principal owner.
The first oval Ford logo appeared in 1907 thanks to the first British representatives of the company Perry (Perry), Thornton (Thornton) and Schreiber (Schreiber). As part of an advertising campaign, it was presented as a "stamp of the highest standard", designed to symbolize reliability and economy.
For the next five years, Henry Ford directed the overall development and production program. During this time, 19 letters of the alphabet were used from Model A to Model S. Some of these models remained at the experimental level, not reaching the end user.
In 1908, Henry Ford made his dream come true with the Model T. The Tin Lizzy, as the Americans affectionately called it, became the most famous car in the history of the auto industry.
Its base price was $ 260, and within just one year, about 11 thousand of these machines were sold. It was the appearance of the Model T that marked the beginning of a new era in the development personal transport.
Ford's car was easy to drive, did not require complex maintenance and could even drive on rural roads.
From that moment on, the car became the subject of mass production, the demand for which is constantly growing.
At the same time, machines for various services: pickup trucks, delivery vehicles, ambulances, delivery vans and small buses.
To meet the growing needs of customers, as well as increase labor productivity, Ford is introducing assembly line production in its factories for the first time, in which each worker performs one operation while remaining in one place. As a result of the innovation, another Model T rolled off the assembly line every 10 seconds, and the moving conveyor became a new, significant stage in the industrial revolution.
In 1919, Henry Ford and his son Edsel (Adsel Ford) bought the company's shares from other shareholders for $105,568,858 and became the sole owners of the company. In the same year, Edsel inherited from his father the presidency of the company, which he held until his death in 1943. After the sudden death of his son Henry Ford again had to stand at the helm of the company.
The Model A, released in 1927, was the first Ford car to feature an oval emblem on the grille. Until the very end of the 50s, most Ford cars were produced with the well-known dark blue badge these days. Although the oval badge was approved as the official emblem of Ford, it was not put on cars until the mid-70s.
The rapid pace of life constantly required increasing capacities and introducing unique technologies. Developing with the rhythm of the times, Ford Motor Company was ready to show off its latest achievements.
On April 1, 1932, the company introduced the V-shaped 8-cylinder engine to the public. Ford was the first company to produce a monolithic 8-cylinder block. Cars with such an engine became the favorites of practical Americans for a long time.
Already in 1934, on rural farms and on the streets of large cities, trucks Ford, equipped with a completely modified engine.
At this time, the problem of car safety is becoming more and more urgent. Henry Ford does not ignore this topic. For the first time, safety glasses are being used at its factories, Full time job to reduce the risk to human life caring for a person has always been and remains the most important aspect of the company's overall policy. Car enthusiasts and ordinary citizens pay generously for such care with their commitment and love for Ford.
The famous brand is gaining popularity not only in America, but throughout the world. During this period, Ford has a huge network of factories and stores throughout America, opens branches in Europe and Russia. Thousands of cars find their owners all over the world. The brand becomes truly popular.
In September 1945, Henry Ford transferred powers to his eldest grandson, Henry Ford II. In May 1946, Henry Ford Sr. was awarded an honorary award for services to the auto industry, and at the end of the same year, the American Petroleum Institute (American Petroleum Institute) presented him with a gold medal for services to society.
Henry Ford died at the age of 83 at his home in Dearborn on April 7, 1947. Thus, an entire era in the history of the Ford Motor Company ended, which, despite the death of its founder, continued to develop actively.
But the grandson continues the work of his grandfather with dignity. On June 8, 1948, the new 1949 Ford model was unveiled at the New York Show. Its main features are smooth side panels, independent front suspension and opening rear side windows.
The integration of the body and fenders was a novelty that set the standard for automotive design. In 1949, Ford sold about a million of these cars, reaching the highest sales since 1929.
The company's profits are also growing at a tremendous rate. This led to an increase in production facilities: new production and assembly plants, test sites, engineering research laboratories.
New types of activities are being developed: financial business Ford Motor Company, Insurance American Road Insurance Company, Auto Parts Exchange Ford Parts and Service Division, Electronics, Computers, space technology and much more.
And finally, in January 1956, the Ford Motor Company went public. joint stock company. The company currently has about 700,000 shareholders.
The focus of attention in the 60s is the youth. In accordance with the mood in society, Ford is rapidly reorienting its production to the creation of inexpensive sports cars intended for the young buyer.
It was then, in 1964, that the Mustang was presented to the public for the first time. The most important feature of the novelty was the use of a new engine, in which two units were combined - a transmission and a drive axle. It was favorably distinguished by its appearance the original combination of all current trends design of the 50s and 60s.
Such a keen interest, which this car caused, was not observed since the Model A. In the first hundred days, one hundred thousand four-seater Mustangs were sold. The company's profits exceeded all expected results.
Encouraged by the success, Ford continues to develop original designs, while using the most innovative trends and developments in the automotive industry. Their work was embodied in models like the Corina and the Transit van.
But not only profit worried employees and ford manual motor company. The fight for safety continues.
So, in 1970, Ford becomes the first serial manufacturer to introduce front disc brakes.
Since 1976, the legendary oval Ford emblem with a blue background and silver letters has been placed on absolutely all cars of the company, so that Ford products can be easily recognized anywhere in the world.
The conditions of fierce competition, especially aggravated during this period, encourage Ford specialists to introduce new technologies in other areas special attention is paid to fuel economy. The goal of the designers is to create a world-class leader in the middle and executive segments of the market. The result was the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sebale.
It should be noted that Taurus was created as a car, every detail of which is brought to perfection. Efforts paid off Taurus was recognized as the car of 1986, and a year later became a bestseller in America.
Ford's next innovations were the Mondeo, as well as a modified Mustang. 1994 premieres also included the Ford Espire and the Windstar minibus.
Then North America saw the revised Ford Taurus and Mercury Tracer, showing the first big changes in car design that hit the market in the late 80s. In Europe, a modified F-series pickup, the new Fiesta and Galaxy minivans were also introduced.
The main goal of the company is the constant improvement of its products while reducing production costs. The results were world cars.
Currently, over 70 different models of cars are sold worldwide, produced under the brands Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Aston Martin. Ford also has equity interests in Mazda Motor Corporation and Kia Motors Corporation.
July 9, 2002 in the city of Vsevolzhsk, Leningrad Region, a new Ford factory Motor Company of a full production cycle.
In this section, we will study the history of the creation and development of well-known world brands. We will understand what helped great companies become such, what is at the heart of their mission and values. What principles of success were laid down in them by the founders, etc.
I am a young entrepreneur, I have several business projects and I want these projects to grow and become no less outstanding than those companies that will understand this rubric.
To do this, I decided not to invent a wheel, but to follow in the footsteps of the greats. And we'll start with the Ford Motor Company, or Ford in common.
Go ahead slogan legendary brand Ford Motor Company. To understand what the Ford people mean by this concept, watch a short but very effective promotional video below:
Ford Motor Company ranks second in terms of vehicle production in Europe, third in the US market and fourth in the world. Under the Ford brand, the company produces models of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, also belongs to trademark Lincoln.
The enterprises of the legendary American automobile manufacturer are located in 65 countries - in the USA, Canada, Argentina, Spain, China, Russia, etc.
The total number of employees employed by Ford Motor is about 171,000. The company's sales for 2012 amounted to more than 130 billion dollars!
In the list of the largest public companies, according to Forbes magazine, Ford Motor Company ranks 4th in its industry, behind the top three - German companies Volkswagen Group and Daimler (1st and 3rd places) and Japanese Toyota motor.
Ford Motor is one of the largest companies in the world, run by one family - Ford owns about 40% of the shares. Securities publicly traded companies are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The cost of one share is about $2 (April 2013).
According to Forbes, the company's market capitalization in 2013 reached over $51 billion!
But the history of Ford Motor is interesting not only with financial indicators, but also with interesting facts. It was this company that first used the classic auto assembly line, and this, of course, is the merit of its legendary founder.
In 2013, the company celebrates its 110th anniversary, and this period exceeds the life expectancy of an average person! Ford Motor Company is a real dinosaur of the automotive industry.
What is her secret to longevity and success? Let's try to figure it out
The company's headquarters is located in Dearborn (Michigan), where it was born on July 30, 1863. As they say, where he was born - there he came in handy, in 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry Ford, and his life's work is still developing and flourishing.
Now "at the helm" of the modern automotive industry is William Ford Jr., the great-grandson of Henry Ford, who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor. In 2001, he headed the company, whose losses at that time amounted to about 5 billion dollars.
Ford Jr. was able to bring her to three years, moreover, it was he who invited Alan Mulally, a talented manager who managed to find the right company strategy in the 3rd millennium, to the position of president of the company.
Competitive costs, high quality, benefit to society - these are the basic principles of company management that Henry Ford bequeathed, and his descendant is still guided by his great-grandfather's success formula.
These thoughts I have already adopted. For example, one of my areas is training and the provision of educational and consulting services. I have work to do here. I want to make sure that I have the most quality services.
This is an issue that needs serious consideration. I constantly ask myself: “How can I improve my services? What is the best way to serve a customer? What else can I do to make a person get more for the same price?”
In another project (online store mistersaver.ru) I also try to apply these principles. The very direction of energy-saving technologies was chosen by me because it is possible to benefit society here. Unfortunately, I cannot answer for the high quality of the goods, since I am not a manufacturer. But I still try to reduce the risks of my clients.
For example, we have a 45-day product test drive. During this time, the client can try the solutions we offer, and if they disappoint him, then we return the money.
In general, when posing the above questions, you can come up with many interesting solutions. But let's get back to the Fords.
How did the history of the family business begin?
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Michigan entrepreneurs, who held a 25.5% stake in the newly created enterprise. A van factory in Detroit was converted into a car plant.
Under the leadership of Ford, who is both vice president and chief engineer, workers assembled cars from parts supplied by other factories. Already in July 1903, the Ford Motor Company sold its first car.
At the time, the company only assembled "to order" cars, and Ford faced a shortage of skilled workers to produce "hand-built" cars. He decided to standardize car parts so that even non-specialists could assemble them.
In 1908, the plant produced the Ford-T model, a reliable and inexpensive car. Ford introduces an uninterrupted line for assembling Ford-T in the shops; thanks to assembly lines, car production reaches a record level - a new car rolls off the assembly line every 10 seconds! Innovation at Ford Motor serves as the starting point for the development of mass production throughout the world.
Ford's product "Ford-T" boosts America's economy - in 1909, the authorities construct a mile-long section of concrete on a street in Detroit, which marked the beginning of mass road construction.
In 2008 in Richmond (Indiana) within the framework of the 100-yearanniversary car "Ford-T»the party was over« T-Party”, which set itself the goal of entering the Guinness Book of Records in terms of the number of cars of this particular model that took part in it. According to rough estimates, out of 15 million cars produced by the company from 1908 to 1927, almost one hundred thousand cars have survived today!
Some Ford-Ts got to their holiday on their own - one of the "anniversaries" ran almost 3000 km on his four wheels! Here's to you Museum exhibit! Such a "race" can be the envy of a modern car.
In 1999, more than 120 experts from 32 countries rightfully called the Ford T the most important car XX century!
In 1919, Henry Ford and his son Edsel buy out the company's shares from other shareholders and become the sole owners of Ford Motor. In the same year, Edsel inherits the management of the company.
In 1927, when sales of the beloved, but already obsolete Ford-T are not profitable, Ford stops production and starts creating a new car. In 1927, he introduced the new Ford A model, which favorably differed in its design and technical parameters.
With the entry of the United States into the Second world war, Ford Motor begins to produce jeeps and trucks for the army - the company "forgave" the pro-Nazi sympathies of its founder, when in the 30s. in Germany, Ford organized the production of tracked and wheeled vehicles for the Wehrmacht.
In 1943, after the sudden death of his son, Henry Ford again returned to the presidency, and in September 1945 he transferred powers to his eldest grandson, Henry Ford II.
With the death of the company's founder in 1947, an era ends for Ford Motor. But, despite the death of its legendary mastermind, the company continues to develop actively.
Today Ford is one of the most famous brands planets, and the company's famous oval logo has been around for over half a century! The Ford Motor brand emblem has changed several times. The first logo was invented by an assistant of Henry Ford, but after a few years it changed, in 1906 the trademark acquired new features - the “flying” spelling of the first and last letters of the company name emphasized the rapid movement forward.
In 1907, thanks to the English representatives of the company, an oval logo appears, symbolizing the “mark of the highest standard” - efficiency and reliability.
In 1911, the company's emblem was finally established - the oval shape of the logo was combined with a "flying" spelling. The first car with this badge on the grille was the Ford A.
Since 1976, the Ford emblem in the form of an oval with a blue background and silver letters has been placed on all cars of the company.
In 2003, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor, the design of the famous Ford badge was slightly changed - the logo was given the features of the very first historical emblems.
However, in the 21st century, the company did not limit itself to redesigning the logo. The company's strategy has undergone major changes.
Previously, Ford Motor was geographically divided into three structures: Ford North America, Ford Asia Pacific and Ford of Europe. Each of these divisions had its own model range, different models were used for cars of regional markets. technical solutions and design.
However, company president Alan Mulally, who took over Ford Motor in September 2006, announced a new strategic direction, One Ford, that same year. A change in strategy was required in order to save the company from ruin - its losses at that time amounted to about 17 billion dollars.
The key idea of One Ford was that the company is gradually starting to produce cars that are common to all markets - the world is becoming global and it needs global cars. An example of such a "world" car was the Ford Focus III, built on single platform.
As part of new strategy, the company sells its luxury brands - Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo. During the crisis, it was necessary to make the company simpler, and since 85% of its business was provided by the Ford brand, all efforts and means are thrown precisely to save it.
In 2010, the company produced about 45 car models; according to the president of the company, this figure is planned to be reduced to 20-25.
To unite the company's regional divisions into "One Ford", Mulally managed to reconstruct the information division and raise its authority: for the first time in the history of Ford Motor, the director of the IT department entered the board of directors and began to report directly to the CEO.
The factory in Dearborn, the hometown of Henry Ford, was also able to survive the economic crisis. Previously, the enterprise was idle for weeks, but competent management and the production of Ford Focus F150 pickups allowed the plant to survive difficult times without government injections.
The Dearborn plant is huge, with an area of about 220,000 m 2 , and from the beginning to the end of the assembly line stretches almost 7 km of conveyors, winding through the plant like a giant rollercoaster. Currently, the plant assembles about 1,200 vehicles daily, each of which contains more than 3,000 different spare parts.
Speaking of spare parts, I recall an anecdote: "Due to the need to increase the share of Russian components in Ford Focus cars, Ford decided to increase the number of rubber mats to eight."
It seems to me that if you are guided by the principle of Henry Ford in your work - "quality is doing something right, even when no one is looking" - then there will certainly be something to offer besides rugs)
In the 3rd millennium, Ford Motor is actively changing, its slogans are transforming along with it. The first advertising slogan, which appeared in 1914, read "Ford: The Universal Car" ("Ford: universal car").
Among the most successful advertising slogans, it is worth noting such as “Towards Change” and “Reliable. Made for life"
Now the slogans in North America (“Drive One” / “Take it and go”) and Europe (“Feel the Difference” / “Feel the difference”) have been replaced by a global formula for promoting the “one Ford”, sounding like “Go futher” / “ Walk straight".
For the first time this call appeared in the New Year's greetings of the head of Ford, addressed to all the staff. A single slogan will now sound on all advertising materials of the company.
By the way, the company's team is highly motivated for an excellent result; and if Anton Chekhov was convinced that “everything in a person should be perfect: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts”, then Ford Motor specialists are convinced that everything in a car should also be perfect - from fuel technology to interior design .
To guarantee the excellent appearance of their products, the company has a special laboratory, The Visual Performance Evaluation Lab.
About 300 light bulbs with a total power of 6 kW are located in the laboratory, with the help of which various phases of the earth's revolution around the Sun are simulated. May occur reasonable question- what does the luminary have to do with the development of Ford vehicles?
The fact is that the appearance of the car and its interior changes depending on the lighting and time of day; to track these changes and minimize unwanted effects (for example, reflections on the instrument panel), the company conducts such tests. You can see how the lab works here:
Ford Motor Company takes an active part in sports competitions around the world. Its main focus in motorsport is the Formula Ford Championship, which stands out among single-seater racing competitions for its long and interesting history.
Since its inception in 1967, Formula Ford has become a real "forge of personnel" - it was in it that such later famous racing drivers as James Hunt, Jenson Baton, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher and others gained experience.
The company is closely associated with Formula 1 racing: it supplied engines for racing cars of this series for 4 decades, from 1967 to 2004. And the modified Ford GT model became the fastest car in the world that can travel on public roads - reaching a speed of 455.80 km / h, it was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Ford Motor has also competed in the World Rally Championship since its inception in 1973 and has its own rally team.
On my own behalf, I would like to add that I would really like to create a business that would become for me and my employees not only a job, but also an interesting hobby. It's fun to do something not only for the sake of money, but also for the sake of pleasure, adrenaline, beauty, grace, etc.
The Ford GT is a cool car. I would love to ride it. And even better participated in the competition. I am a gambling person. I have been involved in sports since childhood. And I like the feeling of competition and the spirit of victory!
The company boasts not only the speed characteristics of its cars, but also their sales volumes. In 2012, the Ford Fiesta was named the second best-selling car in Europe by the analytical agency JATO Dynamics.
As for the Russian market, then in 2006 Ford becomes the sales leader among foreign brands. The history of Ford Motor in Russia begins in 1907; after the revolution of 1917, it continued its activities in our territory.
At the end of the 20s. a contract was concluded with the leadership of the USSR, according to which the Americans provided drawings of two cars, their assistance in the construction of an automobile plant and the training of workers. The first cars of the new plant in Nizhny Novgorod - GAZ-A and GAZ-AA - were licensed "clones" of Ford cars.
In 1996 a Ford sales office opens in Moscow. Subsidiary Ford Motor in the Russian Federation owns an automobile plant in Vsevolozhsk (Leningrad Region), opened in 2002. The company carries out body welding, painting and final assembly of Ford Focus III and Ford Mondeo cars (since 2009). In a prele 2006 this s The plant produced the 100,000th Ford Focus.
During 2007, more than 175,000 Ford vehicles were sold in Russia, about 90,000 of which were Focus models.
The company decided to celebrate the success of the Focus car, which sells well not only in Russia, in a very original way - by ordering an ice sculpture of its car on a 1:1 scale.
The mass of the ice car exceeded 6 tons, which is more than five masses of real Ford Focus (the curb weight of the car is 1.3 tons). This transparent statue was shown at the international car exhibition british international motor show.
However, Ford Motor sees its mission not only in obtaining large profits from sales.
The company is focused on building a strong business that makes products that improve the world. Ford Motor backs up its pathetic statement with very concrete deeds. The company occupies active position in the field of protection environment, in area green technologies she can be called a real pioneer .
European Ford vehicles use over 250 non-metallic components containing recycled materials, which allows 14,000 tons less waste to be sent to landfills annually.
Ford Motor is developing gasoline and diesel engines to do even more. The new Ford Mondeo, for example, is equipped with diesel engine 1.8 liter capacity and is more fuel efficient than the same 1993 model, producing 20% less carbon dioxide.
Already today the company offers the widest choice green cars. Any driver knows that a vehicle and alcohol are incompatible things. However, under the hood of the Ford Flexifuel and Ford C-MAX Flexifuel cars, these concepts “made friends” - after all, they do not run on gasoline, but on E85 fuel, which consists of 85% biethanol alcohol.
Bioethanol is obtained from natural products such as wood waste, wheat, sugar beets, etc., i.e. from renewable raw materials. This fuel technology reduces CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere compared to gasoline engines by 30-80%, so these Ford Motor models can be safely called green cars.
Another pride of Ford Motor is the car plant in Dagenham (southeast of Great Britain) - this is the first enterprise in the world whose production capacity fully provided with electricity generated from their own wind turbines.
But Ford Motor is not going to stop there. Following its slogan "go ahead", the company continues to set itself more and more new goals.
No need to focus on money!
From the above, we can conclude that when creating and developing a business, one cannot focus only on money and profits. The business that you develop should help people, should improve our lives, make them more comfortable and safer.
I like Ford's policy regarding the environmental friendliness of the cars they produce, as well as the economy in operation. On my blog you can find a lot of material on how to . I installed it on my car myself. gas equipment to spend less money on gasoline.
It is reasonable consumption that underlies my vision of how to achieve financial freedom and independence. To increase your income you need to make sure that income is always your expenses. And the resulting difference (residue) must be directed to the creation of assets, the accumulation of money, in order to subsequently create a business, for example.
Thanks to Ford Motor Company for once again convincing me of the right path and for showing me what the right business should be.
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