Ford Motor Company is an American automobile company specializing in the production of Ford, Mercury, Lincoln passenger cars, 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 the automotive industry of 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. Meanwhile, the Ford car and its reliable engine became 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 USA.
The launch of the Thunderbird series in 1955 and the now classic Mustang strengthened the financial position Ford Motor. 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. Implementation of an electronic vehicle speed control system. 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 start of production of Ford Econoline bonneted passenger-and-freight models E-series new generations began to use chassis elements, engines and transmissions similar to SUVs and pickups of the F series. 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. Vgopso became in the first half of the 1990s one of the leaders in Russian market among used cars of this type. In 1990, the Vgopso models were replaced by more practical five-door Ford station wagons explorer.
Ford Escort It is produced in the USA and Europe, as well as in Argentina in three body styles: a five-seater 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 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 a five-door hatchback and station wagon (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, a presentation roomy station wagon Scorpio Turnir. 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. The streamlined, futuristic-looking cars, beautifully named Taurus and Sable, were a milestone in Ford's transition to a new generation of 1980s cars that were fuel-efficient (in full compliance with congressional regulations), high-tech, and aesthetically perfect.
In the same year, the purchase of 75% of the company's shares took place. Aston Martin-Lagonda.
The purchase of Jaguar in 1990 further increases the range of Ford models, which in terms of comfort do not resemble the “tin Lizzy”, and a year later for the production of a multi-purpose car Ford Galaxy established a joint venture with the German Volkswagen Corporation.
The company is open to innovation and change; it is interesting that Ford Motor, the pioneer in the introduction of the assembly line, was the first among large corporations to abandon 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 Ford Mondeo was released and 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, a compact four-wheel drive SUV, the European analogue 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 technical revolution- in 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 produces millions of cars, trucks and tractors every year and is the world's number one automotive sales leader 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.
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 such vehicle, which 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 the world the Ford T a car accessible to everyone. Ford Motor Company was the first to introduce the conveyor. Thanks to this technical innovation, Henry Ford was able to reduce 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 accessible, reliable and modern cars, 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. Good salary and enough free time allowed Ford to devote more time to engine development internal combustion.
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 retiring in 1899 from the Edison Illuminating company, Henry Ford founded his own company, Detroit Automobile. Despite the fact that the company went bankrupt a year later, Ford managed to assemble 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.
A former van factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit was converted into a car plant. 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.
Her 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 of personal transport.
Ford's car was easy to drive, it 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, on the basis of the Model T, cars are being created for various services: pickups, cars for delivering small loads, ambulances, vans and small buses.
To meet the growing needs of customers, as well as increase productivity, Ford is introducing for the first time in its factories conveyor production, in which each worker performs one operation, 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 its recent 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 general company 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 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 activities are being explored: financial business Ford Motor Company, insurance American Road Insurance Company, automatic replacement of parts Ford Parts and Service Division, electronics, computers, space technology and much more.
And finally, in January 1956 year Ford Motor Company became a public 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 novelty was the use of a new engine, which combined two units transmission and drive axle. It was favorably distinguished by its appearance the original combination of all current trends design of the 50s and 60s.
Such keen interest, which this car aroused, was not observed since the Model A. In the first hundred days, one hundred thousand four-seaters were sold mustang cars. The company's profits exceeded all expected results.
Encouraged by the success, Ford continues to develop original design, 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 the employees and management of the Ford 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 improved Ford Taurus and Mercury Tracer showcasing the first Big changes in the design of cars 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 continuous improvement their 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.
On July 9, 2002, in the city of Vsevolzhsk, Leningrad Region, the new plant Ford Motor Company full production cycle.
Ford Motor Company is a famous American automobile company. It ranks 4th in the world in terms of sales over the past hundred years. Currently, the company has offices in more than 60 countries around the world. Often, motorists have a question: "Which country is the country of manufacture of Ford?" Most of the company's cars are produced at factories located in the US and Europe.
Company Founder
The company is named after its founder, Henry Ford. He was born July 30, 1863. His parents were simple farmers. From childhood, Henry was fond of technology. The boy figured out how to simplify hard farm work with the help of various mechanisms. One day, Henry was thrown from the saddle by a young stallion. From that day on, his goal was to create a safe means of transportation. At the age of 16, the young man moves to Detroit and gets a job in electric company. For twenty years simple mechanic manages to become a chief engineer. In his spare time, Ford was engaged in the development of the car. When these works were completed, Ford quit and began looking for investors to create an automobile company.
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 of complex mechanisms and was happy to understand the principles of the work of everything and everything, for which his neighbors were grateful to him, to whom he repaired watches when he was still a boy.
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 Gas engine internal combustion engine, and three years later built his first car. Then followed not very successful attempts to create on their own car company and even racing performance. 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 of a new development, the 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 straightaway. 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, Volkswagen Group in addition to "Golf" produces on the same platform and Audi A3, and SEAT Leon, and the 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 Ford introduced assembly line production in 1913, its 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
The blue oval was not always owned only by Geely cars, and in 2011 it 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:
The next day, newspapers around the world came out with front-page obituaries. Among the thousands of polite, but standard notes and replies, a Detroit tabloid article stood out, very eloquently entitled "The father of the car has died."
Oddly enough, from a certain point of view, this was true. Of course, we know about a man named Karl Benz and his Motorwagen, quite officially recognized as the first car in history. But even though Henry Ford did not invent the car as an engineering device, he did more to popularize it than anyone else. It was thanks to him that the car turned from a toy for the rich into an object of universal passion, into a vehicle accessible to everyone. In short, in their own way, the Detroit journalists were right.
In one article, to talk about Ford is as utopian as it is to try to summarize the contents of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia in a nutshell. But still, we will try to remember the main milestones of the fate and character traits of the founder of one of the largest corporations in the world, whose contribution to the development of the auto industry cannot be overestimated.
Dreamer
Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863 in Springfield Township, Michigan to Irish immigrant parents. Having made a fortune in logging, they could afford good house, prosperous economy and considerable land in private ownership. So the eldest son of William and Mary Ligot Ford grew up in satiety and prosperity. From a young age, Henry showed an increased interest in technology. Moreover, this interest was sometimes manic. The younger sisters - there were 8 children in the Ford family - even hid clockwork mechanical toys from Henry, presented for Christmas. He still found them and took them apart to the screw in order to understand how everything works. Then the young Samodelkin became seriously interested in watches, managing complex mechanisms with the dexterity of a cadet taking apart an AK-47. But, in the end, the curious little boy found a more serious hobby. One fine day in July 1876, William Ford, taking his son, went on business to Detroit. On the way, a light double team of father and son met a self-propelled carriage with a steam engine ...
Here is how Henry himself described this meeting: “It was a huge steam boiler mounted on wheels, with a water tank and a coal cart attached to the back. From motor to rear wheels there were belts that set the whole structure in motion ... ".
Much later, in his very numerous memoirs, Ford would argue that this particular episode became a turning point in his life - it was then that he wanted to devote himself to the creation of vehicles. Not postponing the matter indefinitely, at the age of 15, Ford left school and went to Detroit, which was already turning into the center of America's nascent industry. The first cavalry attack on the future "City of Motors", however, was not very successful. Short work in a factory tramcars, Henry then took a job as an apprentice in the workshop of James Flowers and Brothers. They paid mere pennies, but it didn’t matter - the main thing was that the young man was free to study hydrants, pumps, steam engines, elevators and other equipment, which turned out to be visibly invisible in the company’s workshops.
All this was great, of course, but Henry was hardly one step closer to realizing his childhood dream. In addition, he got married and for some time, together with the beautiful Clara, even returned to his father's house, but only to finally become disillusioned with the village lifestyle. In short, after a while, Ford found himself back in Detroit, this time taking a job in a branch of the gigantic empire of America's electric king, Thomas Edison. Henry started out as a simple caretaker of the lines, but in a very short time he achieved impressive success. Within two years, he was promoted to chief engineer, and his salary doubled to $90 a week.
I must say that Henry did not feel any particular need for banknotes and, by his own admission, he got a job at Edison's company with one goal - to understand all the intricacies of electricity. For what? To understand how the advanced Otto internal combustion engine for the late 19th century works, the fuel mixture in which was ignited by a spark. Yes, yes, he did not forget about cars.
Henry's inquisitive mind coped with this task. And when, on Christmas Eve, 1893, Ford's primitive 1-cylinder gasoline engine of Ford's own design finally started working, the future automobile magnate knew that he was ready for the next step. Having put together a team of like-minded people, he started building his first car.
Under his careful guidance
The talent of the alpha leader manifested itself in Ford at a fairly young age. Since then, personal magnetism, the ability to infect others with enthusiasm and his own, sometimes even crazy ideas, have become integral features of his character. Imagine, already as a hired employee at the Edison enterprise, Henry was more of a leader than an engineer. One of the workers, who devoted his free time automotive project yesterday's caretaker of the lines, and said: “Mr. Ford himself did practically nothing. He only gave instructions all the time, advised something ... ".
Coal shed next to Ford's house, which Henry converted into a workshop. It was here that his first car, the Quadricycle, was born. By the way, when the car was ready, it turned out that it does not pass through the doors. I had to widen the opening with a pickaxe and a crowbar
One way or another, in the summer of 1896 the first car was ready. Oddly enough, the Quadricycle, as Ford himself later dubbed the car, turned out to be a fully functional specimen. 2-cylinder, four-stroke engine with 4 hp through a belt drive, accelerated the car to 30 km / h. On it, the entire Ford family, including Clara and Edsel's son, went out of town for walks, surprising the neighbors and scaring the horses.
But the Quadricycle made an even greater impression on Ford's immediate supervisor. Cars were still a curiosity at that time, which is why the director of the Detroit branch of the Edison Illuminating Company invited Henry to a status party, where Thomas Alva Edison himself was present. In the midst of a dinner party, America's greatest inventor was introduced to "a young engineer from Detroit who built his own self-propelled carriage."
Edison immediately invited Ford to his table and, with unconcealed curiosity, began to question young man about the design of the Quadricycle. Not at all shy, Henry answered in detail all the questions of the creator of the electric light bulb and even sketched circuit diagram operation of the internal combustion engine on the back of the menu.
“Young man, you are just brilliant! - looks like Edison was really impressed. - I believe that for such gasoline engines future. Hold on to your idea. This is your chance!
Henry took the words of the idol of his youth literally. First of all, he quit the Detroit Illuminating Company, refusing a two-fold salary increase and a leadership position, and a few months later Ford settled in the chair of the chief designer of the Detroit Automobile Company, the first automobile company in the city. But, as often happens, the starting pancake came out lumpy.
It so happened that Henry caught a virus, which in modern language is called star disease. Generous praise from Edison himself, the boundless trust of influential investors, multiplied by their own exaggerated ego, played a cruel joke. Ford felt like a technical genius with the manners of a free artist, saying that I do what I want. He quite inopportunely became interested in car racing and plunged headlong into the construction sports models. Meanwhile, only occasionally primitive trucks left the gates of the Detroit Automobile Company, each of which brought only losses to the company. The patience of investors proved to be limited, and after several warnings that had no effect, Henry had to vacate the office. Think! Having quarreled with influential businessmen in smoke, he immediately fooled the new ones, knocking out funds for the development of a racing car. But this happiness did not last long. Soon, Henry will spoil relations with the next business partners - something, but he has never been distinguished by an accommodating character.
Today it is hard to believe, but at the beginning of the 20th century in the business circles of Detroit, there was probably no figure more odious than Ford. Better known for his obnoxious nature than engineering genius, Henry, or rather his name alone, frightened off investors and former partners. A man who, at the dawn of a new century, would have predicted to Ford the fate of the greatest industrialist of the era, would simply be ridiculed. It seemed that nothing would come of this arrogant upstart.
And in fact, the money for the next project managed to knock out literally by a miracle. With great difficulty, Henry found a common language with the coal magnate Alexander Malcolmson, a good friend from his time at Edison. Malcolmson provided funds for the development of a new model, and on June 16, 1903, a new automobile company, the Ford Motor Company, was born.
Everyone, and especially Henry himself, understood that there might not be another such chance to declare himself. Fortunately, fortune finally smiled on the stubborn descendant of Irish emigrants.
king of the hill
In fact, the production of the first serial Ford - model A began in early June, that is, even a little earlier than the date of the official registration of the company. A dozen workers in a rented workshop on Mac Avenue were slowly assembling simple 2-seat Runabouts with an 8-horsepower 2-cylinder engine. At first they worked "in a warehouse." The company received its first order only on July 15 - a certain Mr. Pfennig, a dentist from Chicago, chose a model with an optional top for $850. Then the second order came, followed by the third... By the end of the year, the company will sell 215 cars, and shareholders will receive their first dividends in November 1903 - just five months after the official registration of the Ford Motor Company! Further more. By the beginning of 1904, the staff of assembly workers will increase by more than ten times, and the total number of cars produced in the first year and a half of the company's existence will reach 1,700 units.
It was an absolute success. Ford finally realized his childhood dream - he produced cars, proving to skeptics that he could not only scandal and quarrel. However, until now, his career has been no different from that of hundreds of other relatively successful automobile manufacturers of the early 20th century. But the fact of the matter is that Henry looked much further than his colleagues in the shop. First, he did not really believe in the popular theory that the production of expensive cars brings more profit. On the contrary, Henry had no doubt: the shortest path to success is the mass production of inexpensive models.
Contrary to popular belief, the first mass-produced Ford was by no means the legendary T, but the N model, which debuted two years earlier. In fact, it was an experimental car. The most simplified, if not Spartan, car with a 15-horsepower engine cost only $500. Result? All 8500 copies produced in 1906 sold out instantly, making the Ford Motor largest automaker USA.
Convinced that the concept of the cheapest possible car worked, Henry and his engineering team rushed to work on a model that, without any exaggeration, was destined to change the lives of millions of people.
Known popularity Ford N brought only extremely low price. The car itself, to be honest, turned out to be unimportant: with a low-power engine, only a 2-seater saloon, a weak frame that lacked rigidity and endurance, which, among other things, affected the disgusting smoothness of the ride. However, for a more than modest price tag, the Enke forgave a bunch of shortcomings. As they say, it is better to go badly than to go well.
And Henry was right. If people willingly buy not too good, but cheap car, then what will happen if we offer the market a car as affordable as the N model, but devoid of all its disadvantages?
So the Ford T was born. Sometimes this legendary car They call it unremarkable in technical terms, but this is not entirely true. Of course, the "teshka" did not impress with its design, heavy-duty motor or a scattering of revolutionary engineering solutions. But its design was thought out down to the smallest detail - from a reinforced frame made of vanadium alloy to a motor that digested both gasoline and kerosene, and even alcohol. In short, it was the world's first well-made budget car - consider it the great-great-grandfather of today's Logan.
« Teshka" was cheap in price, but not in performance. To the design thought out to the smallest detail, Henry added another important ingredient - a high, or rather the highest, maximum possible level of quality at that time. And this concerned not only the assembly process itself - at his enterprise, this was implied by itself. Another thing is that representatives of component supplier companies who worked with Ford were hysterical from super-strict quality requirements for parts, assemblies and mechanisms intended for the T model. Tolerances for some positions reached 4 mm - and this, I recall, at the beginning of 20 century! On the other hand, the suppliers who worked for Ford were given exactly as much time to develop and complete the order as they required, and they were paid for their services at the highest level.
In the first incomplete year, about 10,000 "tesheks" were shipped to buyers. In 1911, almost 70 thousand people became the owners of the car, and a year later this figure doubled! Such popularity even Ford could not dream of in the most rosy dreams. The “teshka” itself very quickly turned from just a successful car into a social phenomenon.
The art of releasing
In its debut in 1908, the Ford T was rightfully considered the most advanced budget car in the world, but time passed, and the design of the model remained almost unchanged. In fact, for 19 (!) years on the assembly line, all the innovations that have touched the "Tin Lizzy" can be counted on the fingers of one hand. In 1915, electric headlights appeared on the car, in January 1919, an electric starter, and with it the dashboard, which consisted of only one ammeter, and six years later they finally began to install pneumatic tires. Everything else is completely trifles.
But why? After all, Ford, with all the desire, cannot be called a petty tyrant or an opponent technical progress. Of course no. It's just that Henry's real passion has always been production efficiency - he worshiped this deity all his life, he readily brought everything to his altar, up to friendship.
After all, what is production efficiency? In a nutshell - the largest number of products produced per unit of labor. Now, Henry was never happy with that ratio. What would any other successful manufacturer concerned with the problem of expanding production do? Most likely, he would have built another plant, and then another one ... Henry hated this approach - he sincerely believed that it was possible to find another way to produce more, even when production capacity seemed to be exhausted. And, as usual, he was right.
What Ford's inquisitive mind did not invent. For example, the workers at the assembly site were divided into teams, each of which performed a certain sequence of operations, but not on one, but on several machines at once. Thus, the manufacturing process was slightly accelerated. Then they guessed that time could be saved by delivering the necessary components from the warehouse ahead of time. So they carved out a few more minutes, and gradually, step by step, the pace of production increased.
In addition, Ford introduced an atmosphere of constant creative competition at the plant, when each employee could and even had to come up with his own idea for optimizing the production process. What is characteristic - they listened to every little thing. Workers whose ideas caught on were generously rewarded. As a matter of fact, the conveyor assembly was a direct consequence of such rationalization proposals.
There is an opinion that the idea of the automobile assembly line came to Henry's assistants during a visit to the Chicago slaughterhouses of Swift and Co. In the workshops of the meat-packing plant, managers of the Ford Motor Company were shocked by an ominous and bewitching picture at the same time. The carcasses hung on chains moved from post to post, where butchers with cleavers at the ready chopped off pieces, wasting no time in moving from one workplace to another and practically without lowering their knives. The efficiency of the mechanized butchering of pigs amazed automotive engineers.
They decided to conduct a similar experiment in the workshops of the new Ford plant in Highland Park. The assembly of the magneto, a popular ignition system at the time, was split into two stages using a conveyor belt. Happened! The assembly time of the finished part from 20 minutes (in man-hours) was reduced by a third. Gradually, other operations began to be transferred to the conveyor, at first simpler, later more complicated. The turn has come to the engine, and to the gearbox, and to the suspension. Finally, in August 1913, the most complex operation was also automated - the so-called "wedding" of the chassis and body. Perhaps this day can be considered the date of birth of the automobile assembly line.
The effectiveness of the new working methods was unparalleled. Chassis assembly time reduced from 12.5 hours to 93 minutes! But, of course, new technologies were not introduced for the sake of records. Most importantly, since 1913, the productivity of the plant has doubled every year, and the price of the Ford T has steadily declined, eventually falling to $260! At current prices, it's only $3,200.
The automobile assembly line is not the only thing Henry gave to the civilized world. Among other brilliant ideas of the giant of thought and the father of the automotive industry, for example, are record-breaking salaries for their own workers on the market, which not only increased staff loyalty, and at the same time labor efficiency, but also spurred sales. After all, the wealthy hard workers became buyers of cars that they themselves produced.
Ford not only applied the principles of car production that are relevant to this day, he also came up with very effective sales tools. Say, in 1914, in order to spur demand, Henry publicly promised every customer a $50 discount. More than generous considering the car's base price at the time was only $500. What is the genius of the action? So the money was returned to buyers only on the condition that Ford sells at least 300 thousand cars at the end of the calendar year. Sales that year were 308,213 cars, and Henry was happy to keep his promise. In any case, he earned more than he spent. “Every time I lower my price by $1, I get a thousand new customers!” Ford said with a laugh.
As early as the beginning of the century, Henry realized that one of the indispensable conditions for effective mass production was the production of his own auto components. And by 1920, the company, for example, produced not only wooden frames for bodies, but also planted forest plantations for future harvesting! Ford realized before others that the key to worldwide popularity was the production of cars in different countries and continents. The first foreign subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company opened in Canada in 1904. By the time the production of the Model T began, representative offices of the company appeared in Paris and London, and in 1911 a plant in Manchester was launched - the first Blue Oval assembly plant in Europe.
His quirks
Wealth was never the goal of Ford, in the end he was born into a wealthy family, but it turned out that the money itself was chasing Henry. Even before the release of the Model T, he was considered a more than successful businessman, but "Tin Lizzy" overnight made him a millionaire. Or rather, a multimillionaire. At the same time, having all the opportunities, he did not lead a riotous luxurious lifestyle, which distinguishes people who quickly made capital. Of course, Ford was not known as a hermit and, according to by and large, did not deny himself anything, but preferred to spend money on anything except entertainment.
It is difficult to say how much Henry cost the lawsuit with a certain George Selden, an inventor and lawyer, best known for his patent for ... a car. Back in the late 19th century, this American filed a patent application for a self-propelled vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Moreover, experienced in matters of law, Selden turned the case in such a way that everyone who later intended to produce cars in the United States had to pay him patent royalties. And everyone paid until Ford said, "Enough!"
Henry, like no one else, could afford transfers for the "Selden patent", but his very nature was sickened by the idea that some scoundrel was profiting from an inherently false patent. No one believed that the tenacious and stubborn Selden could be overcome, but Ford turned out to be even more tenacious and stubborn. On January 10, 1911, after lengthy and bitter litigation, the controversial patent lost its validity.
Even more expensive was Henry and his most unsuccessful venture. At the height of the First World War, Ford, who had been known as a staunch pacifist all his life, paid for the freight of a huge ocean liner. On board, he, with a group of diplomats and cultural figures, went to Europe in order to try to convince the warring parties to lay down their arms. Needless to say, the expedition failed, and after that, only the lazy did not laugh at Henry's naivety ?! But no matter how primitive his act seemed, Ford's thoughts were pure and noble.
Again, with the best of intentions, he went down in history as one of the most implacable fighters against trade unions. And this position of Henry is quite easy to understand and share. He literally created a system from scratch in which workers and managers had the opportunity to earn good money if they were completely devoted to their work. Ford was convinced that a good worker, as well as a smart manager, does not need an advocate from the labor organization at all. Not surprisingly, Henry was at the forefront of the anti-union movement of the 1930s.
With a new attack automotive giant fought in very specific ways. As head of service internal security Henry hired navy sailor and boxer Harry Bennett. The two-meter tall man whom Ford had once saved from prison was pathologically loyal to the boss and did not hesitate to carry out all his orders, including orders of a very dubious nature. It is not surprising that there were no problems with labor discipline at the Blue Oval factories, and those that arose were suppressed in the most decisive way. As the saying goes, a fist and a kind word convinces better than just a kind word. Moreover, attempts by union leaders to force Ford to sign a collective labor agreement, which by the mid-30s had been approved by all other automakers in America, including General Motors and Chrysler, also led nowhere.
In the end, what should have happened did happen. However, it was not reason, the advice of colleagues, or, God forbid, public opinion that forced Ford to sign the ill-fated document. No no and one more time no! Henry, who did not doubt the correctness of his own decisions, was ready to break the company into small branches and start the sale of assets rather than go along with people whose ideals he despised all his life. But his wife intervened. Clara threatened her husband with a divorce if he did not preserve the integrity of the company and did everything to ensure that the Ford Motor Company forever remained the Ford family estate. Only then did Henry, reluctantly, sign an agreement with the hated trade unions...
And what are his very dubious (and this is putting it mildly) anti-Semitic views worth?! Not to mention the fact that it was Ford who turned out to be the only American that Hitler mentions, and mentions in enthusiastic tones in Mein Kampf!
But who are we to judge the greatest automaker of the 20th century? The righteous in the world big business in any case, it simply does not exist, besides, Ford already got hard from fate. He survived his only son - Edsel died of cancer back in 1943, and by that time he had no friends left for a long time. Who knows, perhaps this is the price that the brilliant auto manufacturer had to pay for fabulous wealth and worldwide fame?
Danila Mikhailov
