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 company Ford motor Company, or in the common people Ford.
Go ahead - the slogan of the 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, and it also owns the Lincoln trademark.
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 largest companies in a single-family-run world, the Fords own about 40% of the shares. The company's publicly traded securities 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 modern automotive industry stands William Ford Jr., great-grandson of Henry Ford, who is 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 highest 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. Under car factory the van factory in Detroit was re-equipped.
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 conveyor lines, car production reaches a record level - new car rolls off the assembly line every 10 seconds! Innovation at Ford Motor serves as a starting point for development mass production worldwide.
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 a museum piece for you! 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 significant car of the 20th 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 presents new model"Ford-A", which favorably differed in its design and technical parameters.
With the entry of the United States into World War II, 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 the new strategy, the company sells its luxury brands - Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo. During the crisis, it was required to make the company simpler, and since 85% of its business was provided Ford brand, all forces and means are rushed precisely to his salvation.
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 rubber mats up 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: The Universal Car"). 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 this series for 4 decades, from 1967 to 2004. And the modified Ford GT model became the most fast car in a world that can drive on roads common use- having reached a speed of 455.80 km / h, he 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.
Ford GT- 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 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 Ford cars Focus III and Ford Mondeo(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 sculpture was demonstrated at the 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 environmental protection, in the field 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. New Ford The Mondeo, for example, is equipped with a 1.8-liter diesel engine and is more economical 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 Ford Flexifuel and Ford C-MAX Flexifuel 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 into 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 facilities are entirely provided with electricity received 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 myself at one time installed gas-balloon equipment on my car in order 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.
(votes)The history of Ford is not only the history of the American, but of the entire global automotive industry. It was the Ford company that first began to produce a mass cheap car. It is the fourth in the world in terms of production in history. It is now third in the US and second in Europe.
The company's annual turnover exceeds $150 billion. The asset value is $208 billion. The corporation has 62 factories, a network of outlets located in 30 countries. They employ over 200 thousand employees. We offer you to get acquainted briefly with the history of Ford.
History of the company
Ford history began with the first meeting in 1875, 12-year-old Henry Ford with a locomobile. The future father of the automotive industry called this meeting the most important in his life, which radically influenced his choice of profession. From a young age, he has been involved in technology, working as an apprentice in a mechanical workshop, as a repairman for locomotives. Evenings are spent in the workshop on the parent farm.
Henry Ford as a child
First car
In 1884, Henry got a job in one of the workshops in Detroit. Here he got acquainted in practice with the gas engine of the Otto model, known at that time.
Soon Henry returns to his native village, marries. His father gave him a large plot of land, where the young Ford built a house and equipped himself with a first-class workshop. In it, out of curiosity, he designed for himself an engine modeled on Otto's four-stroke model, operating on lighting gas.
Four years later, he is hired as an engineer for an electrical company. Henry and his wife rent a house in Detroit. In a brick shed behind the house, he set up a workshop, which he moved with him from Springfield. In it, the inventor devotedly worked in the evenings on his two-cylinder engine.
In 1892, Henry Ford built his first car. It looked like a cart with bicycle wheels. The two-cylinder engine developed a power of about 4 Horse power. There was no steering wheel, the car was set in motion by a crank. The first car of Henry Ford received from the inventor the simple name Ford Quadricycle (Ford Quadricycle).
Ford Quadricycle
In the spring of 1893, it was tested on the rural roads of Michigan. Until 1896, Ford drove it for thousands of miles, then sold it for $ 200 to a passionate car lover.
First experience
Meanwhile, the electrical company offered him a top engineering position on the condition that he stop working on machines. But the young engineer was already firmly convinced of the success of his business and on August 15, 1899, he refused the service in order to devote himself entirely to cars.
A group of entrepreneurs offered to organize a car company with his participation. Ford worked there for three years. During this time, he built 15 cars based on his first model. But sales were poor, there were no opportunities to design new models, and Henry left the company.
Own enterprise
Ford decides to organize an independent enterprise. He rents another brick shed for his workshop and continues to experimentally build new car models.
Most American car buyers at the time considered speed to be their trump card. To meet the needs of the public, Henry produces two models with a 4-cylinder engine of 80 hp, which at that time seemed to be gigantic power.
One of them, the "999" car, as he called it, successfully showed its speed in a three-mile race. Those willing to profitably invest in the business were quickly found, and in June 1903 the Ford Automobile Society was founded. Thus began the history of the company. The founder himself got a quarter of the company, the position of director and responsible for all production. The founders collected 28 thousand dollars.
Henry Ford and racing driver Barney Oldfield in the legendary 999
Subsequently, Ford bought back the shares for the money he earned and brought his share to 59%. And in 1919, when he began to have disagreements with shareholders over economic policy, the remaining 41% was bought by his son Edzel for a substantial sum of $ 75 million.
First steps
The history of the development of the Ford society began to be written with the "Model A". She had a two-cylinder engine of 8 hp. and chain transmission. Parts for the machine were produced by partners, and the company was already engaged in assembly. Cars immediately gained a reputation for being simple and reliable machines. Already in the first year, 1,708 copies were sold and the company's business went well.
Model "A"
In 1906, at the expense of working capital, the company built a 3-storey building, began to produce a number of parts on its own.
In the process of manufacturing and selling products, Ford came to the conclusion that the market was in dire need of a cheap mass car. Due to the simplification of the design, the streamlining of prices, sales volumes in 1907-1911 increased significantly. The company has already assembled more than 100 cars a day.
The number of employees in the company reached 4110 people, the number of cars produced - 45 thousand. The company has branches in London and Australia. Ford has already traded in many countries around the world.
The history of the Ford company has developed according to the methods of its founder. The company's machines were designed less complex than those of competitors, the company did not use foreign capital, all profits were invested back in production, and a favorable balance always made it possible to have working capital.
Model T
According to Ford, the car should be simple and affordable. He embodied his idea in the development of the "Model T", which the company began to produce since 1908. It absorbed everything that the inventor had worked out over the previous time, plus vanadium compounds in the materials.
Tin Lizzie (Model "T")
"Tin Lizzy" (Tin Lizzy), as it was nicknamed by motorists, became the first mass-produced car. In 1914, the company celebrated the release of the anniversary 10 millionth copy. The car was produced until 1928.
Conveyor
Since 1913, Ford began to gradually introduce conveyor production cars. The results were stunning. For example, engine assembly time was reduced from 9.9 to 5.9 working hours.
The introduction of the Ford assembly line reduced the price of the Tin Lisa from $850 to $290. In 1914, Henry set the country's highest minimum wage for workers, $5 a day.
An innovative production method at the time - assembly line
How the lineup has changed as the company has evolved
Today, the concern manufactures more than 70 car models. Consider the main instances of the model range of Ford Motor Company cars.
After the drop in sales of the Model T, Ford closed all production for six months, carrying out the necessary reconstruction to switch to the new Ford A model (the prototype of the Soviet Pobeda), which has more advanced characteristics. This car was the first to have safety glass.
Model A 1929
Again ahead of the competition, Ford was the first to begin production of station wagon models in 1929.
Competitors, meanwhile, have mastered the production of V-6 engines. The company's shareholders offered to begin production of their counterparts, but Ford insisted on developing a more advanced engine. So in April 1932, a new V-shaped 8-cylinder engine installed on the Model B was presented to the public. The engine was called flathead - in translation: “flathead”. It was quite compact, worked quietly and, thanks to the small number of parts, very reliable and easy to maintain. Only a few years later, competitors were able to organize the production of cars with an engine of this type.
Model B 1932
When America began hostilities, all the efforts of the company were directed to the production of military products. The concern produced bombers, aircraft engines, tanks, anti-tank guns, trucks and jeeps, and other military equipment.
In September 1945, 82-year-old Henry Ford resigned as head of the corporation and transferred the business to his grandson. Two years later, on April 7, 1947, he dies on his estate. At that time, his fortune was equal to $ 199 billion, adjusted for inflation.
Fairlane
In 1948, the first Ford F-Series from a series of full-size pickups was released. The car has become the most popular pickup truck and one of the best-selling in the world. More than 34 million copies of this series have been sold.
F-100 1948
In the 60s, Ford, following the sports and youth trend that prevailed in America, switched to the production of inexpensive sports cars. In 1964, one of the best cars of the company appears - Mustang, named after the famous American aircraft P-51. Equipped with a new engine, with a bright and stylish design, the car was a huge success. After 1.5 years, a million copies were sold. It is still a cult car.
Mustang first generation. Read all about the Ford Mustang on the site pro-mustang.ru
Following the Mustang, the production of the Ford Transit commercial vehicle began. Since 1965, more than 6 million cars have been sold in seven generations.
In 1968, the production of the Ford Escort, one of Ford's most successful passenger cars, began. Over 35 years of production, almost 20 million pieces have been sold.
Escort 1968-1973
1976 was marked by the release of the B-class model - Ford Fiesta. It is still produced with success in many countries around the world. Its circulation is more than 13 million units in 6 generations.
Since 1998, the Ford Focus, a popular sedan, has been produced. Today, the model is already in its third generation. More than 9.2 million cars sold. The car is popular in Russia, where it has been assembled since 1999. In 2010 Focus was the best-selling foreign car in our country.
Focus 1998
Logo evolution
The oval badge known today did not appear on Ford cars immediately.
The history of the logo dates back to 1903. The first emblem featured the inscription “Ford Motor Co.”, made in an outlandish font and framed by an oval.
Three years later, the inscription was reduced and made "flying". It was supposed to symbolize the rapid movement of the company forward. The emblem existed until 1910.
The Ford trademark was registered with the US Patent Office in 1909.
In 1912 the logo takes new form- a bizarre triangle, on the sides of which wings are spread. As conceived by the designers, the design of the emblem meant elegance and reliability, and with them speed and lightness.
The prototype of the current sign appeared in 1927 - a blue oval with the inscription Ford inside. Until the 70s, it was not installed on all cars of the brand.
Since 1976, an oval with a blue background and a familiar silver lettering has been placed on the radiator and rear door of all cars manufactured by the corporation.
In 2003, on the eve of the centenary of the corporation, the logo was added with subtle features of the original emblems. The iconic oval badge is still easily recognizable and represents the high quality and reliability of the famous brand.
"The color of the car can be any, provided that it is black".
There is an opinion that this phrase about the black color is not mentioned by him by chance. All "T" models were in the same color. Ford chose to paint them black only because that color was the cheapest.
To the journalist's question: "Which car do you consider the best?", the great designer replied:
"The best car is a new car!"
"I never say, 'I need you to do this.' I say, "I wonder if you can do it."
“More often people give up than they fail.”
“Only two stimuli make people work: thirst wages and fear of losing her.
The current state of the company and its prospects
The corporation is still one of the leading automakers in the world. In addition to cars, trucks and buses under the Ford brand, which are sold worldwide, the concern's portfolio includes the brands Lincoln and Troller (Brazil). He also owns shares in Kia Motor Corporation and Mazda Motor Corporation.
In the early 2000s, the company's crisis was significant. However, after Alan Mulally came to the leadership of the corporation, the activities of the giant automaker began to make a profit again. Restructuring has been carried out, a transition to a new strategy of the corporation for the production of cars, common for all markets, is underway.
Alan Mulally
Financial position
At the end of 2017, Ford's net profit increased by 65% and reached $ 7.6 billion, revenue increased by 3% and equals almost $ 157 billion. Profit for the last quarter amounted to 2.4 billion dollars, a year earlier there were losses.
According to the forecasts of American experts in 2018, the company's profit is expected to decline. Revenue is projected at $142 billion.
In Russia, there is an increase in credit purchases of crossovers and SUVs, especially Ford Explorer and Ford Kuga. In 2017, their share in the company's sales increased to 31%, which provided the Ford Sollers JV, which represents Ford's interests in Russia, with a 16% increase in sales. Commercial vehicles sold in 2017 Ford brands 68% more than last year.
explorer
The company expects further growth in SUV sales. It is planned to increase production at the enterprises of Tatarstan with the simultaneous updating of some models. The firm lays big hopes to strengthen positions in the segment of light commercial vehicles.
Plans
This year, the concern plans to present 23 new models at international market. In general, the company has a strategy to reduce
number of car models. The main focus will be on the development of new trucks and SUVs.
The corporation's mission is to continuously improve the company's products to meet the needs of our customers, to enable the company to prosper and to provide profit to its shareholders and owners.
Do you know who they belong to? In principle, at first glance, the answer to this question is quite easy. But it's not so simple. Especially with regards to the various divisions of well-known brands, in which you can even get confused. Plus, over the past decades, many car brands have become the property of other car companies. So today only an expert and connoisseur of the modern car market can easily name who owns car brands.
For example, for decades the British brand Vauxhall and the German brand Opel were owned by the American company General Motors. But in March 2017, the deal of the year (maybe even the deal of the decade) took place, in which the PSA group of companies acquired the Vauxhall and Opel car brands for $2.3 billion. This means that now the Vauxhall and Opel brands are owned by a joint company of Peugeot and Citroën brands, which created the PSA auto alliance. That is, now the Vauxhall and Opel brands belong to French car brands.
So, as you can see, not everything is so simple in the modern car market. But thanks to our material, you can find out who owns which car brands these days. This will help you not only expand your knowledge in the automotive world, but also become a real connoisseur in the world of automotive corporations.
BMW Group
Manufacturer aircraft engines Rapp Motorenwerke created Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1917. Bayerische Motoren Werke further merged with the aviation company ayerische Flugzeug-Werke in 1922. In 1923, the combined corporation began to produce engines for motorcycles, and also launched the production of motorbikes. In 1928, the production of automobiles began. Today it has a rather simple structure.
Here are the brands currently owned by the BMW Group:
bmw
Mini
Rolls Royce
BMW Motorrad (motorcycle brand)
Daimler
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) was founded in 1899. It merged with Benz & Cie in 1926. From that moment on, Daimler-Benz AG appeared in the world.
The headquarters is located in Stuttgart, Germany.
The company has a fairly complex corporate structure that includes brands ranging from microcar maker Smart to school bus maker.
Here are the brands Daimler owns today:
mercedes benz
Smart
Mercedes-Benz Truck (Manufacturer of trucks)
Freightliner (U.S. tractor and truck manufacturer)
Fuso (Manufacture of commercial trucks)
Western Star (Manufacture of semi-trailers)
Bharatbenz (Indian automobile company that manufactures buses and trucks)
Mercedes-Benz Vans (Manufacturer of minibuses and minivans)
Mercedes-Benz Buses (Bus manufacturer)
Setra (Manufacture of buses)
Thomas Built (Manufacturer of school buses)
(Mercedes-AMG (production of powerful and sports cars based on production models Mercedes is a division that is part of Daimler AG).
General Motors
In 1908, Buick owner William K. Durant, together with the Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile), founded a holding company that was supposed to help automobile brands compete in the car market. In 1909, Cadillac and Oakland joined the holding, which later received the new name Pontiac. Later, General Motors began to take over many small car companies. So, in 1918, the brand entered the holding.
General Motors is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
In 2008, following the global financial crisis, General Motors shut down brands such as Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer.
The corporation currently controls the following companies:
Autobaojun (Car manufacturer in China)
Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
GMC
Holden (Australian car manufacturer)
Jiefang ( Chinese company, which manufactures commercial vehicles)
Wuling (Car manufacturer in China)
Fiat Chrysler
The Italian company and the American brand Chrysler officially completed their merger in October 2014, creating an alliance Fiat Chrysler automobiles. This process started in 2011.
Recall Fiat company began its history back in 1899 (Società Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino).
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is technically headquartered in London, England. However, most of the actual work is done at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, and Fiat's headquarters in Turin, Italy.
The FCA Alliance manages:
Chrysler
Dodge
Jeep
Ram
fiat
Alfa Romeo
Fiat Professional
Lancia
Maserati
Tata Motors is headquartered in Mumbai, India.
Tata operates the following companies:
Tata
Jaguar
Tata Daewoo (Production of commercial vehicles)
Toyota Group
The automotive division of Toyoy Automatic Loom Works entered the automotive market in 1935 with the launch of the G1 pickup truck. Then in 1937 automotive division was spun off as a separate Motor Company. Toyota's first car was the GA truck, which replaced the old Toyota model G1.
Toyota is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan.
Toyota Group owns:
Toyota
Lexus
Hino (Production of commercial vehicles)
Daihatsu
Volkswagen Group
The roots go back to the days of Nazi Germany, when the country sought to mobilize the population to create " people's car". By the way, before the start of World War II Volkswagen was able to produce the first batch of such cars. But then the plant switched to the production of military vehicles. Post-war production people's car"continued. It was the legendary "Beetle" ( Volkswagen Beetle). As a result, 21 million cars were produced.
Volkswagen headquarters is located in Wolfsburg, Germany.
The Volkswagen Group currently controls:
Volkswagen
Audi
Bentley
Bugatti
Lamborghini
Porsche
SEAT
Skoda
MAN (Production of heavy trucks)
Scania (Another company that produces heavy trucks and trucks)
Volkswagen Commercial (Manufacture of commercial vehicles: minivans, minibuses, vans)
Ducati (Motorcycle manufacturing)
Zhejiang Geely
Li Shufu founded Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 1986. In 1997, he created Geely Automobile. Despite the fact that this is a fairly young car company, the concern owns several large car holdings through smart acquisitions.
Zhejiang Geely is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
The company controls the following brands:
Geely Auto
Volvo
lotus
Proton (Malaysia)
London EV Company (Production of taxi cars for London)
Polestar (Manufacture of electric vehicles)
Lynk & Co (Premium brand focused on the production of expensive electric cars)
Yuan Cheng Auto (Manufacture of commercial vehicles)
Terrafugia (Flying car manufacturing)
Recent investments make Geely largest shareholder of Volvo AB, which produces commercial vehicles and is responsible for the brands and Renault Trucks (manufacturing Volvo trucks and Renault).
About thirty years ago, the famous American manager Lee Iacocca said that by the beginning of the 21st century, the world automotive market there are only a few players left. The ex-president of Chrysler and Ford saw through the trends in the further development of the automotive industry, so it is not at all surprising that his predictions are confirmed.
The world's largest automakers and alliances
At first glance, it may seem that there are many independent automakers in the world, but in fact, most auto companies are part of various groups and alliances.
Thus, Lee Iacocca looked into the water, and today there are actually only a few automakers left in the world who have divided the entire global car market among themselves.
What brands are owned by Ford
Interestingly, the companies he headed - Chrysler and Ford - the leaders of the American auto industry, suffered the most serious losses during the economic crisis. And they had never been in such serious troubles before. Chrysler and General Motors went bankrupt, and only a miracle saved Ford. But for this miracle, the company had to pay too dear a price, because as a result, Ford lost its premium division Premiere Automotive Group, which included Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar. Moreover, Ford lost Aston Martin, the British supercar manufacturer, a controlling stake in Mazda, and liquidated the Mercury brand. And today, only two brands remain from the huge empire - Lincoln and Ford itself.
What brands belong to the auto concern General Motors
General Motors suffered no less serious losses. The American company lost Saturn, Hummer, SAAB, but its bankruptcy did not prevent us from defending Opel brands and Daewoo. Today General Motors includes such brands as Vauxhall, Holden, GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick. In addition, the Americans own the Russian joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces the Chevrolet Niva.
Automaker Fiat and Chrysler
And the American concern Chrysler now acts as a strategic partner of Fiat, which has brought together such brands as Ram, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Lancia, Maserati, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo under its wing.
In Europe, things are somewhat different than in the US. Here the crisis has also made its own adjustments, but the position of the monsters of the European automobile industry has not been shaken by this.
What brands belong to the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen is still accumulating brands. After the purchase of Porsche in 2009, the Volkswagen Group has nine brands - Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche, Audi, manufacturer Scania trucks and VW itself. There is evidence that soon this list will include Suzuki, 20 percent of whose shares are already owned by the Volkswagen Group.
Brands owned by Daimler AG and BMW Group
As for the other two "Germans" - BMW and Daimler AG, they cannot boast of such an abundance of brands. Under the wing of Daimler AG are the brands Smart, Maybach and Mercedes, and the history of BMW includes Mini and Rolls Royce.
Renault and Nissan Automobile Alliance
Among the world's largest automakers, one cannot fail to mention the Renault-Nissan alliance, which owns such brands as Samsung, Infiniti, Nissan, Dacia and Renault. In addition, Renault owns 25 percent of AvtoVAZ shares, so Lada is also not an independent brand from the French-Japanese alliance.
Another major French automaker, PSA, owns Peugeot and Citroen.
Japanese automaker Toyota
And among Japanese automakers, only Toyota, which owns Subaru, Daihatsu, Scion and Lexus, can boast of a “collection” of brands. Also part of Toyota Motor is the truck manufacturer Hino.
Who owns Honda
Honda's achievements are more modest. In addition to the motorcycle department and the premium Acura brand, the Japanese have nothing else.
Successful Auto Alliance Hyundai-Kia
In recent years, the Hyundai-Kia alliance has been successfully breaking into the list of leaders in the global automotive industry. Today, it produces cars only under the brands Kia and Hyundai, but the Koreans are already seriously engaged in creating a premium brand that could be called Genesis.
Among the acquisitions and mergers of recent years, we should mention the transition under the wing of the Chinese Geely Volvo brands, as well as the acquisition of the British premium brands Land Rover and Jaguar by the Indian company Tata. And the most curious case is the purchase of the famous Swedish SAAB brand tiny Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker.
The once powerful British auto industry is dead. All the famous British car manufacturers have long since lost their independence. Their example was followed by small English firms that passed to foreign owners. In particular, the legendary Lotus today belongs to Proton (Malaysia), and the Chinese SAIC bought MG. By the way, the same SAIC had previously sold the Korean SsangYong Motor to the Indian Mahindra&Mahindra.
All of these strategic partnerships, alliances, mergers and acquisitions have once again proven Lee Iacocca right. Single firms in the modern world are no longer able to survive. Yes, there are exceptions, like the Japanese Mitsuoka, the English Morgan or the Malaysian Proton. But these companies are independent only in the sense that absolutely nothing depends on them.
And in order to have annual sales amounting to hundreds of thousands of cars, not to mention millions, one cannot do without a strong “rear”. IN Renault-Nissan Alliance partners provide each other with support, and in the Volkswagen Group, mutual assistance is ensured by the number of brands.
As for such companies as Mitsubishi and Mazda, in the future they will face more and more difficulties. While Mitsubishi can get the help of partners from PSA, Mazda will have to survive alone, which in the modern world is becoming more and more difficult every day ...
The history of this legendary automaker began back in 1903, when Henry Ford founded a small company with eleven partners. Ford Motor Company. The starting capital was $28,000, which was raised thanks to various investors. Ford already had a wealth of experience in engineering, racing and business. True, his first company Detroit Automobile(1899-1900) went bankrupt, having managed, however, before that to release several racing monsters, which simply did not exist on the tracks of those years.
Negative sales experience is fabulous expensive cars was not in vain - Ford has now decided to start producing cars that would be available to the average consumer. The first product was the Ford Model A, a small "gasoline sidecar". And in 1908, the legendary Ford T was born, which was destined to "put all of America behind the wheel." The car was initially quite affordable, and after the introduction in 1913 at factories Ford Motor Company conveyor assembly, has become even cheaper. In Europe, the First World War rumbled with might and main, and in the USA, another Ford T model left the factory gates every ten seconds. The concept of “Ford conveyor” will become a household word, a symbol of monotonous and almost slave labor (especially in the USSR).
Ford T quickly becomes a real legend. The people dubbed him "Tin Lizzy" ("Tin Lizzy"). The car was produced in the most various modifications bodies (their number was not just large, but huge - the car was adapted literally for everything, from a pleasure roadster and a two-door sedan to a tow truck and a cattle carrier). Ford T was as simple as possible and, as a result, very reliable. A joke went around the country, about how a certain owner of this car repaired his junk miracle by buying a variety of junk from a junk dealer. By the way, Ford understood perfectly well how important it was to provide consumers with spare parts and paid a lot of attention to this issue, which once again had a positive effect on the popularity of the "T" model. "Tin Lizzie" was produced until 1927.
In addition to the legendary “T”, other models rolled off the assembly lines, many of which served as role models for other companies. So it was Ford cars that formed the basis of the products that he began to produce. GAS.
The Second World War brought with it military orders. The production of civilian cars was stopped, all production facilities were put into production of military equipment, including tanks and aircraft. Henry Ford was not considered a trustworthy citizen, having managed to earn a lot of unflattering characteristics. He openly expressed his pro-Nazi views, was a staunch anti-Semite and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. However, he was also the owner of the largest factories in the country, so the military turned a blind eye to his past. However, in 1946, Ford will still be awarded prestigious awards for services to industry and the country. It happened just before the death of the founder Ford Motor Company, which overtook him in 1947, after which the management of the company passed into the hands of Henry Ford II - the grandson of Henry Ford.
Ford's death did not affect the development of the company in any way. She continued to develop at an accelerated pace, turning into a truly respected and even legendary. One after another, models appear that in the very first years of production become very popular, real bestsellers, experiencing reincarnations, one after another (a classic example is Mustang). For many Americans (and not only for them) Ford has become synonymous with the concept of "great car".
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| Ford Thunderbird 1964 (image from here) |
Headquarters Ford Motor Company is located near Detroit, in Dearborn, Michigan, USA (Dearborn, Michigan, USA). The company is one of the three largest car manufacturers in the world. The widest range of products is produced - cars different sizes, appointments and cost. Much attention is paid to various types of racing. Representative offices and factories of the company are scattered around the world.
Brands
In 1958 Ford Motor Company produced cars under the brand Edsel. It was an attempt to offer the buyer a prestigious, but fairly affordable car. The attempt is extremely unsuccessful - in 1960 production Edsel that enjoyed extremely little demand was curtailed. Ford lost millions of dollars on it, and Edsel became synonymous with failure.
In 1986, an English brand was acquired Aston Martin Lagonda. The purchase was not very successful and in 2007 they got rid of it by selling it to a consortium of investors, led by the company Prodrive.
Also unsuccessful was the purchase in 1990 Jaguar and in 2000 Land Rover. They went to the Indian Tata Motors in 2008.
Things did not go too well in the case of Volvo Cars , acquired in 1999 and sold in 2010 by the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
From the brand founded in 1939 Mercury, under which cars of medium price category, it was also decided to refuse. The brand ceased to exist in 2010.
The brand has existed for several years. Merkur- from 1985 to 1989. It was sold mainly in the US and Canada, although a few models still reached Europe.
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