H. Res. 100

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

May 21, 2003.

Whereas, on June 16, 1903, then 39 year old Henry Ford

and 11 associates, armed with little cash, some tools, a

few blueprints, and unbounded faith, submitted incorporation papers to Michigan’s capital, Lansing, launching

the Ford Motor Company;

Whereas the Ford Motor Company began operations in a

leased, small converted wagon factory on a spur of the

Michigan Central Railroad in Detroit;

Whereas the first commercial automobile to emerge from the

Ford Motor Company in 1903 was the original 8-horsepower, two-cylinder Model A vehicle with a two speed

transmission, 28 inch wheels with wooden spokes, and 3

inch tires;

Whereas, between 1903 and 1908, Henry Ford and his engineers went through 19 letters of the alphabet, creating

Models A through S, with some of these cars being experimental models only and not available to the public;

Whereas, on October 1, 1908, the Ford Motor Company introduced its ‘‘universal car’’, the Model T (sometimes affectionately called the ‘‘Tin Lizzie’’), which could be

reconfigured by buyers to move cattle, haul freight, herd
2

•HRES 100 EH

horses, and even mow lawns, and Ford produced 10,660

Model T vehicles its first year, an industry record;

Whereas the Ford Motor Company inaugurated the first

automotive integrated assembly line in 1913, changing

the old manner of building one car at a time through

moving the work to the worker by having parts, components, and assemblers stationed at different intervals,

and beginning a new era of industrial progress and

growth;

Whereas Henry Ford surprised the world in 1914 by setting

Ford’s minimum wage at $5.00 per an 8-hour day, which

replaced the prior $2.34 wage for a 9-hour day and was

a truly great social revolution for its time;

Whereas that same year, 1914, Henry Ford, with an eye to

simplicity, efficiency, and affordability, ordered that the

Model T use black paint exclusively because it dried faster than other colors, which meant more cars could be

built daily at a lower cost, and Ford said the vehicle will

be offered in ‘‘any color so long as it is black’’;

Whereas Ford’s self-contained Rouge Manufacturing Complex

on the Rouge River encompassed diverse industries, including suppliers, that allowed for the complete production of vehicles, from raw materials processing to final

assembly, was an icon of the 20th century, and, with its

current revitalization and redevelopment, will remain an

icon in the 21st century;

Whereas, in 1925, the company built the first of 199 Ford

Tri-Motor airplanes, nicknamed the ‘‘Tin Goose’’ and the

‘‘Model T of the Air’’;

Whereas consumer demand for more luxury and power

pushed aside the then current model, and on March 9,
3

•HRES 100 EH

1932, a Ford vehicle with the pioneering Ford V–8 engine block rolled off the production line;

Whereas, while Ford offered only two brands through 1937

(Ford and Lincoln), due to increased competition, the

first Mercury was introduced in 1938, a car with a distinctive streamlined body style, a V–8 engine with more

horsepower than a Ford, and hydraulic brakes, thus filling the void between the low-priced Ford and the highpriced Lincoln brands;

Whereas one of the largest labor unions in the Nation was

formed as the United Automobile Workers (UAW) in

1935, and after a rather tumultuous beginning, won acceptance by the auto industry and became a potent and

forceful leader for auto workers, with Ford building a

strong relationship with the union through its policies

and programs;

Whereas by government decree all civilian auto production in

the United States ceased on February 10, 1942, and

Ford, under the control of the War Production Board,

produced an extensive array of tanks, B–24 aircraft, armored cars, amphibious craft, gliders, and other materials for the World War II war effort;

Whereas Ford dealers rallied to aid the Ford Motor Company

in its postwar comeback, proving their merit as the

public’s main point of contact with the company;

Whereas, on September 21, 1945, Henry Ford II assumed

the presidency of Ford and on April 7, 1947, Ford’s

founder, Henry Ford passed away;

Whereas a revitalized Ford met the postwar economic boom

with Ford’s famed F-Series trucks making their debut in

1948 for commercial and personal use, and the debut of
4

•HRES 100 EH

the 1949 Ford sedan, with the first change in a chassis

since 1932, and the first integration of body and fenders

which would set the standard for auto design in the future;

Whereas these new models were followed by such well-known

cars as the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the retractable

hardtop convertible Ford Skyliner, the high performing

Thunderbird, introduced in 1955, the Ford Galaxie, introduced in 1959, and the biggest success story of the

1960s, the Ford Mustang, which has been a part of the

American scene for almost 40 years;

Whereas, in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower christened the new Ford Research and Engineering Center,

which was a milestone in the company’s dedication to

automotive science and which houses some of the most

modern facilities for automotive research;

Whereas Ford’s innovation continued through the 1980s with

the introduction of the Ford Taurus, which was named

the 1986 Motor Trend Car of the Year, and which resulted in future aerodynamic design trends throughout

the industry;

Whereas this innovation continued through the 1990s with

the debut in 1993 of the Ford Mondeo, European Car of

the Year, the redesigned 1994 Ford Mustang, and the introduction in 1990 of the Ford Explorer, which defined

the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment and remains the

best selling SUV in the world;

Whereas, as the 21st century begins, Ford continues its marvelous record for fine products with the best-selling car

in the world, the Ford Focus, and the best-selling truck

in the world, the Ford F-Series;
5

•HRES 100 EH

Whereas the Ford Motor Company is the world’s second largest automaker, and includes Ford, Lincoln, Mercury,

Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mazda

automotive brands, as well as other diversified subsidiaries in finance and other domestic and international

business areas; and

Whereas, on October 30, 2001, William Clay Ford, Jr., the

great-grandson of Henry Ford, became Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company, and

as such is concentrating on the fundamentals that have

powered the Ford Motor Company to greatness over the

last century and made it a world-class auto and truck

manufacturer, and that will continue to carry the company through the 21st century to develop even better

products and innovations: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes the truly wondrous achievements of

the Ford Motor Company, as its employees, retirees,

suppliers, dealers, its many customers, automotive enthusiasts, and friends worldwide, commemorate and celebrate its 100th anniversary milestone;

(2) recognizes the great impact that Ford has had

on the lives of Americans and people of all nations; and

(3) congratulates the Ford Motor Company for this

achievement and trusts that Ford will continue to have

an even greater impact in the 21st century and beyond

in providing innovative products that are affordable and
6

•HRES 100 EH

environmentally sustainable, and that will enhance personal mobility for generations to come.

Attest:

Clerk.