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 incorpo-
ration 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-horse-
power, 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 engi-
neers went through 19 letters of the alphabet, creating
Models A through S, with some of these cars being exper-
imental models only and not available to the public;
Whereas, on October 1, 1908, the Ford Motor Company in-
troduced its ‘‘universal car’’, the Model T (sometimes af-
fectionately called the ‘‘Tin Lizzie’’), which could be
reconfigured by buyers to move cattle, haul freight, herd
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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, compo-
nents, 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 fast-
er 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, in-
cluding suppliers, that allowed for the complete produc-
tion 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,
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1932, a Ford vehicle with the pioneering Ford V–8 en-
gine 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 dis-
tinctive streamlined body style, a V–8 engine with more
horsepower than a Ford, and hydraulic brakes, thus fill-
ing the void between the low-priced Ford and the high-
priced 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 ac-
ceptance 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, ar-
mored cars, amphibious craft, gliders, and other mate-
rials 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
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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 fu-
ture;
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, in-
troduced 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 chris-
tened 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 re-
sulted 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 in-
troduction 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 mar-
velous 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;
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Whereas the Ford Motor Company is the world’s second larg-
est automaker, and includes Ford, Lincoln, Mercury,
Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mazda
automotive brands, as well as other diversified subsidi-
aries 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 com-
pany 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 en-
thusiasts, and friends worldwide, commemorate and cele-
brate 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
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environmentally sustainable, and that will enhance per-
sonal mobility for generations to come.
Attest:
Clerk.