page_title: Henry Ford & Son Ltd
section_title: Post-War
hierarchical_section_title: Henry Ford & Son Ltd / Company history / Post-War
caption_attribution_description: English: Paddy Hayes and other senior management beside the 50,000th Cork-built car for export, a mk5 Cortina
context_page_description: Henry Ford & Son Ltd is the Irish subsidiary of the United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. With an assembly plant for motor vehicles, it was part of the automotive industry in Ireland.
context_section_description: Since 1946, Ford had around one-third of the car market in total and an even higher share of the commercial vehicle figure. Since the 1950s, Ford consistently captured between 25 per cent and 35 per cent of the Irish car market and between 35 and 40 per cent of the Irish commercial vehicle market. It had an impressive record - taking passenger and commercial vehicles together, it was the best market share of any Ford company in the world.
  When the Cork plant came to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1967, it was a working celebration since the late '50s. Tom Brennan, who had taken over as Managing Director from John O'Neill in 1959, had persuaded Ford's European Management to invest IR£2m in Cork. He believed this was necessary in order to bring car production up to the very highest standards prevailing in Europe.
  The man that Tom Brennan chose to implement the expansion was a fellow Corkman, Paddy Hayes, who, some years later, was to succeed him as Managing Director of Ford of Ireland.
  The IR£2m was spent on re-building, re-equipping and modernising the assembly plant, which became not only the largest factory of its kind but also the most modern. Half a million pounds was invested in an ultra-modern body-finishing department, with Europe's largest 'slipper-dip' immersion under-coating tank guaranteeing a high-quality base for final paint coatings.
  The remainder of the assembly plant was completely re-organised, re-equipped and re-housed in new light-alloy, unitary construction buildings covering an area of over 117,000 square feet. This meant two separate final-assembly lines, one for heavy commercial vehicles and the second and major unit for passenger and light commercial vehicles.
  Incorporated in the new facilities was a parts-and-accessories building holding millions of parts, representing a stock of over 23,000 separate items. The factory extensions virtually reversed the plant orientation since the previous wharf-side entrance was closed and all traffic now entered by Centre Park Road - known locally as Ford's Road.
  The official opening ceremony of the new buildings took place on 11 October 1967. The Taoiseach Jack Lynch headed the 350 guests at the Marina Plant in the morning and there he cut a tape to symbolise the opening of the modern plant. The plant was blessed by Bishop Lucey.
  Jack Lynch made a speech while opening the plant in which he said: "For 50 years, the Ford Company has been part of the industrial life of this city but of course, Ford's links with Cork go back much further. The story of Henry Ford, whose father emigrated from Ballinascarty 120 weary years ago, is so well-known that much of it is already folklore. Indeed, the record of his life and achievements looms large in the history of the development of modern industrial methods, many of which he devised and brought to perfection" 
  The Cork Ford plant turned out the widest range of vehicles under one badge on the Irish market, with some 14 different passenger models and a wide selection of commercials. These included the Cortina, the Escort and the  Transit van as well as the Ford D Series Truck. The total Cork Plant area covered 33 acres and the growth of the factory increased more than 200 per cent in the decade between 1956 and 1966. By 1967, it had about 1,000 employees assembling cars and commercial vehicles for use throughout the Republic.
  When Ireland joined the EEC in 1973, many car assembly plants in Ireland decided to close their doors, including Fiat and British Leyland, as their initial purpose (to avoid import tax imposed on cars imported into Ireland) was going to be avoided as that tax was to be lifted in 1985. Ford, however, stayed for the time being due to the heritage and connection to Cork. But clouds were looming on the horizon for the plant, as most cars made at the Marina plant from then would have been exported to western Europe. and by the 1980s, The plant had losses of IR£10m each year. The plant was finishing 400 cars a week, compared to Fords Genk plant in Belgium churning out over 6,000 cars a week. But the closure 
caption: Paddy Hayes and other senior management beside the 50,000th Cork-built car to be exported, a Mk5 Cortina
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