Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company (often known as Ford) is an American company that makes vehicles. This company is named after its founder, Henry Ford.
These brands are also made by Ford:
Mercury
Lincoln
History
In 1896, Henry Ford had an idea to make a Quadricycle, the first "horseless carriage" he built. This four-wheeled vehicle was very different from cars we drive now. It was very different even from vehicles Ford produced just a few years later. Even so, this was the start of Ford's career as a businessman. Until the Quadricycle, Ford's work had been experimental and theoretical. For example, in the 1890s, Ford built a gas engine on his kitchen table -- just an engine with nothing to power. Enough people liked the Quadricycle, and much could be done with the it, so it led to the beginning of Ford's business.
Ford Motor Company started on June 16, 1903, when Henry Ford and 11 business helpers signed papers to form the company. Their first Ford production car, the Model A, was sold in Detroit, Michigan a few months later. (This Model A should not be confused with their more famous Model A, which came out in 1927). With $280,000 (around 165 000 pounds), the early businessmen made what was to become one of the world's largest companies. Few companies changed the history and development of industry and society in the 20th century as much as Ford Motor Company.
Mass production on the line
Ford Motor Company's most important contribution to automotive manufacturing was the (moving) assembly line. First implemented at the Highland Park plant (in Michigan, US) in 1913, this new method let each workers to stay in one place, to do the same job repeatedly as the vehicles went by on the assembly line. The line proved to be very efficient; it helped the company make more cars, and make them cheaper than other car companies could do at the time. Before using the assembly line, Ford made 12,000 Model T's in a year. With the assembly line, Ford could make 12,000 Model T's in just two days. Ford had discovered how to make more cars that more people could afford to buy. He even paid his workers higher salaries than other car companies and still made money.
Early growth
Henry Ford insisted that the company's future lay in the production of affordable cars for a mass market. In 1903, the company began using the first 19 letters of the alphabet to name new cars. In 1908, the Model T was born, and it was sold for 19 years. By selling 15 million Model T's, Ford Motor Company became a giant company which spanned the globe. They built plants in the Soviet Union, Japan and other places. Ford started making farm tractors, trucks and school buses. In 1925, Ford Motor Company bought the Lincoln Motor Company. It uses that name to build luxury cars. In the 1930s, the name "Mercury" was given to its mid-priced cars. Ford Motor Company was growing.
Older Models
The 1920s
Model A
Model A Roadster
Model A 4 Door Sedan
Model T
The 1930s
Model A Convertible
1932 Ford Model B Coup
Model B
Ford Rheinland
Ford V8
Ford Taunus
The 1950s
Ford 12M '52 - '62
Ford 15M '55 - '59
Ford 17M '57 - '60
The 1960s
Ford P3
Ford P4
Ford P5
Ford P6
Ford P7
Ford Capri
Ford Transit
The 1970s
Ford Consul
Ford Taunus
Ford Escort
Ford Fiesta
Ford Granada
Ford Capri
The 1980s
Ford RS200
Ford Capri
Ford Escort
Ford Orion
Ford RS200
Ford Sierra
Ford Scorpio
The 1990s
Ford Cougar buggatti
Ford Escort
Ford Explorer
Ford Focus (2001 and 2002)
Ford Galaxy (VW Sharan and Seat Alhambra)
Ford Ka
Ford Maverick
Ford Mondeo
Ford Probe
Ford Puma
Ford Windstar
The 2000s
Ford Focus C-MAX
Ford Focus ST
Ford Fusion (British)
Ford StreetKa
Ford Transit Connect
Ford Tourneo Connect
Ford S-MAX
Ford Focus Cabriolet (2006)
Ford CUV (2007, )
American Models
Current
Ford EcoSport
Ford Edge
Ford Escape
Ford Expedition
Ford Explorer
Ford F-Series Pickups
Ford F-Series Super Duty
Ford F-Series Commercial Truck
Ford Fiesta Hatchback
Ford Fiesta Sedan
Ford Flex
Ford Focus Hatchback (American)
Ford Focus Sedan (American)
Ford Fusion (American)
Ford Mustang
Ford Taurus
Ford Transit
Ford Transit Connect
References
Ford
1903 establishments in the United States
Companies based in Michigan
1900s establishments in Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan