Ford - A brief history of Ford Motors
Given its worldwide operations, Ford Motors might be regarded as probably the most successful car makers. However, the company's success didn't happen overnight. Actually, it took more than A century before Ford could earn its current status. Use a clearer picture from the company's development, a few of the highlights of Ford's history are supplied below.
Ford's Earliest Foundation
Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford. The company was really established with the help of Henry Ford's acquaintance, Alexander Y. Malcomson, a coal dealer, and Malcomson's uncle, John S. Gray, president of the German-American Bank. To help strengthen the newly established company, Malcomson recruited his business partners and urged these to invest. Because of Malcomson's success in recruiting investors, the Ford Motor Company was finally established on June 16, 1903, with 12 investors and 1000 shares. Both Ford and Malcomson owned 255 of these shares, while Gray owned 105. The remaining shares were of the other 9 investors.
The first stockholders meeting of the Ford Motor Company happened two days after it was formed. During this meeting, the election of officers happened. Gray had become the company's first president, while Ford was elected as vice-president. Under Gray's leadership, the company had began to earn profits. Ford's total profit in October 1, 1903 was calculated to be with $37,000. This profit further increased to $300,000 in 1905.
But, after a few years of smooth operation, the harmonious relationship among investors was broken. Subsequent clashes together eventually resulted in separation and Henry Ford's assumption from the presidential position. Under Ford's leadership, the company gradually had become the largest car maker in the US.
During the first few years, Ford as a car manufacturer, was involved in developing and producing its first car model, which was known as the "Model A." The Model A was powered by a two cylinder internal combustion engine, capable of producing 8 horsepower. Ford had sold a total of just one,750 units from 1903 to 1904. The impressive sales record obtained through the Model A marked the first successes of Henry Ford's business. However, this model was eventually replaced by the Model C in 1904.
The Ford Model C was actually a refined version from the Model A, having a sportier look and more powerful engine. Ford discontinued the production of the Model C in 1905 having a total of 800 units produced. This model was replaced by the Model F in 1905. In 1906, Ford developed its first six-cylinder powered vehicle and named it the Model K. This was an upgraded for that earlier Model B. The Model K was powered by an in-line 6-cylinder engine that produced up to 40 horsepower. Despite its powerful engine, the Model K was considered a failure because of its expensive price and low quality. Its production had reached its end in 1908. Ford then focused its attention on creating a succeeding model, which was the Model S. However, the requirements for the Model S weren't so impressive. Consequently Ford then introduced the "Model T".
Ford's Model T or the T-Model Ford is the company's first affordable vehicle and also at the same time one of the most sought after models. Its production started on August 12, 1908, with its first unit leaving the company's assembly line September 27, 1908. The Model T started to establish its iconic image within the automotive market. Because it was affordable and middle-class Americans were capable of buying this car, the demand for the model increased. The 15 millionth unit from the Model T left the company's factory on May 26, 1927. Manufacture of the Model T continued until the end of the identical year. After the overwhelming success of the Model T, Ford had produced a lot more models. Some of these were successful, while several other models failed.
Ford Motors during the First World War
The appearance of the First World War had greatly affected the car manufacture of the Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford's pacifist policies were successful in preventing the business's downfall. In fact, the company became popular within the First World War when Henry Ford joined other pacifists in Europe to avoid the war from happening. Although their efforts had failed to stop the war, Ford Motors Company became very active in supporting the Allied Power's participation within the war. The company's Model T eventually served because the underpinnings of some of the military vehicles, including the M1918 along with the 1916 ambulance. Ford's participation within the Allied Powers' war effort continued before the First World War ended.
Ford Motors after the First World War
Ford Motor Company started to lose its dominance in the automotive market a few years after the First World War, particularly when Edsel Ford was faced with being his father's successor. The company's gradual decline was brought on by its continuous use of the personalized management mechanism, which was starting to become obsolete, as-well as the company's neglect of consumer demands for more improved vehicles.
The company's sales were further worsened through the expansion of a number of its closest competitors' share of the market. General Motors and Chrysler were able to grab a substantial share of the market from Ford by producing high-quality vehicles and providing credit opportunities to their clients. However, Ford could recover from its previous loses by providing similar opportunities to its customers. Furthermore, Ford's stoppage of the manufacture of the Model T and the introduction of the redesigned version from the Model A had placed the company back on track.
Ford's operation expanded into the luxury market division, once the company acquired the Lincoln Motor Company on February 2, 1922. This was followed by the business's ventures on financing the cultivation of rubber in Brazil in 1928. The rubber cultivated could be utilized in producing synthetic rubber for use on Ford vehicles. However, this venture failed and just caused the organization to invest millions of funds.
The company's operation further expanded in 1938, when the Mercury division was established. This division would handle the mid-priced automotive market's interest in vehicles. Unfortunately, many of these expansion efforts were halted by the "Great Depression."
Ford Motors during the Great Depression
The economic crisis and also the collapse of the automotive market in the US, brought on by the Great Depression, left some scars on Ford Motor Company's image. In order to stay afloat, the organization had to reduce its operation and implement mass lay-offs. Consequently, lots of Ford workers had lost their jobs.
As economic conditions worsened, workers who lost their jobs formed a number of strikes to demand greater support in the company. However, the friction between the protesters, and the police erupted into violence. The police used teargas and water cannons to disperse everyone else, but the protesters responded by throwing rocks. The violence escalated and this forced law enforcement and also the company's security to fireplace live bullets. Because the battle ended, 9 individuals were killed and 60 others were seriously injured. For this reason, it took a few more years before Ford Motor Company was able to stabilize its vehicle production.
Ford Motors throughout the Second World War
Henry Ford's pacifist mentality had once more guided his company's fate throughout the Second World War. To avoid the Nazis from turning the Ford Motor Company's plants in Germany right into a nationalized factory, Henry Ford developed a close working relationship with the Nazi government. Ford's efforts were effective because the company obtained the 52% ownership of the factories there. Although the Nazi controlled the day-to-day business of those facilities, Ford still remained as the majority owner.
Henry Ford's relationship using the German Nazi government remained good for some time. However, this had subsequently changed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This event encouraged Ford to supply support for the Allied Forces' war efforts, by producing airplane engines. But, it doesn't imply that Ford's operation in Europe, specifically in Germany, had stopped. Actually, one-third of the trucks utilized by the Nazi army were produced by Ford Motor Company. Due to these strategies, Ford was considered a company that collaborates with both the Allied and also the Nazis and earned a lot of investments from all of these sources.
Ford's direct communications and business ties ended when the US declared war in December 1941. However, there have been some allegations that a series of indirect communications between the Nazi government in Germany and Ford still happened. But after an investigation conducted by the US Treasury Department, allegations were dismissed due to lack of concrete proofs.
Ford Motors following the World war ii
Following the World war ii, Ford Motors had once again experienced internal chaos. Edsel Ford died in 1943 and left the company underneath the leadership of Henry Ford. But Henry Ford's failing health managed to get difficult for him to handle company's business. For this reason, his wife and daughter-in-law intervened and demanded that Henry's grandson "Henry Ford II" ought to be appointed because the company's new president. They can threatened Henry Ford they would sell their share of stocks if he refused to give directly into their demand.
Although Henry Ford was infuriated by this idea, he had no choice but to provide to the demand and appointed his grandson as the company's president. When Henry Ford II had become the president, he was confronted with financial chaos with company losing about $9 million a month. This condition and Henry Ford's death in 1947 forced the organization to hire outsiders to handle its day-to-day business. The hiring eventually weakened the Ford family's grip on the company. Ford Motor Company became a publicly traded company in 1956. During this period the Ford family only maintained a 40% controlling interest within the company. The rise and fall of high-ranking executives hired externally the company continued as much as the present.
Regardless of the financial and leadership chaos the company had experienced over these times, Ford Motors was still capable of producing some of its most popular vehicles, including the Thunderbird in 1955, the Falcon in 1960, and the Mustang in 1964. In addition to this, the company seemed to be able to establish the Ford Europe in 1967.
Ford Motors in the year 2000 up to the present
High-ranking executives which were hired externally the company and handle its operations continued to come and go. Harold Polding served as the company's CEO and Chairman from 1990 to 1993. Polding was replaced by Alex Trotman and remained the business's head until 1998. Jacques Nasser replaced Trotman and served until 2001.William Clay Ford Jr., Henry Ford's great-grandson, became the Chairman and CEO of the company from 2001 to 2005. In 2005, Alan R. Mulally from "Boeing" had become the company's President and CEO.
In 2006, Ford Motor Company surprised the world if this announced that the company will offer you all its assets for mortgage since they could no longer handle the business's operations. However, the federal government provided assistance to the organization. After a few years, the organization, under the leadership of Alan R. Mulally, could pay a number of its loans off and continue its production. With Alan R. Mulally's effective leadership, Ford Motor Company is now enjoying significant sales profits and a revival of their financial strength.