Henry Ford 1863 - 1947

Ford incorporated the Ford Motor Company in 1903, proclaiming, "I will build a car for the great multitude." In October 1908, he did so, offering the Model T for $950. In the Model T's nineteen years of production, its price dipped as low as $280. Nearly 15,500,000 were sold in the United States alone. The Model T heralds the beginning of the Motor Age; the car evolved from luxury item for the well-to-do to essential transportation for the ordinary man.

"You can paint it any color, so long as it's black"

It has never been proven that Henry Ford ever said, "You can paint it any color...," but the phrase has survived for 3/4 of a century and does indicate something about America's beloved Model T: its "steadfastness," its enduring and endearing "sameness." The first production Model T Ford was assembled at the Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit on October 1, 1908. Over the next 19 years, Ford would build 15,000,000 automobiles with the Model "T" engine, the longest run of any single model apart from the Volkswagen Beetle. From 1908-1927, the Model T would endure with little change in its design. Henry Ford had succeeded in his quest to build a car for the masses. 

Henry and Model T

With the development of the sturdy, low-priced Model T in 1908, Henry Ford made his company the biggest in the industry. By 1914, the moving assembly line enabled Ford to produce far more cars than any other company. The Model T and mass production made Ford an international celebrity.

Automobile Assembly - Ford Motor Company revolutionized manufacturing. By 1914, his Highland Park, Michigan plant, using innovative production techniques, could turn out a complete chassis every 93 minutes. This was a stunning improvement over the earlier production time of 728 minutes. Using a constantly-moving assembly line, subdivision of labor, and careful coordination of operations, Ford realized huge gains in productivity.

Ford Model T Coupe 1926

In 1914, Ford began paying his employees five dollars a day, nearly doubling the wages offered by other manufacturers. He cut the workday from nine to eight hours in order to convert the factory to a three-shift workday. Ford's mass-production techniques would eventually allow for the manufacture of a Model T every 24 seconds. His innovations made him an international celebrity.

Ford's affordable Model T irrevocably altered American society. As more Americans owned cars, urbanization patterns changed. The United States saw the growth of suburbia, the creation of a national highway system, and a population entranced with the possibility of going anywhere anytime. Ford witnessed many of these changes during his lifetime, all the while personally longing for the agrarian lifestyle of his youth. In the years prior to his death on April 7, 1947, Ford sponsored the restoration of an idyllic rural town called Greenfield Village.

Ford model A 1934

HENRY FORD TRIVIA

On January 12, 1900, the Detroit Automobile Company released its first commercial automobile - a delivery wagon - designed by Henry Ford. This was Ford's second car design - his first design was the quadricycle built in 1896.

On May 27, 1927, production ended for the Ford Model T - 15,007,033 units had been manufactured.

On January 13, 1942, Henry Ford patented a plastic-bodied automobile - a car 30 percent lighter than metal cars.

In 1932, Henry Ford introduced his last engineering triumph: his "en block", or one piece, V-8 engine.

FORD ARROW LAND SPEED RECORD CAR 1904

Vehicle orginally was wrecked and claimed life of the driver. Henry Ford rebuilt the machine and pursued a land speed record at 91.369 mph in 1903. The attempt took place on Lake St. Clair Michigan on January 12 1904. Was first time record attempt was out of French Territory.  It was powered by an in-line 4 cylinder engine with a capacity of 15,700 cc's with 72 bhp and driven by Henry Ford.

Ford Arrow LSR car 1904

In 1932, Henry Ford introduced his last great personal engineering triumph: his "en block", or one piece, V-8 engine. Offered as an option to an improved 4-cylinder Model "B" engine in this low priced car, this compact V-8 power plant, with its down draft carburetor, enabled 1932 Ford to outperform all other popular competitors and was 20 years ahead of its time. The improved proportions and styling of this car reflected Edsel Ford's genius for design.

The 1932 Ford automobile combines the attractive facelift of the 1931 Model A with the world's first low-priced, cast-in-one-piece V-8 engine. When the V-8 first made its appearance in the 1932 Ford, it heralded the era of the American dream car: large, powerful, and soft-sprung. Basic mechanical configuration changed little from the late 1930s until the advent of the downsized front-wheel-drive cars of the 1980s. The final element in the equation, the automatic transmission, first appeared in the 1940 Oldsmobile.

About our Car: 1932 Ford V-8 Cabriolet: 65 horsepower, 221 cu.in. displacement, 2,398 lbs., $610 original price.

FORD GT 40

It was in France, in the mid-1960s, that the great American supercar came to life. A low-slung, muscular racing car built to win on the legendary Le Mans race circuit, the Ford GT project was spearheaded by no less a powerhouse than company Chairman and CEO Henry Ford II. His goal was to change performance car history. And he did. The Ford GT race car beat the world’s best in endurance racing, placing 1-2-3 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 and winning the next three consecutive years.

Today, the all-new 2005 Ford GT supercar comes to life in the form of three production road cars that honor the classic race cars in design and engineering ingenuity. Ford’s “Centennial Supercar” builds on the company’s product-led transformation and will be the flagship of Ford Division’s 2004 “Year of the Car” that will include the launches of the Ford Five Hundred sedan , Freestyle crossover and legendary Mustang – and then the Ford Futura mid-size sedan in 2005.

Ford GT 40 Centennial Edition

Race History

The original Ford GT racers were engineering and design marvels demonstrating Ford’s dedication and perseverance. In a few short years under the direction of Henry Ford II, the company built a program from scratch that reached the pinnacle of international motor sports competition – and stayed there for four racing seasons.

“It’s ironic,” states John Coletti, “that in the 1960s Ford brought out the fabled Ford GT racer to dominate Ferrari on the premier race circuits of the world, and that in the not-too-distant future, the Ford GT will return to outgun the Ferrari once again, but this time on the streets of America.”

Race Results 18th & 19th June 1966

For the 1966 race, no less than 13 GT40s were entered, eight of which were 7 litre MkII's. The line-up was as follows:

One further car, Scuderia Bear's 1029, had been entered for the race but was written off in an accident during one of the practice sessions.  At the end of the race, only three GT40s remained, occupying the first three places. After an attempt by the Ford hierarchy to stage a photo finish with all three cars crossing the finish line side-by-side, the winner was declared to be car number 2, the MkII driven by Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren, thus robbing Ken Miles of the achievement of winning the three major endurance races, Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring, in the same year.  55 cars started and 15 finished. Fastest lap was set by Dan Gurney with an average speed of 142.979 mph.