It is June 16, 1903, Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company with a capital of $ 150,000 including $ 28,000 out of his own pocket. The plant is located in a former factory fiacres Detroit, it is experiencing a difficult start. But Henry Ford is teeming with ideas: in five years, he created 19 different models.
The success comes in 1908 with the arrival of the famous T Ford on August 12, 1908. This model will be sold over 15 million copies around the world. To produce the Ford T, Henry Ford had set up a new working method called directly inspired Fordism of Taylorism.
1927 Ford decides to replace the legendary T Ford and the Ford launches A. The president of
the company, Edsel Ford, died prematurely in May 1943. This will be Henry Ford, which will replace it. But the Ford Motor Company is in a critical situation: the models are old, the company lost several million dollars per month.
Coté model, the Thunderbird was released in 1955. The famous Ford Mustang then released in 1964 on the American market. At the same time the fate GT40, and probably the race car most legendary! The Ford GT40 was produced from 1964 to 1969 (total production of 87 copies). It allowed the American firm Ford won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, from 1966 to 1969.
Ford gradually acquires brands Lincoln (1922), Mazda (1979), Aston Martin (1987), Jaguar ( 1990) and Ford bought Land Rover brand to BMW on March 17, 2000.
Ford is now the third manufacturer in the world behind General Motors and Toyota.