(Redirected from Ford)
'Ford Motor Company' is an
American multinational corporation and the world's
third largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. In 2006, Ford was the second-ranked automaker in the US with a 17.5% market share, behind
General Motors (24.6%) but ahead of
Toyota (15.4%) and
DaimlerChrysler (14.4%)
[3]. Ford was also the seventh-ranked American-based company in the 2007
Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues of $160.1 billion
[4]. In 2006, Ford produced about 6.6 million automobiles
[5], and employed about 280,000 employees at about 100 plants and facilities worldwide
[2]. In 2007, Ford had more quality awards from
J.D Power than any other automaker.
[7]
Based in
Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of
Detroit, the automaker was founded by
Henry Ford and incorporated in June 16, 1903. Ford now encompasses many global brands, including
Lincoln and
Mercury of the US,
Jaguar and
Land Rover of the
UK, and
Volvo of Sweden. Ford also owns a one-third controlling interest in
Mazda.
Ford has been one of the world's
ten largest corporations by revenue and in 1999 ranked as one of the world's most profitable corporations, and the number two automaker worldwide.
Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce, especially elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving
assembly lines.
Henry Ford's combination of highly efficient factories, highly paid workers, and low prices revolutionized manufacturing and came to be known around the world as
Fordism by
1914.
History
Main articles: History of Ford Motor Company
Ford was launched in a converted factory in 1903 with $28,000 in cash from twelve investors, most notably John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge who would later found the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company. During its early years, the company produced just a few Model T's a day at its factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Groups of two or three men worked on each car from components made to order by other companies. Henry Ford was 40 years old when he founded the Ford Motor Company, which would go on to become one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, as well as being one of the few to survive the Great Depression. The largest family-controlled company in the world, the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100 years.
Corporate governance
Members of the board as of early 2007 are: Chief
Sir John Bond,
Richard Manoogian,
Stephen Butler,
Ellen Marram,
Kimberly Casiano,
Alan Mulally (President and CEO),
Edsel Ford II,
Homer Neal,
William Clay Ford, Jr.,
Jorma Ollila,
Irvine Hockaday, Jr.,
John L. Thornton and
William Clay Ford (Director Emeritus).
[8]
The main corporate officers are:
Lewis Booth (Executive Vice President,
Chairman (
PAG) and Ford of Europe),
Mark Fields (Executive Vice President, President [The Americas]),
Donat Leclair (Executive Vice President and
CFO), Mark A. Schulz (Executive Vice President, President [International Operations]) and Michael E. Bannister (Group Vice President; Chairman & CEO
Ford Motor Credit).
[9]. Paul Mascarenas (Vice President of Engineering, The Americas Product Development)
New directions for the twenty-first century
During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from financing consumer automobile loans through
Ford Motor Credit Company.
[10]
By 2005, corporate bond rating agencies had downgraded the bonds of both Ford and
GM to junk status
[11], citing high U.S. health care costs for an aging workforce, soaring gasoline prices, eroding market share, and dependence on declining SUV sales for revenues. Profit margins decreased on large vehicles due to increased "incentives" (in the form of rebates or low interest financing) to offset declining demand.
[12]
In the face of falling truck and SUV sales, Ford moved to introduce a range of new vehicles, including "
Crossover SUVs" built on
unibody car platforms, rather than body-on-frame truck chasses. Ford also developed alternative fuel and high efficiency vehicles, such as the
Escape Hybrid.
[13].
Ford announced that it will team up with
Southern California Edison (SCE) to examine the future of
plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of
Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer settings," according to Ford.
[14] [15]
In December 2006, the company raised its borrowing capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as collateral to secure the line of credit
[16]. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that "bankruptcy is not an option"
[17], but economists have stated that the company's impending contract renewal with the
United Auto Workers in the summer of 2007 could be brutal
[18]. The UAW has vowed to attempt to retain the jobs banks, a system which retains idled workers on the payroll, rather than laying them off, in order to maintain contracted US employment levels.
The automaker reported a net loss of $12.7 billion during 2006, and has estimated that it will not return to profitability until 2009.
[19] However, Ford surprised Wall Street in posting a 750 million dollar profit in the second quarter of 2007, a change largely atttributed to the sale of
Aston Martin and cost-cutting. Ford has expressed a continued interest in the selling of
Land Rover and
Jaguar. Now only until recently Ford has expressed that they will be divesting the entire PAG including Volvo Personvagnar AB before winter of 2007.
[20]
"The Way Forward"
Main articles: The Way Forward
In the latter half of 2005, Chairman Bill Ford asked newly-appointed Ford Americas Division President
Mark Fields to develop a plan to return the company to profitability. Fields previewed the Plan, dubbed ''The Way Forward'', at the
December 7,
2005 board meeting of the company; and it was unveiled to the public on
January 23,
2006. "
The Way Forward" includes
resizing the company to match current market realities, dropping some unprofitable and inefficient models, consolidating production lines, and shutting fourteen factories and cutting 30,000 jobs.
[21].
These cutbacks are consistent with Ford's roughly 25% decline in U.S. automotive market share since the mid-late 1990s. Ford's target is to become profitable again in 2009, a year later than projected. Ford's realignment also includes the sale of its wholly owned
subsidiary,
Hertz Rent-a-Car to a
private equity group for $15 billion in cash and debt acquisition. The sale was completed on
December 22 2005. A
joint venture with
Mahindra and Mahindra Limited of
India ended with the sale of Ford's 15 percent stake in 2005.
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer Ford also became
President of the company in April 2006, with the retirement of
Jim Padilla. Five months later, in September, he stepped down as President and CEO, and naming
Alan Mulally as his successor. Bill Ford continues as Executive Chairman, along with an executive operating committee made up of Mulally,
Mark Schulz,
Lewis Booth,
Don Leclair, and
Mark Fields.
Brands and marques
Today, Ford Motor Company manufactures automobiles under several names including
Lincoln and
Mercury in the United States. In 1958, Ford introduced a new
marque, the
Edsel, but poor sales led to its discontinuation in 1960. Later, in 1985, the
Merkur brand was introduced; it met a similar fate in 1989.
Ford has major manufacturing
operations in
Canada,
Mexico, the
United Kingdom,
Germany,
Brazil,
Argentina,
Australia, the
People's Republic of China, and several other countries, including
South Africa where, following divestment during
apartheid, it once again has a wholly owned subsidiary. Ford also has a cooperative agreement with Russian automaker
GAZ.
Since 1989, Ford has acquired
Aston Martin (which it sold again on
2007-03-12[22], but it will retain a $77 million stake in the sports car maker
[23]),
Jaguar,
Land Rover, from the United Kingdom and
Volvo Cars from
Sweden, as well as a
controlling share (33.4%) of
Mazda of Japan, with which it operates an American
joint venture plant in Flat Rock, Michigan called
Auto Alliance. It has spun off its parts division under the name
Visteon. Its prestige brands, with the exception of Lincoln, are managed through its
Premier Automotive Group.
Ford's ''FoMoCo'' parts division sells aftermarket parts under the
Motorcraft brand name.
Ford's non-manufacturing operations include organizations such as automotive finance operation
Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford also sponsors numerous events and sports facilities around the nation, most notably
Ford Center in downtown
Oklahoma City and
Ford Field in downtown
Detroit.
Overall the Ford Motor Company controls the following operational car marques:
Ford,
Jaguar,
Land Rover,
Lincoln,
Mazda,
Mercury, and
Volvo; Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo are currently part of the
Premier Automotive Group.
Global markets
Initially, Ford models sold outside the U.S. were essentially versions of those sold on the home market, but later on, models specific to
Europe were developed and sold. Attempts to globalize the model line have often failed, with Europe's
Ford Mondeo selling poorly in the United States, while U.S. models such as the
Ford Taurus have fared poorly in
Japan and Australia, even when produced in
right hand drive. The small European model
Ka, a hit in its home market, did not catch on in Japan, as it was not available as an automatic. The Mondeo was dropped by
Ford Australia, because the segment of the market in which it competes had been in steady decline, with buyers preferring the larger local model, the
Falcon. One recent exception is the European model of the
Focus, which has sold strongly on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Europe
History
At first, Ford in
Germany and the
United Kingdom built different models from one another until the late 1960s, with the
Ford Escort and then the
Ford Capri being common to both companies. Later on, the
Ford Taunus and
Ford Cortina became identical, produced in
left hand drive and right hand drive respectively. Rationalization of model ranges meant that production of many models in the UK switched to elsewhere in Europe, including
Belgium and
Spain as well as Germany. The
Ford Sierra replaced the Taunus and Cortina in 1982, drawing criticism for its radical aerodynamic styling, which was soon given nicknames such as "Jellymould" and "The Salesman's Spaceship."
Increasingly, Ford Motor Company has looked to Ford of Europe for its "world cars," such as the Mondeo, Focus, and
Fiesta, although sales of European-sourced Fords in the U.S. have been disappointing. In
Asia, models from Europe are not as competitively priced as Japanese-built rivals, nor are they perceived as reliable. The Focus has been one exception to this, which has become America's best selling compact car since its launch in 2000.
In
February 2002, Ford ended car production in the UK. It was the first time in 90 years that Ford cars had not been made in Britain, although production of the
Transit van continues at the company's
Southampton facility, engines at
Bridgend and
Dagenham, and transmissions at
Halewood. Development of European Ford is broadly split between
Dunton in Essex (powertrain, Fiesta/Ka, and commercial vehicles) and
Cologne (body, chassis, electrical, Focus, Mondeo) in Germany. Ford also produced the
Thames range of commercial vehicles, although the use of this brand name was discontinued circa 1965. It owns the Jaguar and/or Land Rover car plants in Britain; Ford's former Halewood Assembly Plant was converted for production of the Jaguar X-Type and currently also assembles Land-Rover's Freelander 2. Jaguars are also assembled at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham while the rest of the Land-Rover range is assembled at Solihull, near Birmingham.
Elsewhere in continental Europe, Ford assembles the
Mondeo range in
Genk (
Belgium), Fiesta in
Valencia (
Spain) and
Cologne (
Germany), Ka in Valencia, and Focus in Valencia,
Saarlouis (Germany) and
Vsevolozhsk (
Russia). Transit production is in
Kocaeli (
Turkey),
Southampton (UK), and Transit Connect in
Kocaeli.
Ford also owns a joint-venture production plant in
Turkey. Ford-Otosan, established in the 1970s, manufactures the
Transit Connect compact panel van as well as the "Jumbo" and long wheelbase versions of the full-size Transit. This new production facility was set up near
Kocaeli in 2002, and its opening marked the end of Transit assembly in Genk. Another joint venture plant near
Setubal in
Portugal, set up in collaboration with
Volkswagen, assembles the
Galaxy people carrier as well as its sister ship, the
VW Sharan.
Ford Europe has broken new ground with a number of relatively futuristic car launches over the last 50 years.
Its
1959 Anglia two-door saloon was one of the most quirky-looking small family cars in
Europe at the time of its launch, but buyers soon became accustomed to its looks and it was hugely popular with
British buyers in particular. It was still selling well when replaced by the more practical
Escort in
1967.
The third incarnation of the
Ford Escort was launched in
1980 and marked the company's move from rear-wheel drive saloons to front-wheel drive hatchbacks in the small family car sector. It also offered levels of style, comfort and refinement which were almost unmatched on comparable cars of this era. It was a huge success all over
Europe and it was Britain's most popular car for most of its 10-year production life.
The fourth generation Escort was produced from
1990 until
2000, although its successor - the
Focus - had been on sale since
1998. On its launch, the Focus was arguably the most dramatic-looking and fine-handling small family cars on sale, and sold in huge volumes right up to the launch of the next generation Focus at the end of
2004.
The
1982 Ford Sierra - replacement for the long-running and massively popular
Cortina and
Taunus models - was a style-setter at the time of its launch. Its ultramodern aerodynamic design was a world away from a boxy, sharp-edged Cortina, and it was massively popular just about everywhere it was sold. A series of updates kept it looking relatively fresh until it was replaced by the front-wheel drive
Mondeo at the start of
1993.
The first two incarnations of the Mondeo were well-built, refined and reliable family cars that attracted strong sales, but the third incarnation (launched in
2007) took the large family car market to new heights in terms of build quality, refinement, comfort, equipment, driver appeal and value for money.
The rise in popularity of small cars during the
1970s saw
Ford enter the mini-car market in
1976 with its
Fiesta hatchback. Most of its production was concentrated at
Valencia in
Spain, and the Fiesta sold in huge figures from the very start. An update in
1983 and the launch of an all-new model in
1989 strengthened its position in the small car market. The second generation Fiesta was significantly updated twice before an all-new model was launched in
2002, and over the years it has become more refined, spacious, better-built and more enjoyable to drive.
Asia Pacific
In
New Zealand and
Australia, the popular
Ford Falcon was long considered the average family car and is considerably larger than the Mondeo, Ford's largest car sold in Europe. Between 1960 and 1972, the Falcon was based on a U.S. Ford of that name, but since then has been entirely designed and manufactured locally. Like its
General Motors rival, the
Holden Commodore, the 4.0 L Falcon retains rear wheel drive. High performance variants of the Falcon running locally-built engines produce up to 390 hp. A
ute (short for "utility," known in the US as
pickup truck) version is also available with a similar range of drivetrains. In addition, Ford Australia sells highly-tuned Falcon sedans and utes through its performance car division,
Ford Performance Vehicles. These cars produce over 400 hp and are built in small numbers to increase their value as collectors' cars.
In Australia, the Commodore and Falcon have traditionally outsold all other cars and comprise over 20% of the new car market. In New Zealand, Ford was second in market share in the first eight months of 2006 with 14.4 per cent.
[24] This is all set to change with a shift away from local manufacturing and assembly: 2007 second quarter has seen Ford Australia cut their prestige (LWB) models and more recently, announced closure of their key engine manufacturing. This is due partly to drops in sales with stiff competition from Toyota's new Aurion and an updated Mitsubishi 380, both taking a large piece of the local family sedan market. Ford is betting on growth in small car sales with the Focus which it plans to assemble locally, and the popular Territory (Falcon-based) SUV.
Ford's presence in Asia has traditionally been much smaller. However, with the acquisition of a stake in Japanese manufacturer
Mazda in 1979, Ford began selling Mazda's Familia and Capella (also known as the
323 and
626) as the
Ford Laser and
Telstar. The Laser was one of the most successful models sold by Ford in Australia, and outsold the Mazda 323, despite being almost identical to it. The Laser was also built in Mexico and sold in the U.S. as the
Mercury Tracer, while the 1991 (and on through the end of the model in the early 2000s) American Ford Escort (and 1991-on Tracer) was based on the Laser/Mazda 323, assembled in the US and Mexico.
Through its relationship with Mazda, Ford also acquired a stake in
South Korean manufacturer
Kia, which built the (Mazda-based)
Ford Festiva from 1988-1993, and the
Ford Aspire from 1994-1997 for export to the United States, but later sold their interest to
Hyundai. Kia continued to market the Aspire as the Kia Avella, later replaced by the Rio and once again sold in the US. Ironically, Hyundai also manufactured the Ford Cortina until the 1980s. Ford also has a joint venture with Lio Ho in
Taiwan, which assembled Ford models locally since the 1970s.
Ford came to
India in 1998 with its
Ford Escort model, which was later replaced by locally produced
Ford Ikon in 2001. It has since added Fusion, Fiesta, Mondeo and Endeavour to its product line.
South America
In
South America, Ford has had to face protectionist government measures in each country, with the result that it built different models in different countries, without particular regard to rationalization or economy of scale inherent to producing and sharing similar vehicles between the nations. In many cases, new vehicles in a country were based on those of the other manufacturers it had entered into production agreements with, or whose factories it had acquired. For example, the
Corcel and
Del Rey in Brazil were originally based on
Renault vehicles.
In 1987, Ford merged its operations in Brazil and Argentina with those of
Volkswagen to form a company called
Autolatina, with which it shared models. Sales figures and profitability were disappointing, and Autolatina was dissolved in 1995. With the advent of
Mercosur, the regional common market, Ford was finally able to rationalize its product line-ups in those countries. Consequently, the
Ford Fiesta and
Ford EcoSport are only built in
Brazil, and the
Ford Focus only built in Argentina, with each plant exporting in large volumes to the neighboring countries. Models like the
Ford Mondeo from Europe could now be imported completely built up. Ford of Brazil produces a pick-up truck version of the Fiesta, the
Courier, which is also produced in South Africa as the
Ford Bantam in
right hand drive versions.
Africa and Middle East
In
Africa Ford's market presence has traditionally been strongest in
South Africa and neighboring countries, with only trucks being sold elsewhere on the continent. Ford in South Africa began by importing kits from Canada to be assembled at its Port Elizabeth facility. Later Ford sourced its models from the UK and Australia, with local versions of the Ford Cortina including the XR6, with a 3.0 V6 engine, and a Cortina 'bakkie' or pick-up, which was exported to the UK. In the mid-1980s Ford merged with a rival company, owned by
Anglo American, to form the
South African Motor Corporation (
Samcor).
Following international condemnation of
apartheid, Ford divested from South Africa in 1988, and sold its stake in Samcor, although it licensed the use of its brand name to the company. Samcor began to assemble Mazdas as well, which affected its product line-up, which saw the European Fords like the Escort and Sierra replaced by the
Mazda-based Laser and
Telstar. Ford bought a 45 per cent stake in
Samcor following the demise of apartheid in 1994, and this later became, once again, a wholly owned subsidiary, the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. Ford now sells a local sedan version of the Fiesta (also built in India and Mexico), and the Focus and Mondeo Europe. The Falcon model from Australia was also sold in South Africa, but was dropped in 2003.
Ford's market presence in the
Middle East has traditionally been even smaller, partly due to previous
Arab boycotts of companies dealing with
Israel. Ford and Lincoln vehicles are currently marketed in ten countries in the region.
[25] Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and the
UAE are the biggest markets. Ford also established itself in
Egypt in 1926, but faced an uphill battle during the 1950s due to the hostile nationalist business environment
[26]. Ford's distributor in Saudi Arabia announced in February 2003 that it had sold 100,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles since commencing sales in November 1986. Half of the Ford/Lincoln vehicles sold in that country were
Ford Crown Victorias.
[27] In 2004, Ford sold 30,000 units in the region, falling far short of
General Motors' 88,852 units and
Nissan Motors' 75,000 units.
Environmental record
In 2000, under the leadership of the current Ford chairman, William Clay (Bill) Ford, the Company stunned the industry (and pleased environmentalists) with an announcement
[28] of a planned 25 percent improvement in the average mileage of its light truck fleet — including its popular
SUVs — to be completed by the 2005 calendar year. However, in 2003, Ford announced that competitive market conditions and technological and cost challenges would prevent the company from achieving this goal. Ford did achieve significant progress toward improving fuel efficiency during 2005, with the successful introduction of the
Hybrid-Electric Escape. The Escape's platform mate
Mercury Mariner is also available with the hybrid-electric system in the 2006 model year—a full year ahead of schedule—due to high demand. The similar
Mazda Tribute will also receive a hybrid-electric powertrain option, along with many other vehicles in the Ford vehicle line. In 2005, Ford announced its goal to make 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010, but by mid-2006 announced that it would not meet that goal. Other hybrids to come out will be the
Ford Fusion and
Mercury Milan Hybrid version in 2008. There are also plans for a Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX Hybrid. The Edge and MKX are Ford's new crossover SUVs to come out for the 2007 model year.
Ford also continues to study
Fuel Cell-powered electric powertrains, and is currently demonstrating hydrogen-fueled
internal combustion engine technologies, as well as developing the next-generation hybrid-electric systems. To the extent it is successful in increasing the percentage of
hybrid vehicles and/or
fuel cell vehicles, there will be a significant decrease not only of
air pollution emissions but also reduced sound levels, with notable favorable impacts upon respiratory health and decrease of
noise health effects.
While the company's product line increasingly reflects its commitment to ecologically sustainable practices, Ford's record as a manufacturer continues to reveal problematic ones. Researchers at the
University of Massachusetts have listed it as the seventh-worst corporate producer of air pollution, primarily because of the
manganese compounds,
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and
glycol ethers released from its
casting, truck, and assembly plants.
[29] The
United States Environmental Protection Agency has linked Ford to 54
Superfund toxic waste sites, 12 of which have been cleaned up and deleted from the list.
[30]
Alternate fuel vehicles
Bill Ford was one of the first top industry executives to make regular use of an
battery electric vehicle, a
Ford Ranger EV, while the company contracted with the
United States Postal Service to deliver electric postal vans based on the Ranger EV platform.
The alternative fuel vehicles, such as some versions of the
Crown Victoria especially in fleet and taxi service, operate on
compressed natural gas - or
CNG. Some CNG vehicles have dual fuel tanks - one for gasoline, the other for
CNG - the same engine can operate on either fuel via a selector switch. Flexible fuel vehicles are designed to operate smoothly using a wide range of available fuel mixtures - from pure gasoline, to
bioethanol-gasoline blends such as
E85 (85%
ethanol, 15%
gasoline). Part of the challenge of successful marketing alternative and flexible fuel vehicles, is the general lack of establishment of sufficient
fueling stations, which would be essential for these vehicles to be attractive to a wide range of consumers. Significant efforts to ramp up production and distribution of
E85 fuels are underway and expanding.
[31]
Current Ford Flexible Fuel Vehicles:
[32]
★
Ford F-150
★
Ford Crown Victoria
★
Ford Focus /
Focus C-MAX / Ford Focus FFV (
Flexible-fuel vehicle).
★
Ford Taurus
★
Ford Ranger
★
Mercury Grand Marquis
★
Lincoln Town Car
Ford was third to the automotive market with a
hybrid electric vehicle: the
Ford Escape Hybrid, which also represented the first hybrid electric SUV to market. The Hybrid Escape will also be the first hybrid electric vehicle with a Flexible Fuel capability to run on
E85.
[33] The company had made plans to manufacture up to 250,000 hybrids a year by
2010, but has since had to back down on that commitment, due to excessively high costs and the lack of sufficient supplies of the hybrid-electric batteries and drivetrain system components. Instead, Ford has committed to accelerating development of next-generation hybrid-electric power plants in Britain, in collaboration with Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. This engineering study is expected to yield more than 100 new hybrid-electric vehicle models and derivatives. Ford is also planning to produce 250,000 E85-capable vehicles a year in the US, adding to some 1.6 million already sold in the last 10 years.
[34] Ford also has launched the production of
hydrogen-powered shuttle buses, using hydrogen instead of gasoline in a standard
internal combustion engine, for use at airports and convention centers.
[35]
At the 2006
Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford showcased a hydrogen fuel cell version of its Explorer SUV. The Fuel cell Explorer has a combined output of 174 horsepower. It has a large hydrogen storage tank which is situated in the center of the car taking the original place of the conventional model’s automatic transmission. The centered position of the tank assists the vehicle reach a notable range of 350 miles, the farthest for a fuel cell vehicle so far. The fuel cell Explorer the first in a series of prototypes partly funded by the
United States Department of Energy to expand efforts to determine the feasibility of hydrogen- powered vehicles. The fuel cell Explorer is one of several vehicles with green technology Ford being featured at the L.A. show, including the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, PZEV emissions compliant Fusion and Focus models and a 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty outfitted with Ford's clean diesel technology.
Current and planned Ford hybrid electric vehicles:
★ 2004–
Ford Escape Hybrid
★ 2006–
Mercury Mariner
★ 2008–
Ford Fusion/
Mercury Milan
★ 2009–
Ford Edge/
Lincoln MKX
Auto racing
Ford is a major player in the scene of
auto racing and
motorsports.
NASCAR
Ford is one of four manufacturers in the three
NASCAR series:
Nextel Cup,
Busch Series, and
Craftsman Truck Series. Major teams include
Roush Fenway Racing and
Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Ford's racing teams debuted the
Fusion race car, replacing the
Taurus at the 2006
Daytona 500. Some of the most successful NASCAR Fords were the aerodynamic fastback
Ford Torino and
Mercury Montegos, and the aero-era
Ford Thunderbirds.
Champ Car
Ford is the sole engine provider in the Champ Car series. The engines are manufactured by
Cosworth.
Trans-Am
Ford has a storied history in the
Trans-Am series from the 1970s through today, having won many championships and races with its
Ford Mustang.
Drag racing
John Force has piloted his Drag
Ford Mustang to several
NHRA funny-car titles in recent seasons.
Indianapolis 500
Ford powered racing cars won the
Indianapolis 500 17 times between 1965 and 1996.
Formula One
Ford was heavily involved in
Formula One for many years, and supplied engines to a large number of teams from 1967 until 2004. These engines were designed and manufactured by Cosworth, the racing division that was owned by Ford from 1998 to 2004. Ford-badged engines won 176 Grands Prix between 1967 and 2003 for teams such as
Team Lotus and
McLaren. Ford entered Formula One as a constructor in 2000 under the
Jaguar Racing name, after buying the
Stewart Grand Prix team which had been its primary 'works' team in the series since 1997. Jaguar achieved little success in Formula One, and after a turbulent five seasons, Ford withdrew from the category after the
2004 season, selling both Jaguar Racing (which became
Red Bull Racing) and Cosworth (to
Gerald Forsythe and
Kevin Kalkhoven).
[36]
Rally
Ford has also a long history in
rallying and has been active in the
World Rally Championship since the beginning of the world championship, the
1973 season. Ford took the
1979 manufacturers' title with
Hannu Mikkola,
Björn Waldegård and
Ari Vatanen driving the
Ford Escort RS1800. In the
Group B era, Ford achieved success with
Ford RS200. Since the
1999 season, Ford has used various versions of the
Ford Focus WRC to much success. In the
2006 season,
BP-Ford World Rally Team secured Ford its second manufacturers' title, with the Focus RS WRC 06 built by
M-Sport and driven by ''
Flying Finns''
Marcus Grönholm and
Mikko Hirvonen.
[37] Ford is the only manufacturer to score in the points for 87 consecutive races; since the
2002 season opener
Monte Carlo Rally.
[38]
Drifting
Ford has branched out into drifting with the introduction of the new model mustang. Most noticeable is the Tourqoise and Blue Falken Tires Mustang driven by Vaughn Gittin Jr, A.K.A. "JR". with 750 RWHP (Rear Wheel Horsepower).
Sports cars
Ford sports cars have always been visible in the world of endurance racing. Most notably the
GT40 won the prestigious
24 Hours of Le Mans four times in the 1960s and still stands today as one of the all-time greatest racing cars. The GT40 is the only American car to ever win overall at Le Mans.
Ford won the manufacturers title in 2005 in the
Grand-Am Cup series with the FR500C Mustang race car.
Touring cars
Ford has campaigned touring cars such as the
Focus,
Falcon, and
Contour/
Mondeo and the
Sierra Cosworth in many different series throughout the years. Notably, the Mondeo finished 1,2,3 in the
British Touring Car Championship in 2000, and the Falcon finished 1,2,3 in the Australian
V8 Supercar Series in 2005.
Formula Ford
This formula for single-seater cars without wings and originally on road tires were conceived in 1966 in the UK as an entry-level formula for racing drivers. Many of today's racing drivers started their car racing careers in this category.
V8 supercars
An Australian touring car series in which Ford competes against
Holden (a subsidiary of
General Motors).
Ford trucks
1961 Ford H-Series trucks
1939 Ford pick-up truck
Ford has produced trucks since 1908. Countries where Ford commercial vehicles are or were made include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada (badged
Mercury too), France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Philippines, Spain (badged
Ebro too), Turkey, UK (badged also
Fordson and
Thames) and USA.
Most of all these ventures are now extinct. The European one that lasted longer was the lorries arm of
Ford of Britain, that was eventually sold to
Iveco group in 1986, and whose last significant models were the
Transcontinental and the
Cargo.
In the USA, Ford's heavy trucks division (Classes 7 and 8) was sold in 1997 to
Freightliner, now part of
DaimlerChrysler, that rebranded it as
Sterling. Ford continues building medium class trucks with the F-650 and F-750 and recently introduced the LCF series similar in design to the
Ford Cargo trucks of the past.
Bus products
Ford has manufactured buses in the company's early history, but most Ford buses are built on Ford chassis by other manufacturers:
;School Bus
★
Ford Transit bus van
★ Ford Minibus using F450 chassis
★ Ford Minibus using E350 (formerly Econoline 350)
★ Ford E350, E450 Super Duty minibus
★ Ford Class C School Bus using B600, B700, B800 chassis
;Commercial Bus
★ Ford Specialty Trolley
;Transit/Suburban Bus
★ Ford G997
★
Ford R1014
★ Ford Trader
★ Ford Hawke
★ Ford ET7 with Casha bodywork
★ Ford 19B, 29B
★ Ford ET7 Aqualina
Clients include:
★
Toronto Transportation Commission
★
Kitchener Transit
★
Hamilton Street Railway
Ford Tractors
Ford started making tractors around 1907. Ford used to make a range of tractors at their Basildon plant in Essex, England. Ford has owned Versatile in the past. In 1986 the Ford motor company bought out New Holland and the new company was named Ford New Holland. This company was bought by Fiat and the name changed from Ford New Holland to New Holland. New Holland is now part of
CNH Global.
See also
★
Dodge v. Ford Motor Company
★
EPA 2004 fuel economy report (Ford)
★
Ford F-Series
★
Ford V-8
★
Fordson tractor
★
Firestone vs Ford Motor Company controversy
★
The Henry Ford
★
History of Ford Motor Company
★
List of Ford vehicles
★
List of Ford factories
★
List of Ford engines
★
List of Ford platforms
★
List of Ford VIN codes
★
List of CEOs of Ford Motor Company
★
Plug-in hybrid
★
Southern California Edison
★
Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT)
★
Ford Special Vehicle Operations (SVO)
★
United States Council for Automotive Research
Notes
1. 2006 Annual Report
2. 2006 Ford Motor Company Annual Report
3. USA Today report dated 5 January 2007
4. Fortune 500 - Top 50
5. 2006 Ford Annual Report Operating Highlights
6. 2006 Ford Motor Company Annual Report
7. Ford Vehicles snare the most quality awards in J.D Power survey ''Detroit News''. Retrieved on June 6, 2007.
8. http://www.ford.com/en/company/corporateGovernance/boardOfDirectors.htm
9. http://www.ford.com/en/company/corporateGovernance/officers.htm
10. Ford fighting to keep its shine
11. GM, Ford Bond Ratings Cut to Junk Status
12. Rebate wars
13. 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid
14. http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm#id_11093
15. http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=26326
16. Ford Bets The House
17. Ford CEO: Bankruptcy 'Not an Option'
18. Difficult 2007 predicted for auto industry
19. Ford hit by record .7bn loss
20. Ford posts surprise 0m profit
21. Ford to Cut Up to 30,000 Jobs and 14 Plants in Next 6 Years
22.
23. Ford Sells Major Stake in Aston Martin. March 12, 2007.
24. Kia soars ahead of the others
25. Ford Motor Company: Global Websites
26. IN THE GRIP OF POLITICS: THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF EGYPT, 1945-1960, , Robert, L., Tignor, Middle East Journal,
27. Al Jazirah Vehicles Hits 100,000 Mark with Ford and Lincoln in Saudi Arabia
28. Ford Commits to Major SUV Fuel Economy Gains
29. Political Economy Research Institute
30. Center for Public Integrity
31. Alternative Power: Michigan sets sights on ethanol to become an energy hotbed
32. Ford Motor Company
33. Ford Develops World's First Ethanol-Fueled Hybrid Marrying Two Gasoline-Saving Technologies
34. Leading the Way with Ethanol-Capable Vehicles
35. Ford to produce 'green' buses Bryce G Hoffman
36. Red Bull give Jaguar F1 wings Alastair Moffitt
37. http://sport.independent.co.uk/motor_racing/article1998877.ece
38. http://www.juwra.com/stats_make_points_finish_streaks.html
References and further reading
Ford Motor Company
★ Bak, Richard. ''Henry and Edsel: The Creation of the Ford Empire'' (2003)
★ Bardou; Jean-Pierre, Jean-Jacques Chanaron, Patrick Fridenson, and James M. Laux. ''The Automobile Revolution: The Impact of an Industry'' University of North Carolina Press, 1982
★ Batchelor, Ray. ''Henry Ford: Mass Production, Modernism and Design'' Manchester U. Press, 1994
★ Bonin, Huber et al. ''Ford, 1902-2003: The European History'' 2 vol Paris 2003. ISBN 2-914369-06-9 scholarly essays in English on Ford operations in Europe; reviewed in Len Holden, Len. "Fording the Atlantic: Ford and Fordism in Europe" in ''Business History '' Volume 47, #1 Jan 2005 pp 122-127
★ Brinkley, Douglas G. ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress'' (2003)
★ Brinkley, Douglas. "Prime Mover". ''American Heritage'' 2003 54(3): 44-53. on Model T
★ Bryan, Ford R. ''Henry's Lieutenants'', 1993; ISBN 0-8143-2428-2
★ Bucci, Federico. ''Albert Kahn: Architect of Ford'' Princeton Architectural Press, 1993
★ Cabadas, Joseph P. ''River Rouge: Ford's Industrial Colossus'' (2004), heavily illustrated
★ Dempsey, Mary A. "Fordlandia' ''Michigan History'' 1994 78(4): 24-33. Ford's rubber plantation in Brazil
★ Flink, James. ''America Adopts the Automobile, 1895-1910'' MIT Press, 1970
★ Foster, Mark S. "The Model T, The Hard Sell, and Los Angeles Urban Growth: The Decentralization of Los Angeles During the 1920s." ''Pacific Historical Review'' 44.4 (November 1975): 459-84
★ David Halberstam, ''The Reckoning'' (1986) detailed reporting on the crises of 1973-mid 1980s
★ Iacocca, Lee and William Novak. ''Iacocca: An Autobiography'' (1984)
★ Jacobson, D. S. "The Political Economy of Industrial Location: the Ford Motor Company at Cork 1912-26." Irish Economic and Social History [Ireland] 1977 4: 36-55. Ford and Irish politics
★ Levinson, William A. ''Henry Ford's Lean Vision: Enduring Principles from the First Ford Motor Plant'', 2002; ISBN 1-56327-260-1
★ Kuhn, Arthur J. ''GM Passes Ford, 1918-1938: Designing the General Motors Performance-Control System.'' Pennsylvania State University Press, 1986
★ Magee, David. ''Ford Tough: Bill Ford and the Battle to Rebuild America's Automaker'' (2004)
★ Maxton, Graeme P. and John Wormald, ''Time for a Model Change: Re-engineering the Global Automotive Industry'' (2004)
★ May, George S. ''A Most Unique Machine: The Michigan Origins of the American Automobile Industry'' Eerdman's, 1975
★ Maynard, Micheline. ''The End of Detroit : How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market'' (2003)
★ McIntyre, Stephen L. "The Failure of Fordism: Reform of the Automobile Repair Industry, 1913-1940: ''Technology and Culture'' 2000 41(2): 269-299. repair shops rejected flat rates
★
★
★
★ Rubenstein; James M. ''The Changing U.S. Auto Industry: A Geographical Analysis'' Routledge, 1992
★ Shiomi, Haruhito and Kazuo Wada. ''Fordism Transformed: The Development of Production Methods in the Automobile Industry'' Oxford University Press, 1995
★ Sorensen, Charles E. ''My Forty Years with Ford'' Norton, 1956
★ Studer-Noguez; Isabel. ''Ford and the Global Strategies of Multinationals: The North American Auto Industry'' Routledge, 2002
★ Tedlow, Richard S. "The Struggle for Dominance in the Automobile Market: the Early Years of Ford and General Motors" ''Business and Economic History'' 1988 17: 49-62. Ford stressed low price based on efficient factories but GM did better in oligopolistic competition by including investment in manufacturing, marketing, and management
★ Thomas, Robert Paul. "The Automobile Industry and its Tycoon" ''Explorations in Entrepreneurial History'' 1969 6(2): 139-157. argues Ford did NOT have much influence on US industry
★ Watts, Steven. '' The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century'' (2005)
★ Wik, Reynold M. ''Henry Ford and Grass-Roots America.'' University of Michigan Press, 1972. impact on farmers
★ Wilkins, Mira and Frank Ernest Hill, ''American Business Abroad: Ford on Six Continents'' Wayne State University Press, 1964
★ Williams, Karel, Colin Haslam and John Williams, "Ford versus `Fordism': The Beginning of Mass Production?" ''Work, Employment & Society'', Vol. 6, No. 4, 517-555 (1992), stress on Ford's flexibility and commitment to continuous improvements.
External links
★
Official gateway to global websites
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
