The Ford Motor Company (commonly referred to simply as "bb> Ford ") is an American multinational automobile maker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The company was founded by Henry Ford and was founded on June 16, 1903. The company sells cars and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and most luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. Ford also has a Brazilian SUV manufacturer, Troller, and a performance car manufacturer FPV Australia. In the past, it also produced automotive tractors and components. Ford owns an 8% stake in Aston Martin from the United Kingdom, and a 49% stake in Jiangling Motors of China. It also has a number of joint ventures, one in China (Changan Ford), one in Taiwan (Ford Lio Ho), one in Thailand (AutoAlliance Thailand), one in Turkey (Ford Otosan), and one in Russia (Ford Sollers). It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is controlled by the Ford family, although they have minority ownership (but the majority of voting power).
Ford introduced methods for large-scale automobile manufacturing and large-scale industrial labor management using a carefully designed manufacturing sequence characterized by a moving assembly line; in 1914, this method was known throughout the world as Fordism. Ford's former British subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover, acquired in 1989 and 2000 respectively, were sold to Tata Motors in March 2008. Ford owns Swedish car maker Volvo from 1999 to 2010. In 2011, Ford suspended the Mercury brand, at where the brand is marketed in entry-level luxury cars in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Middle East since 1938.
During the financial crisis at the beginning of the 21st century, it was approaching bankruptcy, but has since returned to profitability.
Ford is the second largest automaker in the US (behind General Motors) and the fifth largest in the world (behind Toyota, VW, Hyundai-Kia and General Motors) based on vehicle production in 2015. By the end of 2010, Ford is the fifth largest automaker in Europe. Ford is the eighth-ranked American company overall in the Fortune 500 list 2010, based on 2009 global revenues of $ 118.3 billion. In 2008, Ford produced 5,532 million cars and employed approximately 213,000 employees in about 90 factories and facilities worldwide.
The company went public in 1956 but the Ford family, through a special Class B share, still retains the 40 percent voting rights.
Video Ford Motor Company
History
20th century
Henry Ford's first attempt at a car company by his own name was Henry Ford Company on November 3, 1901, which became the Cadillac Motor Company on August 22, 1902, after Ford left with the rights to his name. Ford Motor Company was launched in a factory converted in 1903 with $ 28,000 cash from twelve investors, mainly John and Horace Dodge (who later found their own car company). During its early years, the company produced only a few cars a day at its plant on Mack Avenue and then its factory at Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Groups of two or three work in each car, assembling them from parts made mostly by supplier companies contracting Ford. Within a decade, the company will lead the world in the expansion and refinement of assembly line concepts, and Ford soon brought the majority of home production in vertical integration that seems a better path for the era.
Henry Ford was 39 years old when he founded Ford Motor Company, which later became one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world. It has been in continuous family control for over 100 years and is one of the largest controlled family companies in the world.
The first gasoline-powered car was invented in 1885 by German inventor Carl Benz (Benz Patent-Motorwagen). A more efficient production method is needed to make the car affordable for the middle class, where Ford contributes by, for example, introducing the first assembly line that moved in 1913 at the Ford plant in Highland Park.
Between 1903 and 1908, Ford produced Models A, B, C, F, K, N, R, and S. Hundreds or several thousand of most were sold annually. In 1908, Ford introduced the mass-produced T Model, which amounted to millions sold for nearly 20 years. In 1927, Ford replaced the T with Model A, the first car with a safety glass on the windshield. Ford launched the first cheap car with a V8 engine in 1932.
In an effort to compete with Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick, Ford Motors, created Mercury in 1939 as a companion car at a higher price for Ford. Henry Ford bought the Lincoln Motor Company in 1922, to compete with brands such as Cadillac and Packard for the luxury segment of the car market.
In 1929, Ford was contracted by the government of the Soviet Union to establish the Gorky Car Factory in Russia which initially produced Ford Model A and AAs thus playing an important role in the industrialization of the country.
The creation of a scientific laboratory in Dearborn, Michigan in 1951, undertook unlimited basic research, leading to Ford's involvement in superconductivity research. In 1964, Ford Research Labs made an important breakthrough with the discovery of superconducting quantum distraction devices or SQUID.
Ford offered the Lifeguard safety package from 1956, which included innovations like the standard deep-dish steering wheel, the optional front and, for the first time in the car, the rear seat belt, and the optional padded dash. Ford introduced the children's anti-leak door lock into its product in 1957, and, in the same year, offered the first retractable hardtop on a mass-produced, six-passenger car.
In late 1955, Ford established the Continental division as a separate luxury car division. This division is responsible for the manufacture and sale of the famous Continental Mark II. At the same time, the Edsel division was created to design and market the car starting with the 1958 model. Due to the limited sales of Continental and Edsel disasters, Ford merged Lincoln, Mercury and Edsel into "MEL," which returned to "Lincoln-Mercury" after the death of Edsel in November 1959.
Ford Mustang was introduced on April 17, 1964 during the New York World Exhibition. In 1965, Ford introduced a seat belt reminder.
By the 1980s, Ford introduced some very successful vehicles around the world. During the 1980s, Ford began using the advertising slogan, "Are you driving a Ford, lately?" to introduce new customers to their brand and make their vehicles look more modern. In 1990 and 1994, Ford also acquired Jaguar Cars and Aston Martin. During the mid to late 1990s, Ford continued to sell large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with stock markets soaring and low fuel prices.
With the dawn of the new century, the cost of inherited health care, higher fuel prices, and a shaky economy led to a fall in market share, declining sales, and reduced profit margins. Most of the company's profits come from consumer car loan financing through Ford Motor Credit Company.
21st century
In 2005, both Ford and GM corporate bonds have been downgraded to waste status, as a result of high US health care costs for aging labor force, soaring gasoline prices, eroding market share, and excessive reliance on SUV sales declines. Profit margins decline in large vehicles due to increased "incentives" (in the form of low-interest rebates or financing) to keep pace with declining demand. In the second half of 2005, Chairman Bill Ford asked the newly appointed President of Ford America Division Mark Fields to develop a plan to return the company to profitability. The Preview Plan field, named The Way Forward , on December 7, 2005, the company board meeting and was inaugurated to the public on January 23, 2006. "The Way Forward" included resizing the company to match market realities, dropping several models which is unprofitable and inefficient, consolidates its production line, closes 14 factories and cuts 30,000 jobs.
Ford moved to introduce new vehicles, including "Crossover SUVs" built on a unibody car platform, rather than a body-on-frame frame. In developing hybrid electric powertrain technology for the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, Ford licenses similar Toyota hybrid technology to avoid patent infringement. Ford announced that it will work with Southern California Edison (SCE) power supply company to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home energy systems and vehicles will work with the power grid. Under a multi-year multi-year project worth millions of dollars, Ford will convert Ford Escape Hybrid's fleet of demonstrations into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how vehicles can interact with home and utility power grids. Some vehicles will be evaluated "in a typical customer setting", according to Ford.
William Clay Ford Jr., great-grandson of Henry Ford (and better known as Bill), was appointed Chief Executive in 1998, and also became Chief Executive Officer of the company in 2001, with the departure of Jacques Nasser, becoming the first member of the Ford family to head the company since his uncle Henry Ford II's retirement in 1982. Ford sold Cosworth motorsport engineering companies to Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven in 2004, the beginning of a decline in Ford's motorsport involvement.. After retiring from President and Chief Operation Officer Jim Padilla in April 2006, Bill Ford took over his role as well. Five months later, in September, Ford was named Alan Mulally as President and CEO, with Ford continuing as Chief Executive. In December 2006, the company raised its loan capacity to about $ 25 billion, placing substantially all of its assets as collateral. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that "bankruptcy is not an option". Ford and the United Auto Workers, representing about 46,000 hourly workers in North America, approved the completion of a historic contract in November 2007 that gave the company a big break in terms of ongoing healthcare costs for retirees and other economic problems. The agreement includes the establishment of a company funded by the VervA Associated Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) funded by the company to divert the pension health care burden from the company's books, thereby improving its balance sheet. This arrangement took effect on January 1, 2010. As a sign of the strong current cash position, Ford contributed all current liabilities (estimated at approximately US $ 5.5/billion per 31 December 2009) to VEBA in cash, and also pre-paid US $ 500 million of its future obligations to the fund. The deal also gives workers the job security work they are looking for by asking the company to invest heavily in most of its factories.
The automaker reported the largest annual loss in the history of the company in 2006 of $ 12.7 billion, and predicted that it would not return to profitability until 2009. However, Ford surprised Wall Street in the second quarter of 2007 by posting a profit of $ 750 million. Despite the benefits, the company ended the year with a loss of $ 2.7 billion, largely due to financial restructuring in Volvo.
On June 2, 2008, Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover operations to Tata Motors for $ 2.3 billion.
During a congressional hearing held in November 2008 in Washington DC, and in a support rally, Alan Mulally of Ford stated that "We at Ford expect that we have enough liquidity, but we must also prepare ourselves for the prospect of deteriorating economic conditions". Mulally went on to state that "The collapse of one of our competitors will have an adverse impact on Ford" and that Ford Motor Company supports both Chrysler and General Motors in their search for a government bridge loan in the face of the conditions caused by the 2008 financial crisis. Together, the three companies present an action plan for industry sustainability. Mulally stated that "In addition to our plans, we are also here today to ask for support for the industry.In the near future, Ford does not require access to government bridge loans, but we are asking for $ 9 billion in loans as critical backstop or protection against conditions worsening as we drive transformational change in our company "GM and Chrysler receive government loans and financing through TARP the provision of funding legislation.
On December 19, the cost of a credit default swap to insure Ford's debt was 68 percent of the five-year sum assured in addition to the 5 percent annual payout. That means $ 6.8 million is paid up front to insure $ 10 million in debt, in addition to a payment of $ 500,000 per year. In January 2009, Ford reported a loss of $ 14.6 billion in the previous year, a record for the company. The Company maintains sufficient liquidity to finance its operations. Through April 2009, Ford's debt strategy for equity exchange wiped out $ 9.9 billion in liabilities (28% of total) to improve cash position. This resulted in Ford's $ 2.7 billion profit in fiscal 2009, the company's first full-year profit in four years.
In 2012, Ford corporate bonds are upgraded from junk to investment grade again, citing sustainable lasting improvements.
On October 29, 2012, Ford announced the sale of its climate control components business, its latest automotive parts operation, to Detroit Thermal Systems LLC at an undisclosed price.
On 1 November 2012, Ford announced that CEO Alan Mulally will remain with the company until 2014. Ford is also named Mark Fields, president of operations in America, as Ford's new chief operating officer, Mulally, paid over $ 174 million in compensation in seven the previous year at Ford since 2006. The generous amount has become a sore point for some company workers.
On January 3, 2017, Ford CEO Mark Fields announced that in a "confidence vote" due to a pro-business climate fostered in part by President-elect Donald Trump, Ford has scrapped plans to invest $ 1.6 billion in a new plant in Mexico to produce Ford Focus. The Ford Focus will now be produced at an existing plant in Mexico. Instead, Fields announced that Ford would invest $ 700 million in Michigan, which is planned to be used to create 700 new jobs.
In February 2017, Ford Motor Co. acquired majority ownership of Argo AI, the startup of artificial intelligence.
In May 2017, Ford announced cuts to its global workforce amid efforts to tackle falling share prices and to boost earnings. The company is targeting $ 3 billion in cost reduction and nearly 10% reduction in the salaried workforce in Asia and North America this year to boost revenue by 2018. Jim Hackett is announced to replace Mark Fields as CEO of Ford Motor. Mr. Hackett recently oversaw the creation of Ford Smart Mobility, the unit responsible for experimenting with car-sharing programs, self-driving businesses and other programs aimed at helping the 114-year-old carmaker better compete with Uber Technologies Inc., Alphabet Inc.. and other tech giants seeking excellence in the automotive industry.
On April 25, 2018, Ford announced that it will stop passenger cars in the North American market within the next four years, except for Mustang and Focus Active, due to decreasing demand and profitability.
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Maps Ford Motor Company
Company issues
Executive management
The members of Ford's board in May 2017 are: Stephen Butler, Kimberly Casiano, Anthony F. Earley, Jr., Edsel Ford II, William Clay Ford Jr. (Executive Chairman), Jim Hackett (President and CEO), James H. Hance, Jr., William W. Helman IV, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., William E. Kennard, John C. Lechleiter, Ellen Marram, Gerald L Shaheen, John L. Thornton, Lynn Vojvodich, and John S. Weinberg.
Financial results
In 2010, Ford made a net profit of $ 6.6 billion and reduced its debt from $ 33.6 billion to $ 14.5 billion, which reduced interest payments by $ 1 billion after a 2009 net profit of $ 2.7 billion. In the US, the F-Series is the best-selling vehicle for 2010. Ford sold 528,349 F-Series trucks during the year, a 27.7% increase over 2009, out of a total sales of 1.9 million vehicles, or everyone out of four vehicles sold Ford. Truck sales are a big part of Ford's profit, according to USA Today. By 2017 it is estimated that 90 percent of the company's global profits come from the Ford F-Series. The rearrangement of Ford also includes the sale of a wholly owned subsidiary, Hertz Rent-a-Car to a $ 15 billion private equity group in cash and debt acquisitions. The sale was completed on December 22, 2005. A 50-50 joint venture with Mahindra & amp; Mahindra of India, called Mahindra Ford India Limited (MIFL), ended up with Ford buying Mahindra's remaining shares in the company in 2005. Ford previously raised its stake to 72% in 1998. Between 2007 and 2012, Ford earned $ 1.57 billion. in local tax incentives.
Operation
Ford already has manufacturing operations worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Britain, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and South Africa. Ford also has a cooperation agreement with GAZ Russian car manufacturers.
North America
In the first five months of 2010, auto sales in the US rose to 4.6 million cars and light trucks, up 17% from a year earlier. The increase was mainly due to the resumption of all commercial customers but stopped buying in 2009 during the recession. Sales to individual customers at dealership increased 13% while fleet sales jumped 32%. Ford reported that 37% of its sales in May came from fleet sales when it announced its sales for the month increased 23%. In the first seven months of 2010, Ford vehicle sales increased 24%, including retail sales and fleets. Ford's fleet sales for the same period rose 35% to 386,000 units while retail sales increased 19%. Fleet sales accounts for 39 percent of Chrysler's sales and 31 percent for GM.
Europe
Initially, Ford in Germany and Ford in England built different models from each other until the late 1960s, with Ford Escort and later Ford Capri becoming commonplace for both companies. Later, Ford Taunus and Ford Cortina became identical, produced in left hand drive and right drive respectively. The rationalization of the model range means that the production of many models in the UK is shifting to other places in Europe, including Belgium and Spain as well as Germany. The Ford Sierra replaced Taunus and Cortina in 1982, drawing criticisms for radical aerodynamic styling, soon to be nicknamed "Jellymould" and "The Salesman Spaceship."
In February 2002, Ford ended production of cars in the UK. This is the first time in 90 years Ford cars have not been made in the UK, although the production of the Transit van continues at Southampton company facilities until mid-2013, engines at Bridgend and Dagenham, and transmissions at Halewood. Ford's European development is widely shared between Dunton in Essex (powertrain, Fiesta/Ka, and commercial vehicles) and Cologne (body, chassis, electric, Focus, Mondeo) in Germany. Ford also produced a variety of Thames commercial vehicles, although the use of the brand name was discontinued around 1965. Elsewhere in the European continent, Ford assembles the Mondeo range in Genk (Belgium), Fiesta in Valencia (Spain) and Cologne (Germany), Ka in Valencia (Spain), Focus in Valencia (Spain), Saarlouis (Germany), and Vsevolozhsk (Russia). Transit production is in Kocaeli (Turkey), Southampton (UK), and Transit Connect in Kocaeli (Turkey).
Ford also has a joint venture factory in Turkey. Ford Otosan, founded in the 1970s, produces Transit Connect compact panel vans as well as "Jumbo" and long wheelbase versions of full-size Transit. The new production facility was established near Kocaeli in 2002, and its opening marks the end of the Transit assembly at Genk.
Another joint venture plant near SetÃÆ'ºbal in Portugal, which was formed in collaboration with Volkswagen, previously assembled the Galaxy carrier and its vessels, VW Sharan and SEAT Alhambra. With the introduction of the third-generation Galaxy, Ford has moved the production of carrier people to the Genk plant, with Volkswagen taking over sole ownership of the SetÃÆ'ºbal facility.
In 2008, Ford acquired a majority stake in Automobile Craiova, Romania. Starting 2009, Ford Transit Connect is the first Ford model to be produced at Craiova, followed, in 2012, by a low-capacity car engine and a new small-class car, the B-Max.
The 1959's two-door saloon was one of Europe's most unique small family cars at the time of its launch, but buyers soon became familiar with how it looks and it is very popular with British buyers in particular. It was still selling when it was replaced by a more practical Escort in 1967.
The third incarnation of Ford Escort was launched in 1980 and marked the company's move from the rear-wheel drive sedan to the front-wheel drive hatchback in the small family car sector.
The fourth generation Escort was produced from 1990 to 2000, although its successor - the Focus - has been on sale since 1998. At the launch, the Focus is arguably the most dramatic and attractive looking small family car sold and sold in large volumes until the launch of next-generation Focus in late 2004.
The 1982 Ford Sierra - a long-running and very popular version of Cortina and Taunus - was a stylist at the time of its release. The very modern aerodynamic design is a world away from the boxy and sharp Cortina, and it is very popular everywhere. A series of updates made it look relatively fresh until it was replaced by Mondeo's vanguard in early 1993.
The rise in popularity of small cars during the 1970s made Ford enter the mini car market in 1976 with its Fiesta hatchback. Much of the production is concentrated in Valencia in Spain, and the Fiesta is sold in large quantities from the start. The update in 1983 and the launch of a new model in 1989 strengthened its position in the small car market.
On October 24, 2012, Ford announced that it will close its Genk assembly plant in eastern Belgium by the end of 2014.
East and Southeast Asia
Ford formed the first passenger vehicle joint venture in China in 2001, six years behind GM and more than a decade after VW. It has spent in 2013 $ 4.9 billion to expand its lineup and double production capacity in China to 600,000 vehicles. This includes Ford's largest plant complex ever in Chongqing city, southwest. Ford owns 2.5% of the Chinese market in 2013, while VW controls 14.5% and GM owns 15.6%, according to LMC Automotive consultants. GM outperformed Ford in China more than six to one. Ford's presence in Asia is traditionally much smaller, limited in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan, where Ford has had a joint venture with Lio Ho since the 1970s. Ford began assembling cars in Thailand in 1960, but withdrew from the country in 1976, and did not return until 1995 when it formed a joint venture with Mazda called the Auto Alliance. Now based in the Bo-win District of Sriracha District in Chonburi, the factory is still producing passenger cars. The factory, built in 1941 in Singapore, was taken over by the Japanese during the war and was the site of the British surrender to Japan, at the site of the factory which is now a national monument in Singapore. On April 30, 2013, Ford Motor Co. launch their cars and trucks in Myanmar. Earlier, heavy import taxes had restrained the purchase of imported cars in Myanmar, but due to currency reform, revocation of previous import restrictions, and shadow currency abolition, the car market of Myanmar has increased its demand.
Ford Korea
In 1967, Ford partnered with a South Korean company, Hyundai, and at a new plant in Ulsan, South Korea, built the Ford Cortina Europe until 1974 when Hyundai introduced the all-new Hyundai Pony in 1975. Ford then developed a relationship with Korea's oldest car manufacturer Kia who built a vehicle engineered with Mazda, then sold Ford Festiva from 1988-1993, and Ford Aspire from 1994-1997 for export to the United States. With the acquisition of shares in Japanese manufacturer Mazda in 1979, Ford began selling Mazda Familia and Capella as Ford Laser and Telstar throughout the region, replacing Escort and Cortina sourced from Europe. Ford lost their Kia interest to Hyundai in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis. Kia had declared bankruptcy in 1997; in 1998, Hyundai Motor Company acquired 51% of the company, beating Ford's interest in Kia Motors since 1986. After the next divestment, Hyundai Motor Company owns less than 50% of the company but remains Kia's biggest stakeholder.
Ford currently sells Focus and Mondeo with diesel engines, plus Mustang, Taurus, Escape, and Explorer, as well as Lincoln MKS, MKZ, and MKC.
South and West Asia
Ford India began production in 1998 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with the Ford Escort model, which was later replaced by locally produced Icon Ford in 2001. Since then, the Fusion, Fiesta, Mondeo, and Endeavor models have been added to its product line.
On March 9, 2010, Ford Motor Co. launched the first compact car made for Indian cars. Starting from INR349,900, Figo is Ford's first car designed and appreciated for the Indian mass market. On July 28, 2011, Ford India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gujarat State for the construction of an assembly and machinery plant in Sanand and plans to invest approximately US $ 1 billion at 460 -acre sites.
The presence of the Ford market in the Middle East is traditionally small, in part because of earlier Arab boycotts from companies dealing with Israel. Ford and Lincoln are currently marketed in ten countries in the region. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates are the largest markets. Ford was also established in Egypt in 1926 but faced a tough struggle during the 1950s due to a hostile nationalist business environment. Ford Distributors in Saudi Arabia announced in February 2003 that it had sold 100,000 Ford and Lincoln since it began sales in November 1986. Half of Ford and Lincoln sold in the country are Ford Crown Victorias. In 2004, Ford sold 30,000 units in the region, falling far short of General Motors '88852 units and 75,000 units of Nissan Motors.
South America
For much of the 20th century, Ford faced the measures of protectionist governments in South America, with the result that it built different models in different countries, regardless of rationalization or economies of scale inherent to produce and share the same vehicles among nations -nation. In many cases, new vehicles in a country are based on people from other manufacturers who have entered into production agreements with, or factories they have acquired. For example, Corcel and Del Rey in Brazil were originally based on Renault vehicles.
In 1987, Ford Brazil and Ford Argentina combined their operations with the operations of the Volkswagen Group of Brazil and Argentina, forming a new joint venture called Autolatina with a shared model range. The sales and profitability figures were disappointing, and Autolatina was dissolved in 1995. With the advent of Mercosur, a regional common market, Ford was finally able to rationalize its product lineup in those countries. Consequently, Ford Fiesta and Ford EcoSport are only made in Brazil, and Ford Focus is only built in Argentina, with every factory exporting large quantities to neighboring countries. Models such as Ford Mondeo from Europe can now be fully imported. Ford of Brazil produces a pickup truck version of the Fiesta, Courier, which is also produced in South Africa as Ford Bantam on the right-hand drive version.
Africa
In Africa, Ford's market presence is traditionally strongest in South Africa and neighboring countries, with only trucks sold elsewhere on the continent. Ford in South Africa began by importing kits from Canada to be assembled at Port Elizabeth facilities. Then Ford sourced its models from England and Australia, with local versions of Ford Cortina including the XR6, with 3.0 V6 engine, and Cortina-based 'bakkie' or pick-up, which are exported to the UK. In the mid-1980s, Ford joined a rival company, owned by Anglo American, to form South African Motor Corporation (Samcor).
Following international condemnation of apartheid, Ford broke free from South Africa in 1988, and sold its stake in Samcor, even though it licensed its use of the company's name. Samcor began assembling Mazda as well, affecting its product line and seeing European Ford such as Escort and Sierra replaced by Mazda-based Laser and Telstar. Ford bought a 45 percent stake in Samcor after the collapse of apartheid in 1994, and this then became, once again, a wholly owned subsidiary, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. Ford now sells local versions of the Fiesta sedans (also made in India and Mexico), and Focus. The Falcon model from Australia was also sold in South Africa but was dropped in 2003 while Mondeo, once assembled briefly locally, was dropped in 2005. Mondeo has since been reintroduced but given a badge as Fusion.
Former operations
East and Southeast Asia
Ford decided to cover all of their operations in Indonesia, including their dealer network in the second half of 2016.
Ford Japan
Ford established a manufacturing facility in the port city of Yokohama in February 1925, in which Model T vehicles were assembled using imported knock-down kits. The factory then produced 10,000 Models A until 1936. Production ceased in 1940 as a result of political tensions between Japan and the United States.
After World War II, Ford had no presence in Japan, because Ford's facilities had been adjusted by the Government of Japan until 1958 when property was returned as belonging to Ford Motor Company and became a research and development site for Ford Mazda partners. In 1979, Ford acquired a 24.5% stake in Mazda, and in 1982, Ford and Mazda jointly established a sales channel to sell Ford products in Japan, including vehicles manufactured in North America, at a dealer called < i> Autorama (Japan) The Autorama sales channel was renamed to Ford Japan Sales in 1997.
Vehicles sold at the Autorama location are North America assembled by Ford Explorer, Probe (1989-1998), Mustang, Taurus (1989-1997), Thunderbird (1990-1993), Lincoln Continental, and Lincoln LS. Ford products manufactured in Europe sold in Japan are Ford Mondeo, Ka, Focus, Focus C-MAX, Fiesta, and Galaxy. Mazda manufactures Ford vehicles in Japan and sells them as Ford at the Autorama location. They are Ford Telstar (Mazda Capella), Laser, Festiva, Festiva Mini Wagon, Ixion (Mazda Premacy), Freda (Mazda Bongo Friendee), Spectron (Mazda Bongo), and J80 and J100 (Mazda Bongo truck) commercial trucks.
Ford increased its stake in Mazda to 33.4% in 1996, but by July 2016 it was 11%. Ford does sell a small number of vehicles in Japan; in October 2010, Ford Mustang, Escape, Explorer (and Explorer truck), Ford Kuga, Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln MKX, and more recently, Ford Ecosport is available in Japan. In February 2016, Ford no longer has regional offices in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and new car sales in Japan have ended.
Oceania
In Australia and New Zealand, the popular Ford Falcon (1960-2016) has long been regarded as an average family car and much larger than Mondeo, the largest Ford car sold in Europe. Between 1960 and 1972, the Falcon was based on a US model of the same name, but has since been fully designed and manufactured in Australia until 2016, sometimes produced in New Zealand. Like its General Motors rival, Holden Commodore, Falcon uses the rear wheel layout. The high-performance variant of the Falcon that runs locally made engines produces up to 362 hp (270 kW). The ute version (short for "utility", known in the US as pickup truck) is also available with the same range of drivetrains. In addition, Ford Australia sells Falcon sedans with limited production and utes through its car performance division, Ford Performance Vehicles to close in 2014.
In Australia, the Commodore and Falcon traditionally outperform all other cars and include over 20% of the new car market. In New Zealand, Ford ranks second in market share in the first eight months of 2006 with 14.4%. Recently, Ford has trimmed Falcon-based LWB variants from its ranks - the Fairlane and LTD ranges. Ford halted Fairlane in 2007 and LTD in 2008. Ford has announced that their geelong engine plant will be closed between 2013 and 2016. They also announced local manufacturing of Focus small cars starting in 2011, none of which came from the plan.
In Australia, the Laser is one of the most successful Ford Australia models and was manufactured at the Ford Homebush plant from 1981 until the factory closure in September 1994. It exceeds Mazda 323, although it is almost identical to that because the Lasers are manufactured in Australia and Ford is considered a local brand. According to a study conducted by Ford Australia in 1984, one-third of Laser buyers did not realize that the Ford model is based on the 323 Mazda.
In New Zealand, Ford Laser and Telstar were assembled alongside Mazda 323 and 626 to 1997, at the Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ) plant in Wiri, Auckland. The Sierra train is also assembled in New Zealand, due to the popularity of the station's train in the market.
The scheduled closure of Ford Australia's manufacturing base in 2016 has been confirmed on May 23, 2013. Headquartered on the outskirts of Broadmeadows, the company has recorded a loss of AU $ 600 million over the five years before the announcement. It is noted that the company's fleet and government sales that account for two-thirds of the major local car sales in Australia are not enough to make Ford products profitable and viable in Australia. The decision will affect 1,200 Ford workers - more than 600 employees in Geelong and over 500 in Broadmeadows - who will lose their jobs in October 2016. Ford plant closures at Norlane Geelong and Broadmeadows Melbourne occurred on October 7, 2016.
Products and services
Automobiles
Ford Motor Company sells a variety of cars under the Ford marque around the world, and a number of additional luxury cars under the Lincoln marque in the United States. The company has sold vehicles under a number of other marques during its history. The Mercury brand was introduced by Ford in 1939, continuing in production until 2011 when bad sales led to its termination. In 1958, Ford introduced the Edsel brand, but bad sales led to its discontinuation in 1960. In 1985, the Merkur brand was introduced in the United States to market products manufactured by Ford Europe; it was discontinued in 1989.
Ford acquired British sports car maker Aston Martin in 1989, then sold it on March 12, 2007, despite maintaining an 8% stake. Ford purchased Volvo Cars of Sweden in 1999, sold it to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2010. In November 2008, it reduced its 33.4% stake in Mazda Japan to 13.4% non-controlling ownership.
On November 18, 2010, Ford reduced their stake further to just 3%, arguing that ownership reductions would allow greater flexibility to pursue growth in emerging markets. Ford and Mazda remain strategic partners through the exchange of information technology and joint ventures, including the American joint venture in Flat Rock, Michigan called Auto Alliance. Ford sold its British-based Jaguar and Land Rover brand and brand to Tata Motors in India in March 2008. In 2015, Ford sold the remaining 3% of its stake in Mazda.
On April 25, 2018, Ford announced that it plans to end most of its North American lineup, in addition to the Mustang and the "Active" crossover version of next-generation Focus, to focus primarily on trucks and SUVs.
Marques currently
Former marques
Truck
Ford has been producing trucks since 1908, starting with Ford Model TT, followed by Model AA, and Model BB. Countries where Ford commercial vehicles or previously manufactured include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada (also badged as Mercury), France, Germany, India, The Netherlands, Philippines, Spain (badged Ebro as well), Turkey, England (notched) Fordson and Thames), and the United States.
From the 1940s to the late 1970s, the Ford Ford F-Series was used as a base for light trucks for the North American market.
Much of this effort is now extinct. Europe's longest surviving arm is the Ford British lorry arm, which became part of the Iveco group in 1986. Ford owns a minority stake in the new company and Iveco takes over the sales and production of the Ford Cargo lineup. Ford's last significant Ford truck model is the Transcontinental and Cargo.
In the United States, Ford's heavy truck division (Grades 7 and 8) was sold in 1997 to Freightliner Trucks, renamed Sterling. Freightliner is in the process of stopping this path.
Ford's heavy-duty truck tracks for the North American market:
- Ford F-650 - a joint venture model from 2000 to present
- Ford L9000 - last model of 1999
- Ford LNT9000 - a short nose tandem shaft from the 1970s to 1997
- Ford LT9000 - a tandem axle with the latest model of 1997
- Ford FT900 - to 1998
- Ford LT8000 - last model of 1998
- Ford L7000 - last model of 1996
Ford continues to manufacture medium duty trucks under the F-650 and F-750 badges. In 2001, the company entered into cooperation with Navistar International to produce medium and heavy commercial trucks. The first new model of the new company, known as Blue Diamond Truck Company LLC, is the LCF model of 2006. The LCF was discontinued in 2009 and Ford's medium and heavy commercial offerings in 2011 were limited to two F-Series.
In Europe, Ford produces the Jumbo Ford Transit van which is classified as a Large Goods Vehicle and has a payload of 2,265 kg, there is a choice of van panel, pickup or cabin chassis. Ford Transit is also available as a lightweight van called Ford Transit Connect and Ford Ranger pickup available.
"Henry Ford and Son Company" began manufacturing Fordson tractors at Henry Springwells (subsequent to Dearborn), Michigan from 1907 to 1928, from 1919 to 1932, in Cork, Ireland, and 1933-1964 in Dagenham, England, and then moved to Basildon. They were also produced at Leningrad starting in 1924.
In 1986, Ford expanded its tractor business when purchasing Sperry-New Holland skid steer loaders and straw baler, straw tools and an implementation company from Sperry Corporation and formed Ford-New Holland which bought a versatile tractor in 1988. The company was purchased by Fiat on 1993 and his name changed from Ford New Holland to New Holland. New Holland is now part of CNH Global.
Financial services
Ford offers automotive financing through Ford Motor Credit Company.
Automotive components
Ford's spare parts division FoMoCo sells aftermarket parts under the Motorcraft brand name. It has separated its parts by the name of Visteon.
Motorsport
Along with Shelby and Chevrolet, Ford is one of only three American constructors to win the title on the international scene at the FIA ​​World Championships. As a constructor, Ford won the World Sportscar Championship three times in 1966, 1967, and 1968, and the World Rally Championship three times in 1979, 2006 and 2007.
Open-wheel car racing
IndyCar
IndyCars with the first Ford engines competed in 1935 using a production-based Ford V8 at Miller-Ford racer. Pushrod Ford V8 raced with Lotus in 1963, and Ford's first Indy victory was in 1965 with DOHC V8. Ford's motor, including Ford-sponsored DFX engine developed by Cosworth, has won the Indianapolis 500 eighteen times. On 12 May 1996, Arie Luyendyk, while riding IndyCar backed by Ford Cosworth XB engine, broke the Indianapolis 500 record for the fastest qualifying lap (237,498 mph (382,216 km/h)) and the fastest four-round qualifier (236,986 mph (381,392 km/h)). Note this speed is still standing in 2018.
Formula Ford
Formula Ford, drafted in the UK in 1966, is a type of entry-level formula racing with a single-seater without wings. Many current formula racing drivers start their car racing career in this category.
Formula One
Ford was heavily involved in Formula One for many years and supplied the engine to a large number of teams from 1967 to 2004. The machine was designed and manufactured by Cosworth, Ford's racing division from 1998 to 2004. The machine marked Ford won 176 Grand Prix between 1967 and 2003 for teams like Team Lotus and McLaren. Ford entered Formula One as a constructor in 2000 under the name Jaguar Racing, having bought the Stewart Grand Prix team that has been the main team 'working' in this series since 1997. Jaguar achieved little success in Formula One, and after a five-season turbulent season, Ford withdrew from the category after the 2004 season, selling both Jaguar Racing (which became Red Bull Racing) and Cosworth (for Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven).
Stock car races
Ford is one of three manufacturers in the three main NASCAR series: Energy NASCAR Cup Series Monster, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series. The main teams include Roush Fenway Racing, Penske Team, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing. Ford is represented by middle-size Fusion in NASCAR Cup Series Energy Monster, Mustang in the Xfinity Series, and by the F-150 in the World Truck Driving Series. Some of Ford's most successful NASCAR are Ford Torino aerodynamic fastback, Ford Torino Talladega, Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, and Mercury Montegos, and Ford aero-era Thunderbirds. The Ford nameplate has won eight factory championships in the Sprint Cup while Mercury won one. In the Sprint Cup Series, Ford won 1,000th wins in 2013 Quicken Loans 400. Ford Fusion is also used in the ARCA Racing Series. Ford last won the drivers' championship in the Series Cup with Kurt Busch in 2004.
Rally
Ford has a long history of rally and has been active in the World Rally Championships since the start of the world championship, the 1973 season. Ford took the 1979 manufacturing title with Hannu Mikkola, BjÃÆ'¶rn WaldegÃÆ' Â¥ rd, and Ari Vatanen piloted the Ford Escort RS1800. In the era of Group B, Ford achieved success with Ford RS200. Since the 1999 season, Ford has used various versions of the Ford Focus WRC for more success. In the 2006 season, the World Rally Team BP-Ford succeeded in securing a second manufacturer title, with Focus RS WRC 06 built by M-Sport and driven by "Flying Finns" Marcus GrÃÆ'¶nholm and Mikko Hirvonen. Continuing with GrÃÆ'¶nholm and Hirvonen, Ford successfully defended the world championship of the manufacturer in the 2007 season. Ford is the only manufacturer to score points for 92 consecutive races; since the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally season opener.
Rallycross
Ford has competed in rallies with Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus. Tanner Foust won the Global RallyCross Championship in 2011 and 2012 and is runner-up at the FIA ​​European Rallycross Championship in 2011 and 2012. Toomas Heikkinen won the Global RallyCross Championship title in 2013 and Joni Wiman won it in 2014. Other notable Ford drivers include Marcus GrÃÆ'¶nholm, Ken Block, and Brian Deegan.
Sports car
Ford sports car has been seen in the world of sports car racing since 1964. Especially GT40 won 24 hours Le Mans four times in the 1960s and is the only American car ever won overall in this prestigious event. Ford also won the 1968 International Championships for Makes with the GT40, which still stands today as one of the greatest racing cars of all time. Swiss team Matech GT Racing, in collaboration with Ford Racing, opened a new chapter with Ford GT, winning the Teams title at the 2008 FIA GT3 European Championship.
The Ford Mustang is undoubtedly Ford's most successful sports car. Jerry Titus won the SCCA Pro B National Championship 1965 with Mustang and the model went on to get the Ford SCCA Trans-Am Championship title in 1966 and 1967. Ford won the Trans-Am Championship again in 1970 with Parnelli Jones and George Follmer driving the Boss 302 Mustangs for Bud Moore Engineering. Ford took the 1985 and 1986 IMSA GTO Championships with Mustangs encouraged by John Jones and Scott Pruett before returning to Trans-Am glory with the championship in 1989 with Dorsey Schroeder. Ford dominated the Trans-Am in the 1990s with Tommy Kendall winning the championships in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997 with Paul Gentilozzi adding another title in 1999. In 2005 Ford Mustang FR500C took the championship at the Rolex Koni Challenge Series in the first year on the circuit. In 2007, Ford added victory in the European Championship GT4. 2008 is the first year of the Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup, a series that covers the full area of ​​Ford Mustang cars that are identical to the factories built with each other. Also, in 2008, Ford won the manufacturer's championship in the Koni Challenge Series and HyperSport drivers Joe Foster and Steve Maxwell won the driver's title in the Mustang GT.
Ford and Michelin are working together to provide tires specially designed for the Ford Performance vehicle range. Ford Performance Director Dave Pericak said: "The confidence extends from our upcoming racing efforts at Le Mans in 2016 with the new Ford GT, to the Ford Performance lineup, including the Shelby GT350 and F-150 Raptor".
Down the car
Ford has been campaigning for touring cars such as Focus, Falcon, and Contour/Mondeo and Sierra Cosworth in many different series throughout the year. Specifically, Mondeo drivers finished 1,2,3 in the UK Touring Car Championship 2000 and Falcon drivers placed 1,2,3 in the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Drag race
In drag racing, John Force Racing riders John Force, Tony Pedregon, and Robert Hight have been driving Ford Mustang Funny Cars to some NHRA titles in recent seasons. Team mates Tim Wilkerson and Bob Tasca III also drove Mustangs at Funny Car.
Drifting
Ford has branched out into drifting with the introduction of the new Mustang model. The most visible is the Turquoise and Blue Falken Tires Mustang driven by Vaughn Gittin, Jr., (A.K.A. "JR") that produces 750 RWHP (Horsepower Rear Wheel).
Environmental Initiatives
Compressed natural gas
Alternative fossil fuel vehicles, such as some versions of Crown Victoria primarily in fleet and taxi services, operate on compressed natural gas - or CNG. Some CNG vehicles have double fuel tanks - one for gasoline, the other for CNG - the same machine can operate on one of the fuels through a selector switch.
Flexible fuel vehicles
Flexible fuel vehicles are designed to operate smoothly using a wide range of ethanol fuel blends - from pure gasoline to bioethanol-gasoline mixtures such as E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or E100 (neat ethanol hydrate) in Brazil. Part of the challenge of successful marketing alternatives and flexible fuel vehicles in the US is the lack of an adequate fuel station deployment, which will be critical for these vehicles to appeal to a wide range of consumers. Significant efforts to increase E85 fuel production and distribution are ongoing and growing. Currently Ford E100 Flex sold in the Brazil market is Courier, Ford EcoSport, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, and Ford Ka.
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