13 Surprising Facts That Shaped Ford’s Iconic Journey

Henry Ford, an Irish immigrant, founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 using $28,000 of investor money (roughly $800,000 in today’s money).

From there, FoMoCo has grown to become one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, and its F-series pickup trucks have consistently been the best-selling vehicles in the States for decades.

Let’s look at some surprising facts that shaped Ford’s iconic journey from start-up to the behemoth it is today.

The Beginning Of Ford

In 1896, Henry Ford designed and built his first vehicle — the Quadricycle. It was very basic, with a two-person bench seat, a four-hp engine, bicycle wheels, and a two-speed gearbox without reverse.

From there, Ford joined the Detroit Automobile Company, which later became Cadillac, in 1901, but left the following year. After founding Ford Motor Company in 1903, Henry didn’t become president and controlling owner of the company until 1906, as shareholders feared he would leave as he’d done previously.

Ford Revolutionized Manufacturing

Many people mistakenly think Ford invented the car. While that honor goes to Carl Benz, Ford Motor Company revolutionized the automotive industry by introducing the moving assembly line.

This innovation streamlined production, created labor specialization, and reduced production time and cost. Today, this manufacturing method is used in most industries.

Ford Created The First People’s Car

Thanks to the moving assembly line, which reduced car manufacturing costs and time, Ford could build a car for the masses — the Model T.

This was the first mass-produced, affordable car the average American could afford to buy. It transformed how people traveled and eventually led to the road infrastructure we have today.

Ford Helped Create The American Middle Class

Today, there’s a lot of talk about how greedy companies are stealing from employees and not paying a livable wage. However, in 1914, Ford decided to pay employees double the market average.

Henry Ford’s “$5-a-day” was accompanied by shorter work days and company profit sharing. This minimized employee turnover and was a significant factor in creating the American middle class and the fair wages movement. Henry Ford said he wanted his workers to have a life, not just make a living.

The Ford Dynasty Began When It Acquired Lincoln In 1922

While Ford had tremendous growth, one single company was hardly a dynasty. In 1922, Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford, bought Lincoln for $8 million.

Lincoln then became a manufacturer of stunning, high-end luxury vehicles. In 1939, it launched the Continental, which is still considered one of the most gorgeous cars of all time. In 1938, Ford also started the Mercury brand, which was positioned between Ford and Lincoln.

War Efforts

During World War I and II, Ford changed its production lines to make military vehicles, planes, aircraft engines, and other war-related equipment.

During World War I, they kept making civilian vehicles, but in 1942, during World War II, they shut that part down and focused solely on military equipment. Rose Will Monroe, a rivet gun operator at a Ford plant, was chosen as the face of war bonds promotions as “Rosie the Riveter.”

Edsel Was A Costly Mistake

Ford wanted to create a new automotive brand with the Edsel lineup, which was named after the founder’s son. The cars and the company flopped so hard that business schools still use them as an example of how marketing shouldn’t be done.

Edsel cars suffered from build quality issues, but that’s almost to be expected from a brand-new lineup. A much bigger problem was the brand’s business decisions and the marketing. It cost Ford billions in today’s money, and they quietly shut down the project by 1960. The few cars built are still unreliable, but are now sought-after by collectors.

Involved In The Moon Landing

In the late 1960s, Ford was involved in NASA’s moon landing, one of the most significant historical events in human history.

Ford owned Philco, which helped design and build NASA’s Mission Control and supported the Apollo and Gemini space programs. Philco then evolved into Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation, making satellites that are still in use today.

The Mustang Was An Instant Hit

Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964. While it wasn’t the first compact Ford, it offered a unique combination of style, performance, and affordability, making it an instant hit with car buyers.

Today, the Mustang is recognized as the world’s best-selling sports car, and it’s the only muscle car that’s been in continuous production since its introduction.

Expansion Abroad

Ford owes much of its success to international markets, proving that it was a clever strategy to expand shortly after the company was founded. They opened the first foreign plant in Ontario in 1904.

From there, they went to France in 1908, and other European countries followed between 1917 and 1925, as did South Africa, Japan, Argentina, and Australia. Ford even opened a plant in Russia to produce the Model A and AA.

Best-Selling American Vehicle

In 1948, Ford introduced its first F-series truck, and it grew from a humble farm truck to a range of full-size models.

The F-Series became the best-selling pickup truck in the US in 1977, and since 1981, it has been the best-selling vehicle overall. More than 41 million F-series trucks have been sold since its introduction, and it generated around $49 billion in revenue in 2023.

Moving From Boxy To Curvy Cars

In the mid-1980s, the only round shapes you’d find on a car were the wheels, and sometimes the headlights. Design-wise, they all stuck with boxy designs and pointy angles.

It was Ford who decided to do something about that. When they unveiled the Taurus, it was the first mainstream car to move away from the boxiness and adopt a more curved and aerodynamic shape. The Taurus became hugely popular, and helped convince other manufacturers that this new style of design was the way to go.

First Mass-Produced SUV

Today, every carmaker has an SUV or ten in their lineup, and it’s the most popular segment among car buyers. That wasn’t always the case, though. Now, it’s true that the first SUVs emerged many decades before the Ford Explorer became a thing in 1990, but none were big sellers or marketed to such a huge audience.

Ford based the Explorer on the Ranger to minimize design, development and tooling cost, and they didn’t really think it would be such a huge hit. Initially, management thought they might sell 100,000 units per year, but they sold 160k in its first year, which was limited only by capacity, the following year they sold 250k, then 300k. In the end, the Explorer played a significant part in popularizing the SUV segment and helped change the automotive landscape forever.