A History of the Ford Motor Co.

1863 — Birth of Henry Ford

1896 — Runs Quadricycle experimental car on Detroit streets

1899 — Persuades investors to underwrite Detroit Auto Co., quits Detroit Edison; venture fails

1901 — Jobless, moves his wife and son back into his father's home on Grand Boulevard in Detroit; Ford, driving own car, beats Alexander Winton in automobile race, attracts investors who form Henry Ford Co.

1902 — Ford withdraws, company becomes Cadillac

1903 — Ford Motor Co. founded by Malcomson group; Model A produced in rented Mack Ave. plant

1904 — Company builds Piquette Ave. plant at corner of Beaubien; still standing and being restored; Ford of Canada chartered in Windsor, Ontario

1906 — Ford overtakes Olds, Buick and Cadillac combined to become No.1 auto maker in U.S., Henry Ford becomes company president and majority owner

1908 — Introduction of legendary Ford Model T

1909 — Offer from Billy Durant to buy out Ford and fold it into nascent General Motors fails when NY bankers won't provide the cash up front Henry demands

1910 — Highland Park plant opens, assembly of Model T transferred from Piquette, which closes

1911 — First overseas assembly plant in Manchester, England; Ford wins Selden patent suit

1913 — Moving assembly line inaugurated at Highland Park

1914 — Announcement of $5 workday at Ford

1915 — Purchase of land for Rouge plant in Dearborn; 1-millionth Ford built

1918 — Henry Ford loses Senate race as Democrat

1919 — Henry Ford buys out minority stockholders

1921 — 5-millionth Ford built

1922 — Ford Motor Co. acquires Lincoln Motor Co.

1925 — First pickup introduced; Ford of Germany established

1927 — Model T production ends with 15-millionth built; Model A introduced after 6-month shutdown for retooling

1932 — Introduction of Ford V-8 and English Ford Model Y

1933 — Ford falls to third place behind GM and Chrysler

1935 — Lincoln-Zephyr introduced, 1st medium-priced Ford

1937 — 25-Millionth Ford built

1938 — '39 Mercury introduced as 2nd medium-price entry

1939 — Edsel Ford impresses friends with custom-built Lincoln-Zephyr Continental, production begins

1941 — War production begins with quarter-ton GPs at Dearborn and B-24 bombers at Willow Run (8,485 are built by war's end in 1945); First UAW contract signed

1943 — Death of Edsel Ford, Henry Ford elected president, Henry Ford II released from Navy to help run company

1945 — Civilian production resumes, Henry Ford II elected president

1946 — Henry Ford II begins restructuring company with former GM executives under Ernest Breech, “Whiz Kids” from Army Air Corps and college graduate trainees

1947 — Death of Henry Ford

1948 — Introduction of 1949-models, company's first all-new post-war cars

1950 — Ford overtakes Chrysler to regain 2nd place

1954 — Introduction of '55 Thunderbird

1955 — Introduction of '56 Continental Mark II

1956 — Sale of Ford Motor Co. common stock begins; new Central Office Building opened (later World Headquarters and now Henry Ford II World Center) in Dearborn

1957 — Introduction of '58 Edsel

1958 — Late introduction of 4-seat '58 Thunderbird

1959 — 50-millionth car, a Ford Galaxie; Edsel discontinued

1960 — Introduction of '60 1/2 Mercury Comet “luxury compact,” '61 Econoline “compact truck”; Henry Ford II elected chairman of the board, replacing retiring Breech, Robert McNamara becomes president but resigns to join Kennedy Administration as Secretary of Defense

1962 — “intermediate” Ford Fairlane and Mercury Meteor introduced; Ford acquires Philco Corp.

1964 — Introduction of Mustang “pony car”

1965 — Introduction of Ford Transit van in Europe, first transnational European design; Introduction of '66 Bronco in U.S., first Ford sport/utility vehicle

1967 — Ford of Europe formed

1968 — Semon Knudsen hired from General Motors as president

1969 — Company reorganized with Henry Ford II as chairman, Lee Iacocca as president of Ford North America Automotive Operations

1970 — Formation of Ford Motor Land Development Co.; Introduction of sub-compact '71 Ford Pinto; Lee Iacocca becomes president

1972 — Henry Ford II announces plan for Renaissance Center on Detroit waterfront

1973 — Introduction of “downsized” '74 Mustang II

1976 — Introduction of sub-compact front-wheel-drive (FWD) Ford Fiesta in Europe

1977 — Introduction of “Fox” chassis compact cars

1978 — Introduction of “Panther” chassis large body-on-frame cars, still basis of Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car; Phillip Caldwell named president, replacing Lee Iacocca, fired by Henry Ford II; 150-millionth Ford vehicle worldwide is built

1979 — Henry Ford II retires as CEO, succeeded by Phillip Caldwell; Ford obtains initial 25% interest in Toyo Kogyo of Japan, later renamed Mazda

1980 — Phillip Caldwell named board chairman and CEO with Donald Petersen as president and chief operating officer; Introduction of '81-model Ford Escort “world car”

1982 — Introduction of '83 Ranger compact pickup; Henry Ford II retires as company officer and employee; Introduction of first “jelly-bean” styled cars, ‘83 Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar

1985 — Donald Petersen succeeds Caldwell as chairman and Harold Poling elected president; Introduction of FWD midsize '86 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable

1987 — Death of Henry Ford II; Introduction of '88 Lincoln Continental; Hertz Corp. acquired by Ford and a partnership

1988 — Edsel Ford II and William Clay Ford Jr. join William Clay Ford as family members on board of directors

1989 — Ford sells Rouge steel, acquires financial service company The Associates and Jaguar Cars

1990 — Harold Poling succeeds Petersen as chairman and Philip Benton Jr. elected president; Introduction of '91 Ford Explorer SUV

1992 — Introduction of Mercury Villager minivan, joint venture with Nissan

1993 — Introduction in Europe of Ford Mondeo “world car”; Alex Trotman succeeds Poling as chairman and CEO

1994 — Introduction of '94 Ford Windstar minivan

1996 — 250-millionth Ford vehicle built

1997 — Ford sells heavy-truck business to Freightliner; Introduction of Lincoln Navigator SUV;

1998 — Lincoln-Mercury headquarters moved to Irvine, CA; Edsel Ford II resigns as president of Ford Credit; Introduction in Europe of Focus compact car

1999 — Bill Ford Jr. becomes chairman, replacing retiring Trotman, and Jacques Nasser becomes president and CEO; Acquisition of Volvo Cars and TH!NK electric car

2000 — Introduction of Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type models; Acquisition of Land Rover from BMW; Visteon Corp. parts-making organization spun off

2001 — Nasser resigns as president, replaced by Nick Scheele; Bill Ford Jr. assumes active management role as CEO, fourth generation of the founding Ford family; Introduction of retro 2-seat Ford Thunderbird

2002 — New design unveiled for '04 Mustang, the last surviving “pony car”

2003 — F-150 redesigned; Rouge plant overhaul nears completion en route to 2004 startup with multi-platform capability