The main production of which is located in America. It produces not only passenger cars (Mercury, Ford, Lincoln), but also trucks, and various agricultural machinery.

Ford's history is uniquely connected with its discoverer, director and simply brilliant man, Henry Ford.

The birth of the company from 1900 to 1920

The company's location is a small factory specializing in the production of carriages. One of Henry Ford's first significant achievements was a sidecar for carrying passengers, called the Model A.

Its work was carried out at the expense of eight horsepower.

The car was considered the most advanced of all those on the market. The ease of its control attracted even the most demanding gentlemen. For the next five years, Henry Ford was constantly increasing the production of this type of transport. This served as a significant impetus. Models of wheelchairs were constantly modernized and improved. However, many of them never crossed the experimental level.

Henry Ford's company made a huge breakthrough in 1911. The “Iron Lizzie” car, newly created by the brilliant designer, became available to a huge number of the population. The second name of the car is “Model T”. In the auto industry, this modification was especially popular. The price component for the “Model T” fluctuated around two hundred and sixty dollars. During the year, approximately 11 thousand units of equipment were sold. Mass production of cars begins precisely after the appearance of Iron Lizzie on the car market, and the demand for personal vehicles

began to gain incredible momentum.

In parallel with the production of the famous model, some are being developed. These include ambulances, pickup trucks, mini buses and utility vehicles. To meet significant consumer demand, Henry Ford switches to assembly line production for the first time. The work of each participant in the process has a narrow focus; forces are not scattered to perform several phases of the process at once..

The moving conveyor literally revolutionized the automotive industry.

Second stage of development from 1920 to 1940 production capacity companies. Developers worked day and night on new inventions that would meet all the requirements of the population.

1932 was marked by the release of a monolithic eight-cylinder V-shaped power unit. The Ford company became a pioneer in the creation of such equipment. with such an engine have long been a priority for a huge number of Americans.

The video shows the history of the Ford brand:

Two years later, modified power unit appeared on many trucks.

During this same period, buyers begin to think about the safety of the car. This question becomes relevant for Henry Ford as well. The company's factories begin to produce safety glass. Risks of harm to the human body are constantly reduced to a minimum. Most of the company's policy is based on ensuring safety for both the driver and passengers.

People's love for the Ford brand is growing at an exorbitant pace. Cars occupy their own cell in America, as well as in Russia and Europe. are considered truly popular.

Period from forties to sixties

In the early forties, the company invested all its strength and power in the creation of specialized military equipment. The production of civilian vehicles was temporarily suspended.

During the war, the Ford plant produced 57 thousand aircraft engines, 86 thousand B-24 Liberator bombers and 250 thousand tanks.

In 1945, Henry Ford retired from business after long and fruitful years. He transfers all his rights to his grandson Henry Ford Jr. In 1947, the founder famous company dies on his own estate. At that time he was 83 years old.

However, the company, under the leadership of his grandson, is still thriving. was presented in 1949 at the New York car exhibition. It had a number of features:

• independent front suspension;
• smooth side panels;
• rear side windows capable of opening.

The standard of the future automotive design there was an integration of wings and body. The sale of these cars was a colossal breakthrough in the life of the company. The volume of units sold exceeded .

The company's profits began to rise at an accelerated pace. Accordingly, production capacity began to expand: new factories, laboratories, and testing grounds appeared.

The company is introducing itself into financial business, studies the features of insurance. It develops its activities in the fields of electronics and space technology. Today, Ford Corporation has 700 thousand shareholders..

Period from 1960 to 1980

The main direction of the corporation in the sixties was youth. The production is dominated by affordable sports cars with modern and creative designs.

Period since 1980

During this period, the competitiveness of other manufacturers increases significantly. To stay afloat, the corporation begins to introduce the latest technologies not only into passenger cars, but also into other industrial areas.

The main goal of the designers is to create a world leader for executive class. Average price segment also did not go unnoticed.

To demonstrate all its capabilities, the Ford company produces two models: Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus. All the details in the cars are absolutely perfect. As a result, the Taurus became the car of 1986. At the end of the eighties, both cars suffered devastating losses. All of America was on its knees before them.

Subsequent innovative models were the Ford Mondeo and the globally restyled Mustang. Galaxy minivans and F-series pickups appeared in Europe.

The main credo of the company: “While reducing production costs, strive for continuous improvement of our products.”

Nowadays, the Ford brand has earned recognition throughout the world. More than seventy factories produce. Among them are the most famous: Lincoln, Ford, Jaguar, Aston-Martin.

The Ford company, in addition to its own numerous production facilities, has a significant amount of shares in the Kia Motors Corporation and Mazda Motor Corporation.

Managers American company They do not stop there and constantly work to improve their capabilities.

Ford history- This is not only the history of the American, but also the entire world automotive industry. It was the Ford company that first began to produce mass cheap car. It is the fourth largest in the world in terms of production volume in history. Now it is the third in the USA and the second in Europe.

The company's annual turnover exceeds $150 billion. The value of assets is $208 billion. The corporation has 62 factories and a network of retail outlets located in 30 countries. They employ over 200 thousand employees. We invite you to take a brief look at the history of Ford.

History of the company

Ford history begins with the first meeting in 1875 of 12-year-old Henry Ford with a locomotive. The future father of the automobile industry called this meeting the most important in his life, which radically influenced his choice of profession. From a young age he has been involved in technology, working as an apprentice in a mechanical workshop and as a locomotive repairman. He spends his evenings in the workshop on his parents' farm.

Henry Ford as a child

First car

In 1884, Henry got a job in one of the Detroit workshops. Here he became acquainted with the then famous gas engine Otto's models.

Soon Henry returns to his native village and gets married. His father gave him a large plot of land, where young Ford built a house and equipped himself with a first-class workshop. In it, out of curiosity, he constructed for himself a motor modeled on Otto’s four-stroke model, operating on lamp gas.

Four years later, he is hired as an engineer by an electrical company. Henry and his wife rent a house in Detroit. He set up a workshop in a brick barn behind the house, which he brought with him from Springfield. In it, the inventor worked selflessly in the evenings on his two-cylinder engine.

In 1892, Henry Ford built his first car. It looked like a cart with bicycle wheels. The two-cylinder engine developed a power of about 4 horsepower. There was no steering wheel; the car was driven by a hand crank. Henry Ford's first car was given the simple name Ford Quadricycle by its inventor.

Ford Quadricycle

In the spring of 1893, it was tested on rural roads in Michigan. Until 1896, Ford traveled thousands of miles on it, then selling it for $200 to a passionate car lover.

First experience

Meanwhile, the electric company offered him a senior engineering position on the condition that he stop working on cars. But the young engineer was already firmly confident in the success of his business and on August 15, 1899, he abandoned his service in order to devote himself entirely to cars.

A group of entrepreneurs proposed to organize a car company with his participation. Ford worked there for three years. During this time, he built 15 cars based on his first model. But sales were poor, there was no opportunity to design new models, and Henry left the company.

Own enterprise

Ford decides to organize an independent enterprise. He rents another brick barn for his workshop and continues to experimentally build new car models.

Most American car buyers at that time considered speed to be their main trump card. To satisfy the demands of the public, Henry produces two models with a 4-cylinder engine of 80 hp, which at that time seemed like gigantic power.

One of them, the "999" as he called it, successfully demonstrated its speed in a three-mile race. Those willing to invest profitably in the business were quickly found, and in June 1903 the Ford Automobile Society was founded. This is how the history of the company's creation began. The founder himself received a quarter of the company, the position of director and responsible for all production. The founders raised 28 thousand dollars.

Henry Ford and racer Barney Oldfield at legendary car"999"

Subsequently, Ford bought back the shares with the money he earned and increased his stake to 59%. And in 1919, when he began to have disagreements with shareholders over economic policy, the remaining 41% was bought by his son Edzel for a substantial sum of $75 million.

First steps

The history of Ford's social development began to be written with the Model A. She had a two-cylinder engine of 8 hp. And chain drive. Parts for the car were produced by partners, and the company was already engaged in assembly. The cars immediately acquired a reputation as simple and reliable machines. Already in the first year, 1,708 copies were sold and the company’s business went well.

Model "A"

In 1906, using working capital, the company built a 3-story building and began producing whole line details yourself.

In the process of producing and selling products, Ford came to the conclusion that the market was in dire need of cheap mass car. By simplifying the design and streamlining the price, sales volumes increased significantly in 1907-1911. The company has already assembled more than 100 cars per day.

The number of employees in the company reached 4110 people, the number of cars produced was 45 thousand. The company has branches in London and Australia. Ford has already been traded in many countries around the world.

Ford's history has evolved according to the methods of its founder. The company's machines were designed less complex than those of its competitors, the enterprise did not use other people's capital, all profits were invested back into production, and a favorable balance made it possible to always have working capital.

Model T

According to Ford, the car should be simple and affordable. He embodied his idea in the development of the “Model T”, which the company began to produce in 1908. It incorporated everything that the inventor had developed over the previous time, plus vanadium compounds in the materials.

Tin Lizzie (Model "T")

“Tin Lizzy,” as it was nicknamed by car enthusiasts, became the first mass-produced car. In 1914, the company celebrated the release of its 10 millionth anniversary copy. The car was produced until 1928.

Conveyor

Since 1913, Ford began the gradual introduction conveyor production cars. The results were stunning. For example, engine assembly time was reduced from 9.9 to 5.9 working hours.

The introduction of the Ford assembly line reduced the price of the Tin Lisa from $850 to $290. In 1914, Henry established the highest minimum wage for workers in the country—$5 a day.

An innovative production method at the time - assembly line

How the model range changed as the company developed

Today the concern produces more than 70 car models. Let's look at the main instances model range cars Ford Motor Company.

After a drop in Model T sales, Ford closed all production for six months, carrying out the necessary reconstruction to transition to a new Ford model A (prototype of the Soviet "Victory"), which has more perfect characteristics. Safety glass appeared on this car for the first time.

1929 Model A

Again ahead of the competition, Ford was the first to begin producing station wagon models in 1929.

Meanwhile, competitors have mastered the production of V-6 engines. The company's shareholders proposed starting production of their analogues, but Ford insisted on developing a more advanced engine. So in April 1932, a new V-shaped 8-cylinder engine installed on the Model B was presented to the public. The engine was called flathead - translated as “flat-headed”. It was quite compact, worked quietly and, thanks to the small number of parts, was very reliable and easy to maintain. Only a few years later competitors were able to organize the production of cars with an engine of this type.

1932 Model B

When America began hostilities, all the company's efforts were aimed at producing military products. The concern produced bombers, aircraft engines, tanks, anti-tank guns, trucks and jeeps, and other military equipment.

In September 1945, 82-year-old Henry Ford resigned as head of the corporation and handed over the business to his grandson. Two years later, on April 7, 1947, he dies on his estate. At that time, his fortune was $199 billion, taking into account inflation.

Fairlane

In 1948, the first Ford F-Series of a series of full-size pickup trucks was released. The car has become the most popular pickup truck and one of the best-selling in the world. More than 34 million copies of this series have been sold.

1948 F-100

In the 60s, Ford, following the sporty and youth trend that reigned in America, switched to producing inexpensive sports cars. In 1964, one of the company's best cars appeared - the Mustang, which received the name of the famous American aircraft P-51. Equipped with a new engine and featuring a bright and stylish design, the car was a great success. After 1.5 years, a million copies were sold. It is still a cult car.

First generation Mustang. Read all about Ford Mustang on the website pro-mustang.ru

Following the Mustang, production of the Ford Transit commercial vehicle began. Since 1965, more than 6 million cars have been sold across seven generations.

In 1968, the production of FordEscort began - one of the successful passenger models Ford. Over 35 years of production, almost 20 million units were sold.

Escort 1968-1973

1976 was marked by the release of the B-class model - FordFiesta. It is still produced successfully in many countries around the world. Its circulation is more than 13 million units in 6 generations.

Since 1998, the FordFocus, a popular sedan, began to be produced. Today the model is already in its third generation. More than 9.2 million cars sold. The car is popular in Russia, where it has been assembled since 1999. In 2010, Focus was the best-selling foreign car in our country.

1998 Focus

Logo evolution

The oval badge known today did not appear on Ford cars right away.

The history of the logo dates back to 1903. The first emblem featured the inscription “Ford Motor Co.”, written in an unusual font and framed by an oval.

Three years later, the inscription was shortened and made “flying”. It was supposed to symbolize the company's rapid movement forward. The emblem existed until 1910.

The Ford trademark was registered in the US Patent Office in 1909.

In 1912 the logo takes new uniform- a bizarre triangle with wings spread on the sides. According to the designers, the design of the emblem meant elegance and reliability, and with them speed and lightness.

The prototype of the current sign appeared in 1927 - a blue oval with the Ford inscription inside. Until the 70s, it was not installed on all cars of the brand.

Since 1976, an oval with a blue background and a familiar silver inscription began to be placed on the radiator and rear door of all cars produced by the corporation.

In 2003, on the eve of the corporation's centenary, subtle features of the original emblems were added to the logo. The iconic oval badge is still easily recognizable and represents high quality and the reliability of a famous brand.

“The car can be any color, as long as it is black.”.

There is an opinion that this phrase about the color black was not mentioned by chance. All Model Ts came in the same color. Ford decided to paint them black only because that color of paint was the cheapest.

To the journalist’s question: “Which car do you think is the best?”, the great designer answered:

“The best car is a new car!”

“I never say: “I need you to do this.” I say, “I’m wondering if you can do it.”

“People give up far more often than they fail.”

“Only two incentives force people to work: the thirst for wages and the fear of losing it.”

The current state of the company and its prospects

The corporation is still one of the leading automakers in the world. In addition to cars, trucks and buses under the Ford brand, which are sold throughout the world, the concern's portfolio includes the Lincoln and Troller brands (Brazil). He also owns shares in Kia Motors Corporation and Mazda Motor Corporation.

In the early 2000s, the company's crisis was significant. However, after Alan Mulally took over the leadership of the corporation, the giant automaker's activities began to be profitable again. Restructuring has been carried out, and the corporation is transitioning to a new strategy to produce cars that are uniform for all markets.

Alan Mulally

Financial position

At the end of 2017, Ford's net profit increased by 65% ​​and reached $7.6 billion, revenue increased by 3% and amounted to almost $157 billion. Profit for the last quarter amounted to $2.4 billion; there were losses a year earlier.

According to the forecasts of American experts, the company's profits are expected to decline in 2018. Revenue is projected at $142 billion.

In Russia, there is an increase in purchases of crossovers and SUVs on credit, especially Ford Explorer And Ford Kuga. In 2017, their share in the company’s sales increased to 31%, which provided the Ford Sollers JV company, which represents Ford’s interests in Russia, with a 16% increase in sales. Sold in 2017 commercial vehicles Ford brands are 68% more than last year.

Explorer

The company expects further growth in SUV sales. It is planned to increase production at Tatarstan enterprises while simultaneously updating some models. The company has high hopes for strengthening its position in the light commercial vehicle segment.

Plans

This year the concern plans to introduce 23 new models on the international market. In general, the company has defined a strategy to reduce
number of passenger car models. The main emphasis will be on the development of new trucks and SUVs.

The corporation's mission is to continually improve the company's products to meet the needs of our customers, allow the company to prosper and provide profits to its shareholders and owners.

Each of us would like to work as close to home as possible, so as not to waste precious hours on the road. Sometimes we manage to find a convenient vacancy, and sometimes, in pursuit of decent pay, we even have to move. But Henry Ford was not one of those people. He built his entire colossal empire not far from the place where he was born and never lived anywhere else.
It is a well-known fact that Henry Ford was born into a farmer's family in a village called Greenfield, near Detroit, where he spent his childhood. But, fortunately, his work on the farm did not work out, so he went to work in Detroit. He chose the town of Dearborn to live. In 1915, the Fairlane estate was built for him. In 1917, construction began on the largest automobile plant in the world, and in 1956, with the completion of the Ford Motor Company headquarters, Dearborn became the corporation's permanent home. Let's take a short virtual tour of the hometown of one of the world's most valuable companies.

By the way, it should be noted that the first settlement on the site of Dearborn was founded by the French colonialist Antoine Lome de Lamothe de Cadillac, in whose honor it was then named car brand Cadillac.

The central building and symbol of the city was not the city hall or the church, but the Ford headquarters, which immediately after construction was called the “glass house.” By today's standards, the building is not the most impressive, however, in 1956, the 12-story glass and concrete building with an area of ​​more than 88 thousand square meters and designed for 3,000 employees looked quite impressive. The company that designed it even received two prestigious awards for its work. The complex also includes two extensions: a cafe and a banquet hall, plus a huge garage for 1,500 cars.

For various significant events, at night the lights in the building are lit in such a way as to convey some kind of message. For example, on September 15, 2008, the Ford team congratulated its main competitors by displaying “Happy 100 GM” on the facade; 50 years ago, they announced the victory of the Ford GT at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same way, and this year they celebrated the anniversary of this victory.

At the beginning of 2016, the company announced its plans to begin a complete reconstruction of the building in 2021 with the addition of existing as well as new administrative buildings.

The headquarters was built on land that once belonged to Henry Ford himself and was part of his Fair Lane estate, which today occupies about 530 hectares. The center of the estate is luxury home for 56 rooms, an area of ​​2900 square meters. The house, built in 1915, had a swimming pool and bowling alley.

The entire estate is supplied with electricity from its own power plant located on the Rouge River Dam, and the power of this power plant is also enough to power part of Dearborn. On the property there are also Henry Ford's workshop and garage, a playhouse for children, a staff house, a stable, a greenhouse, a greenhouse, and a boathouse for water transport.

In 1957, the estate was donated to the University of Michigan, and main house, the garage and the power plant are now museums. The line of American and Australian Ford produced the Fairlane car, named after the residence of the company's founder.

Nearby is another historically important place - the River Rouge plant, which at the time of its inception became the largest plant in the world with all production cycles - from ore processing to the exit of the finished product. Construction began in 1917 and was completed only in 1928. Everything is explained by the scale of the project - the boundaries of the complex, consisting of 93 buildings, stretch 1.6 kilometers along the Rouge River and 2.4 kilometers wide, about 160 kilometers railway tracks on the territory, its own power plant, its own pier. The grandiose complex was able to provide more than 100,000 jobs during the most difficult years for the United States in the 1930s - the years of the Great Depression. Dearborn's population increased by almost 2,000% during those years, from 5,000 people to 50,000.

The first finished product left the factory already in 1918, and not through the gates, but along the river, since it was a gunboat ordered by the US government to participate in the First World War. After the war, the plant switched to the production of tractors, as well as components for the Ford Model T, which underwent final assembly at another plant. In 1932 he began producing the legendary Model B with Flathead V8. Since 1964, four generations have been produced here Ford Mustang, and from 1948 to the present day - the iconic F-150 pickup truck. The plant employs about 6,000 people, and there is a rule for employees: in the main parking lot you can only park a car manufactured by FoMoCo, otherwise you will have to walk from the far parking lot to the entrance. It's a shame, but fair!

In 1929 the plant was visited by the Supreme Council National economy The USSR was so impressed that it signed an agreement with Ford Motor Company to provide assistance in the construction of the same plant on the territory of the Union. In 1932, the first car, GAZ-AA, left the gates of the American-built production facility.

The scale of Henry Ford's figure is so enormous that almost everything in the city bears the name of the great industrialist: libraries, colleges, universities, theaters, there was even an airport named after Ford. Henry Ford loved his small homeland, and it is grateful to him to this day.

The car has long become an integral part of our lives - so integral that a modern person cannot imagine a world without cars. Today they surround us everywhere, but just a little over a hundred years ago a car was such a rarity that only a select few could afford to own one. After all, they were then assembled entirely by hand. But thanks to one man who revolutionized the automobile industry, everything changed. This man's name was Henry Ford. The company he founded was the first in the world to use an assembly line, starting mass production cars. For modern Russia Ford was the first foreign company, which opened an assembly plant here. So how is Ford assembled in Russia today?

2. The Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk was founded in 2002 and became the first full-cycle automotive enterprise opened by a foreign company in Russia. The Russian Diesel plant was chosen to organize production. This fact made it possible to avoid the costs of building buildings, but imposed significant restrictions on production space. Ford technologists had to think hard before writing technological process within such a strict framework. But they did it. For this reason, the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk became a unique project, since, despite its relatively small size, it immediately became a full-cycle enterprise, and not just an assembly shop. On an area of ​​26 hectares there are welding, painting and assembly shops, warehouses, a site for finished products and even a testing track. Until 2011, the Vsevolozhsk plant was the only Ford plant in Europe that produced Ford Focus cars in all four body modifications: station wagon, sedan, five-door and three-door hatchback of the first and second generations.

3. The life of every new car at this Ford plant begins from scratch - from a set of parts, fasteners, seals and plastics. This process takes about 14 hours and the first thing the future Ford has to go through is the welding shop. Here, in the confident hands of welders and sheaves of sparks from stamped parts, the first body elements are born.

4. Primary welding is done manually using high-tech semi-automatic welding machines, more like some kind of fantastic weapon than a conventional welding machine.

5. The technology is clearly distributed. Someone welds only the right one back door, some side panel, some hood. The movements of the welders are so precise that their work is more like a dance, so easily they handle the huge welding machine suspended on a special articulated frame, balancing its weight and allowing for special welding precision. It is not unimportant that the welding machines are robotic. The person just brings it to the welding site. The welding power and duration are programmed.

6. The result of the work of each section of the welding shop is ready-made elements of the future body. For example, side panels that are sent to another site for further welding.

7. At this stage, robots come into play. Six four-armed welding robots are working simultaneously at the plant.

8. These smart and high-precision machines assemble the body of a new Ford from individual elements. It takes them a few minutes to do everything, during which the body is boiled from all sides, turning over several times like a feather in hydraulic arms robot It looks like a scene from a science fiction movie, but it is reality - machines create machines.

9. Everything body parts They come already galvanized. Therefore, an assembled but not yet painted Ford already looks attractive, glistening with silvery edges. After robotic welders, the conveyor delivers the bodies back to the person.

10. Here, thresholds are boiled on two parallel lines and then the baton is passed back to the robots. So as a result collaboration people cars, the body of the brand new Ford Focus and Ford Mondeo is created.

11. Before continuing on their way, the assembled bodies are sent for geometry testing at a special Carl Zeiss stand. The permissible deviation from the norm is tenths of a millimeter. Every third assembled body is checked. Vehicles that do not pass inspection are mercilessly rejected, but such cases are extremely rare.

12. The bodies that have successfully passed the inspection are sent to the primary assembly line. Here they grow on the hood, trunk lid, fenders and, of course, doors. This does not happen immediately, but gradually as it moves along the conveyor. For example, in this area the rear left door will be installed, and a little later the front right door, and then the left wing, and so on.

13. Thanks to this approach, the assembler does not disperse himself into several types of work, but performs only one operation, bringing the accuracy and efficiency of his actions to perfection. Personnel rotation occurs periodically to avoid employees getting stuck in only one type of work.

14. The body assembled on the primary conveyor is sent to the paint shop, access to which is strictly prohibited to any unauthorized persons, in order to avoid even the slightest ingress of dust. Painting takes several hours, after which the Ford assembly continues on the next assembly line, where in 2 hours 42 minutes it will take the form of a finished car from a painted piece of iron.

15. At the initial stage, the doors are removed from the painted body. They will join it again after installing window lift mechanisms, glass and door locks themselves, sound insulation, upholstery and other elements depending on the configuration.

16. While this is happening, the body itself is overgrown with sound insulation, seals, electrical wiring lines, airbags, pedal unit, brake pipes, air conditioning. In order for the assembly worker to know what parts he needs to install on a particular car, a manifest is attached to the body - a special document about the vehicle’s configuration.

17.

18. The further the car moves along the conveyor, the more it takes on the appearance of a finished product. It is important to note that if, during the assembly process, something suddenly went wrong, for example, a worker dropped a fastening bolt into the internal cavity of the car, then he must immediately inform the shift supervisor about this and make a note in the appropriate document. Depending on the situation, the car is either immediately removed from the line, or the deficiency is corrected later. In particular, attempts will be made to shake out the fallen bolt and somehow remove it. In any case, a car with a jingling foreign object in the body cavity will not end up in the hands of the end consumer.

19. Each new section adds new parts to the car. This is how the future Ford will have a radiator grille, headliner, dashboard, controls, etc. Here, along with people, another robot works - a glass installer. It is used for greater accuracy in applying the adhesive composition and completely eliminating leaks during operation. The list of installed parts is huge and reaches several hundred, if not thousands, positions. While using the car, its owner is not even aware of how much work was done to create it.

20. Next, the car moves to the so-called “chassis” line, where the engine and transmission are installed on it. There is a “marriage” or “wedding” - this is what the assemblers call the moment of connection between the transmission and the body.

22. Here the fully assembled doors are returned to it, seats and other final elements are installed.

23. The fully finished car arrives at the control post. Here the quality of the assembly is checked, the joints, the quality of the paint and varnish coating are inspected, the operation of electronic systems and lighting devices is checked.

24. There are surprisingly many women working at the factory. Thanks to the reduction in the labor intensity of production processes, all types of work have become accessible to the fair sex. They work equally with men in all areas, with the exception of the welding shop.

25. The final step is filling process fluids. This occurs at the same control post after completion of all verification actions. However, car checks do not end there; rather, on the contrary, they are just beginning.

26. Having reached this stage, the assembled Ford can already move under its own power and is placed at the disposal of an employee who will check it in motion. Here, every few minutes you can hear the horn - a safety requirement. Before starting to drive, the test driver must honk the horn and only then start driving.

27. The first test bench for the assembled car is called "Niagara". Here the tightness of all seals and the quality of glass gluing are checked. Similar to automatic washing high pressure, only the pressure here is much more powerful and the spray system is an order of magnitude more complex. Water is supplied from different sides and at different angles.

28. Before leaving the factory premises, cars undergo dynamic tests on a roll test, where the car is accelerated on rollers up to 110 km/h to check the operation of the engine and gearbox. The next stage is the test track. Its purpose is to identify extraneous noise associated with assembly flaws. The track is a section of track, 200 meters long, with different types of coverage that simulate different variants that a vehicle may encounter during operation, for example, paving stones, wooden posts, multi-level concrete slabs, etc. Moreover, on different types of coating it is necessary to move at a strictly defined speed.

29. It is noteworthy that many women work here too.

30. Another control point is a vibration-temperature stand. This is a special chamber in which a car can be frozen to extremely low temperatures, simulating weather northern region. At the same time, the hydraulic installation, which consists of four independent vibration columns, allows you to thoroughly shake the car. Cars are submitted for such testing selectively or at the request of a tester who did not like something as a result of testing on the track.

31. Upon completion of all tests and inspections, the end consumer receives a car with the famous Ford quality. In 2015, the Vsevolozhsk Ford Sollers plant began producing two models at once: the new generation Ford Mondeo and Ford Focus 4. About latest Ford The trick is worth explaining in more detail. Since its first appearance, the Ford Focus has been a bestseller in its class on the Russian market for seven years in a row. He was called up many times the best car year, winning 18 awards in Russia. Over the 13 years of the model’s history in Russia, it has collected over 700,000 grateful customers.

The fourth generation Ford Focus incorporates the best of previous generations, including the traditional reliability inherent in cars of this brand. This is a dynamic and comfortable car, which is equipped with new and improved technologies, a new engine, and is also specially adapted for Russian market. How else? After all, it is going to Russia and for Russia. Exactly because of this reason Russian Ford Focus has the following features:
- engines are certified for AI-92;
- additional sound insulation;
- increased ground clearance;
- winter package;
- multimedia system with controls in Russian;
- testing for Russian roads, including winter test.

The fourth Ford Focus is equipped with a number of technical innovations:
- SYNC 2 multimedia system with voice control in Russian, navigation and traffic jam indicator in more than 50 cities of the Russian Federation
- advanced parking assistance system Active Park Assist with parallel and perpendicular parking, assistance when leaving the parking lot and monitoring the space around the car at 360º;
- system automatic switching low/high beam;
- adaptive bi-xenon headlights;
- Rear View Camera;
- Ford MyKey® - the owner can program individual keys with the necessary settings;
- Ford EcoMode ® - helps the driver change his driving style to reduce fuel consumption and emissions;
- Ford PowerShift® - preselective automatic transmission gears;
- Hill Launch Assist;
- tire pressure monitoring system.
And all this is inside a modest, but very stylish and attractive car, which is assembled for Russians at a Russian plant by Russian citizens.

32. The new product is equipped with a completely new modern engine EcoBoost, providing excellent dynamics, low consumption fuels and CO2 emissions.

33. But, of course, the Vsevolozhsk Ford Sollers plant is, first of all, people. In order for the new Ford Focus and Mondeo to continuously roll off the assembly line, 1,500 employees work daily in the plant’s workshops, whose professionalism and responsibility directly determine the quality of the cars produced, the positive emotions of their future owners, including road safety.

34.

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The history of this legendary automaker began back in 1903, when Henry Ford and eleven partners founded a small company Ford Motor Company. The starting capital was $28,000, which was raised thanks to various investors. Ford already had a wealth of experience in engineering, auto racing and business. True, his first company Detroit Automobile(1899-1900) went bankrupt, having, however, managed to release several racing monsters, which simply had no equal on the tracks of those years.

The negative experience of selling incredibly expensive cars was not in vain - Ford now decided to start producing cars that would be affordable to the average consumer. The first product was the Ford Model A, a small “petrol sidecar.” And in 1908, the legendary Ford T was born, which was destined to “put the whole of America behind the wheel.” The car was initially quite affordable, and after its introduction in factories in 1913 Ford Motor Company assembly line, has become even cheaper. The First was in full swing in Europe. World War, and in the USA, every ten seconds another Ford T model left the factory gates. The concept of “Ford conveyor” would become a household word, a symbol of monotonous and almost slave labor (especially in the USSR).

The Ford T is quickly becoming a legend. People dubbed him “Tin Lizzy.” The car was produced in a variety of body modifications (their number was not just large, but huge - the car was adapted for literally everything, from a pleasure roadster and a two-door sedan, to a tow truck and a livestock carrier). Ford T was as simple as possible and, as a result, very reliable. There was a joke going around the country about how a certain owner of this car repaired his junky miracle by buying various junk from a junk dealer. By the way, Ford perfectly understood how important it was to provide consumers with spare parts and paid a lot of attention to this issue, which once again had a positive effect on the popularity of the T model. "Tin Lizzie" was produced until 1927.

In addition to the legendary “T,” other models rolled off the assembly lines, many of which served as objects of imitation for other companies. So it was Ford cars that formed the basis of the products that he began to produce GAS.

The Second World War brought with it military orders. The production of civilian cars was stopped, all production facilities were used to produce military equipment, including tanks and aircraft. Henry Ford was not considered a trustworthy citizen, having earned many unflattering characteristics. He openly expressed his pro-Nazi views, was a staunch anti-Semite and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. However, he was also the owner of the largest factories in the country, so the military turned a blind eye to his past. However, in 1946, Ford would still be presented with prestigious awards for services to industry and the country. This happened just before the death of the founder Ford Motor Company, which overtook him in 1947, after which management of the company passed into the hands of Henry Ford II, the grandson of Henry Ford.

Ford's passing did not in any way affect the development of the company. It continued to develop at an accelerated pace, becoming truly respected and even legendary. One after another, models appear that in the very first years of release become very popular, real bestsellers, experiencing reincarnations, one after another (a classic example is Mustang). For many Americans (and not only for them) Ford has become synonymous with the concept of “great car.”

1964 Ford Thunderbird (image from here)

Headquarters Ford Motor Company located near Detroit, in Dearborn, Michigan, USA (Dearborn, Michigan, USA). The company is one of the world's three largest car manufacturers. Available the widest range products - cars different sizes, appointments and costs. Much attention is paid to various types racing. The company's representative offices and factories are scattered around the world.

Brands

In 1958 Ford Motor Company produced cars under the brand Edsel. This was an attempt to offer the buyer a prestigious, but fairly affordable car. The attempt was extremely unsuccessful - in 1960 production Edsel, which enjoyed extremely little demand, was curtailed. Ford lost millions of dollars on this, and Edsel became synonymous with failure for him.

In 1986 it was acquired English mark Aston Martin-Lagonda . The purchase was not very successful and in 2007 they got rid of it by selling it to a consortium of investors led by the company Prodrive.

The purchase in 1990 was also unsuccessful. Jaguar and in 2000 Land Rover. They went to the Indian Tata Motors in 2008.

Things didn't go too well in the case of Volvo Cars , acquired in 1999 and sold in 2010 to the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

From a brand founded in 1939 Mercury, under which mid-price cars were produced, it was also decided to abandon it. The brand ceased to exist in 2010.

The brand existed for several years Merkur- from 1985 to 1989. It was sold mainly in the USA and Canada, although several models did reach Europe.

But with the brand Lincoln what belongs Ford Motor Company since 1922, so far so good. They are still producing under it luxury cars"not for all".

Ford Bronco (prototype)

Interesting Facts

Although the company had a logo from the very first days of its founding, its installation on cars became mandatory only in 1976. Before this, it was already clear to everyone that this Ford. In a market crowded with cars, this has become less obvious.

It is easier to pull than to push - this ancient truth was well understood by many owners of the Ford T. The fact is that the car’s engine was quite weak and had difficulty overcoming too steep inclines. In such cases, we had to turn around and drive in backwards.

Yes, there were the most various modifications Ford body T. However, all the produced models had one thing in common - they were all black. On a whim, Henry Ford believed that “a car could be any color as long as it was black.” For this reason, the Model T was often compared to an old maid in a black dress and bonnet.