Ford of Britain

Ford of Britain (officially Ford Motor Company Limited) [note 1] is a British wholly possessed subsidiary of Ford of Europe, [ citation needed ] itself a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business began in one thousand nine hundred nine and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex. [Two] It adopted the name of Ford of Britain in 1960. [Trio]

Ford of Britain operates three major manufacturing sites in the UK, in Bridgend (petrol engine production), Dagenham (diesel engine production) and Halewood (transmissions). [1] It also operates a large research and development facility in Dunton, Essex, which employs over Trio,000 engineers. [1] [Four]

Ford has been the UK’s biggest-selling car and commercial vehicle brand for thirty four and forty five consecutive years respectively. [Five]

Contents

1903–1918 Edit

The very first Ford cars, three Model As, were imported into the UK in one thousand nine hundred three and the very first dealership in Southampton opened in 1910. [6] In one thousand nine hundred nine [ citation needed ] the Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was established under the chairmanship of Percival Perry [7] opening an office at fifty five Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on eight March 1911. [8]

Trafford Park Edit

An assembly plant in an old Tram factory in Trafford Park, Manchester, was opened in one thousand nine hundred eleven employing sixty people to make the Model T and the company was re-registered as Henry Ford & Son, Ltd. [ citation needed ] This was the very first Ford factory outside North America. At very first the cars were assembled from imported chassis and mechanical parts with bods sourced locally. Six thousand cars were produced in one thousand nine hundred thirteen and the Model T became the country’s fattest selling car with 30% of the market. In one thousand nine hundred fourteen Britain’s very first moving assembly line for car production embarked with twenty one cars an hour being built. After the Very first World War, the Trafford Park plant was extended, and in 1919, 41% of British registered cars were Fords.

Cork Edit

In 1917, a plant opened in Cork, Ireland, originally for tractor manufacture, but from one thousand nine hundred twenty one cars were built as well. This factory was the very first to be purpose built by Ford in Europe. The company of Henry Ford and Son Limited–Fordson– was officially incorporated on seventeen April 1917, beginning its life on the site of an old Cork racecourse. Its very first registered office was at thirty six South Mall, Cork.

1918–1939 Edit

Dagenham Edit

Albeit the Manchester plant was served by the Manchester Ship Ass-pipe, Ford determined that access to a deep water port was required and in one thousand nine hundred twenty three a fresh site was chosen by the Sea Thames at Dagenham, east of London.

1928 Ford Motor Company Limited, 60% possessed by Dearborn Edit

All Europe and the Middle East but not the USSR Edit

In December one thousand nine hundred twenty eight Ford (since one thousand nine hundred twenty four entirely possessed by Henry Ford, his wifey and their son Edsel) announced in London that it had formed a fresh company, Ford Motor Company Limited, [9] with three US directors [note Two] and four English directors [note Trio] – including chairman Tormentor Percy Perry – with a capital of £7 million. This company had acquired all Ford’s European and Middle Eastern business [note Four] in exchange for 60% of its capital. The balance of 40% of the capital of the fresh Ford Motor Company Limited, Two.8 million shares of £1 each, was now available for public subscription. These shares were strongly over-subscribed. There was considerable investing interest from America as US investors had had no previous chance of investing in a Henry Ford business.

The fresh chairman, Master Percival Perry (1878-1956), had been, and now was again, central to the development of Ford in Europe. Perry’s association with Henry Ford dated from one thousand nine hundred five when Perry became a shareholder of Ford’s very first British agency but the very very first link inbetween them was earlier, in 1903. The two studs very first met in one thousand nine hundred six in Detroit. From Britain Perry envisioned Ford making vehicles outside USA and selling them across the British Empire and Europe. He raced the company’s cars, organized a chain of sensational dealers and superintended the Trafford Park assembly plant. In one thousand nine hundred nineteen Henry Ford chose to run operations from Detroit, Perry was determined to run all European business himself. Perry resigned in May 1919. [Ten]

His American managers having failed him Henry Ford suggested Perry the chairmanship of this fresh Ford Motor Company Limited in 1928.

At the very first meeting of shareholders in London on six March one thousand nine hundred twenty nine [11] Perry reported “during the very first three months of our very first year we and our associated companies in Europe have delivered upwards of 50,000 Model ‘A’ vehicles into the forearms of pleased owners. The improved Fordson tractor is not yet in production but it is hoped to produce the very first tractors downright manufactured at our Cork works within the next month.”

Europe’s largest car plant Edit

The largest neon sign in Europe

Construction embarked at Dagenham in 1929, and in October 1931, Britain’s and Europe’s largest car plant opened producing the Model AA truck and Model A car. This was at the height of the Depression and the Model A was too expensive to tax and run in Britain and very few were sold, only five in the very first three months. A smaller car was urgently needed and this came in one thousand nine hundred thirty two with the nine hundred thirty three cc Model Y, [12] a car much more suited to the market and becoming in one thousand nine hundred thirty five Britain’s very first £100 car(presently adjusted by inflation £ 6260, adjusted by using average earnings for 2012: £16,300.00 [13] ). This was Ford’s very first car specifically designed for sale outside North America. Inbetween one thousand nine hundred thirty two and one thousand nine hundred thirty seven over 157,000 were made at Dagenham and Cork and at its peak it captured 41% of its market sector.

In 1938, Ford’s Cork factory hit an significant milestone, producing its 25,000th vehicle since becoming an assembly plant in 1932. In all, 73,000 cars, trucks and tractors had been built at Cork up to that time.

The associated companies Edit

The original one thousand nine hundred twenty eight plan was for Canada, having the benefit of imperial-preference tariffs, to manufacture components for Ford assembly plants in the British Empire. Dagenham was to do, and did, the same for assembly plants in Europe but in 1932, mired in the financial depression, both France and Germany announced their intention to impose mighty fresh tariffs on imported components. In France urgent arrangements were made with Mathis for their plant to be leased by a joint-venture to be known as Matford and loyal to the utter manufacture of Ford or Matford products. In Germany . . . ?

More capital was required. There were consequential exchanges in shareholdings inbetween Dagenham and Dearborn and other shareholders.

Independence Edit

As an indication of the British and Irish company’s sense of independence, in one thousand nine hundred thirty eight Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson came to ‘a handshake agreement’ whereby Ford would manufacture tractors designed by Ferguson using the Ferguson System. Production commenced in USA in June one thousand nine hundred thirty nine and the product was outstandingly successful but Henry Ford was incapable to persuade Ford Motor Company Limited to manufacture the Ford-Ferguson however they did merchandise the US made tractors. In one thousand nine hundred forty five Ferguson arranged production with Standard Motor Company. Harry Ferguson sued US Ford for illegal use of his patents asking for compensation of £90 million, [14] [15] lodged out of court in 1952. [16] Charles E. Sorensen’s autobiography—he was a director of this company—described Ferguson so unfavourably his UK publishers were obliged to scrap all copies and pay costs and Sorensen made a public apology. [17]

World War II Edit

During the 2nd World War, the Dagenham plant turned out 360,000 vehicles and a fresh factory in Trafford Park, Manchester, made 34,000 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.

1945–1967 Edit

After World War II, civilian production resumed and Dagenham made 115,000 vehicles in one thousand nine hundred forty six and factories in Walthamstow in Essex (later London) and Langley in Buckinghamshire (later Berkshire) were acquired. The millionth vehicle made since the Dagenham factory embarked production in October one thousand nine hundred thirty one flipped from the assembly line on twenty seven August 1946, a juices Ford ten saloon. [Legal]

1950 Dearborn buys back Ford Europe Edit

Henry Ford resigned in one thousand nine hundred forty five in favour of grandson Henry Ford II and died in April 1947. Perry, founder-chairman of Ford Motor Company Limited and each of the Ford Group’s European subsidiaries retired in 1948. [Nineteen] In one thousand nine hundred fifty Ford’s controlling interests in the European businesses were sold to Ford Dearborn. [20] In 1953, following the death of its Detroit founder, Briggs Motor Bods, whose parent provided figures to Ford America, was purchased, providing the company more control of its supplies and so acquiring plants at Doncaster, Southampton, Croydon and Romford. By 1953, Ford of Britain directly employed 40,000 people.

1961 Dearborn buys out 46% possessed by British shareholders Edit

Until one thousand nine hundred sixty Ford Motor Company Limited remained a publicly quoted company, its shares loosely listed on British exchanges, with more than Ten,000 stockholders. The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn Michigan then held just 54% of its shares. [21] That year, after eighteen months of rumour and denial, the US company suggested to buy out the other shareholders. The suggest was accepted and Ford finished payment for the other 46% of Ford Motor Company Limited at the end of January 1961. [22] Ford of Britain, decently Ford Motor Company Limited, then became a wholly wielded Ford subsidiary. [23]

Halewood, Basildon, Swansea and Cork Edit

In 1962, Ford opened a factory at Halewood near Liverpool to make the Anglia. This ceased to be a Ford plant (albeit remained under Ford ownership) when the last Escort came off the production line in two thousand and was then converted to make the Jaguar X-Type in 2001, and latterly the Land Rover Freelander. Halewood was included in the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors in 2008, albeit Ford retained ownership of its transmission works.

Another fresh factory opened at Basildon in one thousand nine hundred sixty four to make tractors, and in 1965, a further plant was acquired at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea to make chassis components and axles.

The Cork factory celebrated the fifty year anniversary in 1967. As part of that landmark event, a £2 million investment program was announced to re-build, re-equip and modernise the assembly plant. As a result, the plant was to become the largest and most modern factory of its kind in Ireland. In the same year Ford of Europe was formed with Henry Ford and Son Limited. It was as an significant partnership from the commence. Another £2 million was spent on assembly facilities and operations to ensure that Cork production equalled the highest European standards of quality. By 1977, the total area of the plant was well over 450,000 square feet.

The rationalisation plan put in place meant that in 1972, the Cork plant became a two-car plant that was producing the two best selling cars in Ireland: the Escort and Cortina. Inbetween them, these two models were accounting for 75% of Ford sales in Ireland at the time. The Irish company was also exporting around Four,000 cars (mostly Escorts) to Britain. The Cork plant closed in 1985.

Ford sewing machinists strike of one thousand nine hundred sixty eight Edit

The Ford sewing machinists strike of one thousand nine hundred sixty eight was a landmark labour-relations dispute in the United Kingdom. The strike began on seven June 1968, when women sewing machinists at Dagenham plant walked out and were later followed by the machinists at Halewood Figure & Assembly plant. The women were responsible for car seat covers and their strike eventually led to a accomplish halt to all car production. The Dagenham sewing machinists walked out when, as part of a regrading exercise, they were informed that their jobs were graded in Category B (less skilled production jobs), instead of Category C (more skilled production jobs), and that they would be paid 15% less than the utter B rate received by fellows.

The strike ended three weeks after it began following the intervention of Barbara Castle, the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity. The deal brokered instantaneously enlargened their rate of pay to 8% below that of studs, rising to the total category B rate the following year.

Commercial vehicles Edit

Ford produced a range of commercial vehicles embarking with the Model TT in 1917. From one thousand nine hundred thirty three to one thousand nine hundred thirty nine these were badged Fordson, this switched to Fordson Thames until one thousand nine hundred fifty seven after which it became plain Thames until 1965. From one thousand nine hundred sixty five they reverted to Ford. After the closure of the Trafford Park factory most of the larger commercials were built at Langley. The truck operation was sold to the Iveco group of Italy in one thousand nine hundred eighty six and became Iveco Ford (48% possessed by Ford). The Langley plant closed in 1997.

2013 end of more than one hundred year production scheme Edit

At midday on Wednesday, twenty six July two thousand thirteen Ford ended more than one hundred years of vehicle manufacturing in the UK, with end of assembling Transit vans, by moving production of the next generation Transit to the Ford Otosan plant in Turkey. Ford Southampton plant built twenty eight thousand vans, hardly a 1/Trio of its two thousand seven production, with having in the oldest part of the line, a wheel and tyre machine, that dates from thirty years ago.

Chairmen Edit

• Percival Perry 1928-1948 also Managing Director 1928-1948
• Roland Kitson 1948-1956
• Patrick Hennessy 1956-1968 also Managing Director 1948-1968

Ford of Europe was created in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven by the merging of the businesses of Ford Motor Company Limited and Ford-Werke GmbH.

Passenger cars Edit

• Ford Model T (1913–1927)
• Ford Model A (1928–1931)
• Ford Model B (1932–1935)
• Ford Model Y (1932–1937)
• Ford 7Y (1937–1939)
• Ford V8 (1932–1939)
• Ford Model C Ten (1935–1937)
• Ford 7W (1937–1938)
• Ford Anglia (1939–1967)
• Ford Prefect (1939–1961)
• Ford V8 Pilot (1947–1951)
• Ford Consul (1950–1962)
• Ford Zephyr (1951–1972)
• Ford Zodiac (1954–1972)
• Ford Popular (1953–1962)
• Ford Escort/Squire (1955–1961)
• Ford Consul Classic (1961–1963)
• Ford Consul Capri (1961–1964)
• Ford Cortina (1962–1982)
• Ford Corsair (1963–1970)
• Ford Escort (1968–2000)
• Ford Capri (1969–1986)
• Ford Granada (1972–1994)
• Ford Fiesta (1976–present)
• Ford Concentrate (1998–present)
• Ford Sierra (1982–1994)
• Ford Mondeo (1992-Present)
• Ford Puma (1997-2002)

Commercial vehicles Edit

Note – cwt is the abbreviation of hundredweight (112 pounds or 1/20 ton)

Supercars Edit

• Ford GT40 (1966–1968)
• Ford GT70 (1970-1973)
• Ford GT90 (1995-)
• Ford GT (2003–2007,2016-)

1. ^ ab The Ford ‘companies’ or corporate entities referred to in this article are:
2. Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan, USA, incorporated sixteen June 1903
3. Ford Motor Company Limited, incorporated seven December 1928. Current (May 2010) registered office at Eagle Way, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3BW, manufacturer and seller of motor vehicles and parts
4. Ford Motor Company (England) Limited, incorporated in 1909, [citation needed] purchased by Ford Motor Company Limited December 1928
5. Henry Ford and Son, Dearborn, Michigan, November 1915, incorporated eight October 1917
6. Henry Ford and Son Limited, Cork incorporated seventeen April 1917, purchased by Ford Motor Company Limited December 1928

Holding company for Ford’s European and Egyptian businesses and in addition Lincoln Cars Limited, London, and Henry Ford and Son, Cork:

• Société d’Investissements Ford, Luxembourg, was liquidated during one thousand nine hundred thirty nine and its assets transferred to:
• Ford Investment Company Limited, Guernsey, Channel Islands
7. ^ Three directors from the USA, Henry Ford, Edsel Bryant Ford, Charles Emil Sorensen all of Detroit
8. ^ In addition to Master Percy Perry: R D Kitson also director of Bank of England, J T Davies also director of Suez Ass-pipe Company and Lord Illingworth also director of National Provincial Bank all of London.

All directors are active members of the Liberal Party. Kitson (Airedale) and Illingworth are members of Yorkshire industrial dynasties.

It will also acquire through holding their share capitals:

• Automobiles Ford S.A., Paris
• Ford Motor Company A/S, Copenhagen
• Ford Motor Company S.A.E., Barcelona
• Ford Motor Company of Belgium S.A., Antwerp
• Ford Motor Company d’Italia S.A., Trieste
• N.V. Ford Motor Company of Holland, Rotterdam
• Ford Motor Company A.B., Stockholm
• Ford Motor Company A.G., Berlin
• Ford Motor Company of Finland O/Y, Helsingfors
• Ford Motor Company Pen Island 2015

The fresh company will suggest 40% of the share capital of all the Continental companies to the public in their respective countries. The Company will also acquire the foot and sensational rights . . . Ford products in the following parts of the world:

• United Kingdom and Ireland the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
• The continent of Europe (excluding USSR)
• Asia Minor, Iraq, Persia, Afghanistan, Egypt and certain other parts of Africa

and the benefit of all the patents inventions, drawings, designs . . . . . wielded by the Ford Motor Company of America and Mr Henry Ford

1. ^ abc“Ford in Britain”. Ford of Britain . Retrieved eleven May two thousand eleven .
2. ^http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/ca6ce15527c0a5120b8613d3117735ae/compdetails
3. ^ Ford Display Advertising The Times, Saturday, Jul 23, 1960; pg. Five; Issue 54831; col A
4. ^“Forty years of Ford at Dunton”. Big black cock Essex. October two thousand seven . Retrieved eleven May two thousand eleven .
5. ^“Ford remains strong in Europe despite challenging market conditions in 2010”. Ford Motor Company . Retrieved eleven May two thousand eleven .
6. ^“Hendy’s century in cars”. Portsmouth News. November ten 2010. Retrieved April six 2017
7. ^“independent portal site about Ford in Europe”. FordEurope.net . Retrieved 2010-12-10 .
8. ^“Privacy Policy”. Ford.co.uk . Retrieved 2011-09-23 .
9. ^ FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED. (Incorporated under the Companies Acts, one thousand nine hundred eight to 1917.) The Times, Tuesday, Dec 11, 1928; pg. 24; Issue 45073
10. ^Richard Davenport-Hines, ‘Perry, Percival Lee Dewhurst, Baron Perry (1878–1956)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
11. ^ Ford Motor Company. Large Deliveries Of Model “A” Cars. (Business and Finance) The Times Thursday, Mar 07, 1929; pg. 24; Issue 45145
12. ^ The Fresh Puny Ford Car. Coming Exhibition At Albert Hall The Times, Saturday, Jan 30, 1932; pg. 7; Issue 46044
13. ^http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/result.php?use%5B%5D=CPI&use%5B%5D=NOMINALEARN&year_early=1935&pound71=100&shilling71=&pence71=&amount=100&year_source=1935&year_result=2013
14. ^ Claim Against Ford Company The Times, Thursday, Oct 06, 1949; pg. Two; Issue 51505
15. ^ Tractor Inventor’s £90M. Claim. Allegations Against Ford Company The Times, Tuesday, Mar 27, 1951; pg. Trio; Issue 51959
16. ^ Settlement In Suit Against Ford Company £3M. Award To Fergusons The Times, Thursday, Apr Ten, 1952; pg. 6; Issue 52283
17. ^ Queen’s Bench Division. Inventor’s Libel Activity Lodged Publishers And Author Apologize The Times, Friday, Jul Legal, 1958; pg. 13; Issue 54206
18. ^ The Millionth British Ford. Mr. Wilmot On Dagenham Production The Times, Wednesday, Aug 28, 1946; pg. 7; Issue 50541
19. ^ Obituary: Lord Perry. The Ford Interests In Europe The Times, Tuesday, Jun Nineteen, 1956; pg. 13; Issue 53561
20. ^ Ford’s Fresh Preference Shares The Times, Saturday, Dec Ten, 1949; pg. 8; Issue 51561
21. ^ Formal Ford Suggest Sent To Shareholders. Modified Views About Future Prospects (Business and Finance) By Our City Editor. The Times Tuesday, Dec 13, 1960; pg. 17; Issue 54953
22. ^ Dealing With The Inflow Of £120M. Ford Money (Business and Finance) The Times Tuesday, Jan 24, 1961; pg. 15; Issue 54987
23. ^ “American Parentage”. Autocar. One hundred twenty eight (nbr 3766): 64. Eighteen April 1968.

The Story of Ford – The fifth largest automaker in the world and manufacturer of some of the best-selling cars of all time

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