“Ford” redirects here. For the 38th President of the United States see Gerald Ford. Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (July 14 1913 December 26 2006 was the thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 and the fortieth Vice President For other uses, see Ford (disambiguation).

Ford
Type	Public (NYSE: F)
Founded	June 17, 1903
Founder	Henry Ford
Headquarters	Dearborn, Michigan, USA
Area served	worldwide
Key people	Henry Ford, Founder William Clay Ford, Jr, Executive Chairman Alan Mulally, President and CEO
Industry	Automotive
Products	mainstream/performance vehicles, Automotive parts,
Services	Automotive financing and services
Revenue	▲ US$173. A public company usually refers to a company that is permitted to offer its registered securities ( Stock, bonds, etc The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE) is a Stock exchange based in New York City. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Henry Ford ( July 30, 1863 &ndash April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of Dearborn is a city in the US state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Henry Ford ( July 30, 1863 &ndash April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of The name Bill Ford might also refer to the former baseball player Corporate titles are titles conferred on individuals as a means of identifying their function in the Organization. Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American Engineer and Businessman. President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need A service is the non-material equivalent of a good. A service provision is an economic activity that does not result in Ownership, and this is what differentiates In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 9 billion (2007)[1]
Operating income	▲ US$126 million (2007)[1]
Net income	▼ US$2. In financial and business Accounting, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT is a measure of a firm's profitability that excludes interest and income tax expenses Net income is equal to the Income that a firm has after subtracting costs and Expenses from the total Revenue. 665 billion (2007)[1]
Employees	245,000 (2007)[1]
Divisions	Ford Credit Ford division Lincoln Mercury Premier Automotive Group
Subsidiaries	Automotive Components Holdings Volvo (cars only)
Website	www.ford.com

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and the world's third largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A division of a business entity is a portion of that business that operates under a different name Ford Motor Credit Company is the Financial services arm of Ford Motor Company, and is headquartered in Dearborn Michigan. The following is a list of vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company under the Ford marque Lincoln is an American Luxury car manufacturer operated under the Ford Motor Company. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury The Premier Automotive Group (PAG is a group within the Ford Motor Company that oversees the Business operations of Volvo. A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity Automotive Components Holdings LLC (ACH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, formed by the 2005 transfer of 17 Automotive components factories and Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish premium Automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Multinational corporation ( MNC) or transnational corporation ( TNC) is a Corporation or enterprise that manages Production or delivers The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. Dearborn is a city in the US state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest Henry Ford ( July 30, 1863 &ndash April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of Ford's overseas business encompasses only one truly global brand (Volvo of Sweden) other than the Ford brand itself, but it also owns a one-third controlling interest in Mazda of Japan and a small holding in former subsidiary Aston Martin of England. Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish premium Automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Controlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting Stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Its former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008, both companies having been through many changes of ownership in the recent past. Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Land Rover is an all-terrain vehicle and Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV manufacturer based in Solihull, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Tata Motors Limited', formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Lincoln and Mercury are also Ford's aspirational brands in the USA, but not in the rest of the world. Lincoln is an American Luxury car manufacturer operated under the Ford Motor Company. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Ford also sold the brand names of Daimler (excluding certain rights sold to Germany's Daimler AG), Lanchester, and Rover to Tata Motors of India.

In 2007, Ford became the third-ranked automaker in US sales after General Motors and Toyota, falling from the second-ranked automaker slot for the first time in the previous 56 years. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. Ford was also the overall seventh-ranked American-based company in the 2007 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2006 of $160. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 500 companies The list is copyrighted by Fortune which makes money by selling the content 1 billion. ^[2] In 2007, Ford revenues increased to $173. 9 billion, while producing 6. 553 million automobiles and employing about 245,000 employees at around 100 plants and facilities worldwide. ^[1] Also in 2007, Ford received more initial quality survey awards from J. D. Power and Associates than any other automaker, with five vehicles ranking at the top of their categories,^[3] and fourteen vehicles ranked in the top three. JD Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. ^[4]

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce, using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. An assembly line is a Manufacturing process in which parts (usually Interchangeable parts) are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Henry Ford ( July 30, 1863 &ndash April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of Fordism, named after Henry Ford, refers to various social theories.

Contents 1 History 2 Corporate governance 3 Recent company developments 3.1 "The Way Forward" 3.2 Online 4 Brands and marques 5 Global markets 5.1 Europe 5.2 Asia Pacific 5.3 South America 5.4 Africa and Middle East 6 Environmental Record 6.1 Record of Ford's environmental decisions 6.2 Alternative fuel vehicles and hybrids 7 Auto racing 7.1 NASCAR 7.2 Formula One 7.3 Rally 7.4 Sports cars 7.5 Touring cars 7.6 Other 8 Ford trucks 9 Bus products 10 Ford Tractors 11 Criticism 11.1 Alleged Nazi collaboration 11.2 Argentine "Dirty War" 11.3 The Ford Pinto Memo 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References and further reading 14.1 Ford Motor Company 15 External links

History

Main article: History of Ford Motor Company

Ford was launched in a converted factory in 1903 with $28,000 in cash from twelve investors, most notably John and Horace Dodge (who would later found the their own car company). This article is about the History of the Ford Motor Company. For more general information about the company see Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is John Francis Dodge ( October 25, 1864 - January 14, 1920) was an American Automobile manufacturing pioneer and co-founder Horace Elgin Dodge ( May 17, 1868 — December 10, 1920) was an American automobile manufacturing pioneer and co-founder of Dodge Dodge is a United States -based brand of Automobiles Sport utility vehicles and Trucks manufactured and marketed by Chrysler LLC During its early years, the company produced just a few cars a day at its factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Groups of two or three men worked on each car from components made to order by other companies. Henry Ford was 40 years old when he founded the Ford Motor Company, which would go on to become one of the world's largest and most profitable companies, as well as being one to survive the Great Depression. As one of the largest family-controlled companies in the world, the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100 years.

In 2005, Ford Motor Company was among 53 entities that contributed the maximum of $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Corporate governance

Members of the board as of early 2007 are: Chief Sir John Bond, Richard Manoogian, Stephen Butler, Ellen Marram, Kimberly Casiano, Alan Mulally (President and CEO), Edsel Ford II, Homer Neal, William Clay Ford Jr. Richard A Manoogian (born 1936 in Detroit Michigan) is an American businessman Kimberly Casiano is a Puerto Rican businesswoman She is President and Chief Operating Officer of Casiano Communications &mdash the largest Hispanic publisher of Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American Engineer and Businessman. , Jorma Ollila, Irvine Hockaday Jr. Jorma Jaakko Ollila (born in Seinäjoki, Finland, on August 15, 1950) is the Chairman (1992–) and former CEO of , John L. Thornton and William Clay Ford (Director Emeritus). John L Thornton is Professor and Director of Global Leadership at Tsinghua University in Beijing. ^[8]

The main corporate officers are: Lewis Booth (Executive Vice President, Chairman (PAG) and Ford of Europe), Mark Fields (Executive Vice President, President of The Americas), Donat Leclair (Executive Vice President and CFO), Mark A. Lewis Booth ( November 7, 1948) is executive vice president for Ford Motor Company responsible for Ford of Europe, Volvo Car Corporation The Premier Automotive Group (PAG is a group within the Ford Motor Company that oversees the Business operations of Volvo. Mark Fields is Executive Vice President Ford Motor Company President The Americas and an executive of the Ford Motor Company. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Donat Leclair (born 1951 or 1952 is currently the Chief financial officer and executive vice president of Ford Motor Company. Schulz (Executive Vice President, President of International Operations) and Michael E. Bannister (Group Vice President; Chairman & CEO Ford Motor Credit). ^[8] Paul Mascarenas (Vice President of Engineering, The Americas Product Development)

Recent company developments

During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford Motor Credit Company is the Financial services arm of Ford Motor Company, and is headquartered in Dearborn Michigan. ^[9]

By 2005, corporate bond rating agencies had downgraded the bonds of both Ford and GM to junk status ^[10], citing high U. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. S. health care costs for an aging workforce, soaring gasoline prices, eroding market share, and dependence on declining SUV sales for revenues. Profit margins decreased on large vehicles due to increased "incentives" (in the form of rebates or low interest financing) to offset declining demand. ^[11]

In the face of falling truck and SUV sales, Ford moved to introduce a range of new vehicles, including "Crossover SUVs" built on unibody car platforms, rather than body-on-frame truck chassis. A Crossover &mdash variously called XUV or CUV, for crossover utility vehicle &mdash is a marketing term for a vehicle that derives from a car while borrowing Monocoque, from the French for single ( mono) and shell ( coque) is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external Ford also developed alternative fuel and high efficiency vehicles, such as the Escape Hybrid. The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. ^[12]. Ford announced that it will team up with Southern California Edison (SCE) to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp the largest subsidiary of Edison International ( is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle ( PHEV) is a Hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be recharged by connecting a plug to an Electric power Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid. The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer settings," according to Ford. ^[13][14]

In December 2006, the company raised its borrowing capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as collateral to secure the line of credit ^[15]. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that "bankruptcy is not an option" ^[16]. In order to control its skyrocketing labor costs (the most expensive in the world), the company and the United Auto Workers, representing approximately 46,000 hourly workers in North America, agreed to a historic contract settlement in November of 2007 giving the company a substantial break in terms of its ongoing retiree health care costs and other economic issues. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America International The agreement includes the establishment of a company-funded, independently-run Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (more commonly known as a VEBA) trust to shift the burden of retiree health care off of the company's books, thereby improving its balance sheet. IRS Definition A voluntary employees' beneficiary association (VEBA under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c(9 is an organization organized to pay life sick However, this arrangement will not begin to take effect until January 1, 2010. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. The agreement also gives hourly workers the job security they were seeking by having the company commit to substantial investments in most of its factories.

The automaker reported the largest annual loss in company history in 2006 of $12. 7 billion, ^[17] and estimated that it would not return to profitability until 2009. ^[18] However, Ford surprised Wall Street in the second quarter of 2007 by posting a $750 million profit. Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. Despite the gains, the company finished the year with a $2. 7 billion loss, largely attributed to finance restructuring at Volvo. Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish premium Automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden ^[19]

In March 2008, Ford announced that it has reached agreement to sell its Jaguar and Land Rover operations to Tata Motors for $2. Tata Motors Limited', formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai 3 billion. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2008. ^[20] It is understood that Ford Motor Company Ltd. will not retain any shareholding in either the Jaguar or Land-Rover companies, unlike Aston Martin where on its sale a small shareholding was retained; when the total sum to be paid in cash by Tata Motors of approximately US$2. 3 billion, Ford will then contribute up to US $600 million to the Jaguar Land Rover pension plans.

In January of 2008, Ford launched a website listing the 10 Built Ford Tough Rules as well as a series of webisodes that parodies the show COPS (TV Series).

"The Way Forward"

Main article: The Way Forward

In the latter half of 2005, Chairman Bill Ford asked newly-appointed Ford Americas Division President Mark Fields to develop a plan to return the company to profitability. Ford Motor Company 's restructuring plan made public in 2006 is known as The Way Forward. Mark Fields is Executive Vice President Ford Motor Company President The Americas and an executive of the Ford Motor Company. Fields previewed the Plan, dubbed The Way Forward, at the December 7, 2005 board meeting of the company; and it was unveiled to the public on January 23, 2006. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "The Way Forward" includes resizing the company to match current market realities, dropping some unprofitable and inefficient models, consolidating production lines, and shutting fourteen factories and cutting 30,000 jobs. ^[21].

These cutbacks are consistent with Ford's roughly 25% decline in U. S. automotive market share since the mid-late 1990s. Ford's target is to become profitable again in 2009, a year later than projected. Ford's realignment also includes the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Hertz Rent-a-Car to a private equity group for $15 billion in cash and debt acquisition. A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity The Hertz Corporation (also known as Hertz Rent A Car or simply Hertz) is the largest general-use Car rental company in the world with 1900 locations In Finance, private equity is an Asset class consisting of equity Securities in operating companies that are not Publicly traded on The sale was completed on December 22, 2005. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A joint venture with Mahindra and Mahindra Limited of India ended with the sale of Ford's 15 percent stake in 2005. A joint venture (often abbreviated JV) is an entity formed between two or more parties to undertake economic activity together India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ford also became President of the company in April 2006, with the retirement of Jim Padilla. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. James "Jim" Padilla is an American Automobile industry executive Five months later, in September, he stepped down as President and CEO, and naming Alan Mulally as his successor. Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American Engineer and Businessman. Bill Ford continues as Executive Chairman, along with an executive operating committee made up of Mulally, Mark Schulz, Lewis Booth, Don Leclair, and Mark Fields. Lewis Booth ( November 7, 1948) is executive vice president for Ford Motor Company responsible for Ford of Europe, Volvo Car Corporation Mark Fields is Executive Vice President Ford Motor Company President The Americas and an executive of the Ford Motor Company.

Online

The domain ford. com attracted at least 11 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com survey. Competecom is a United States Web traffic analysis service that publishes the approximate number of U

Brands and marques

Today, Ford Motor Company manufactures automobiles under several names including Lincoln and Mercury in the United States. Lincoln is an American Luxury car manufacturer operated under the Ford Motor Company. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury In 1958, Ford introduced a new marque, the Edsel, but poor sales led to its discontinuation in 1960. A marque ( French for "brand" ˈmɑrk is a Brand name especially in the Automobile industry The Edsel was a marquee division of Ford Motor Company during the 1958 1959 and 1960 model years Later, in 1985, the Merkur brand was introduced to market Fords from Europe in the United States; it met a similar fate in 1989. Merkur Merkur, the German word for Mercury, was an automobile brand which was briefly marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States and

Ford has major manufacturing operations in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, the People's Republic of China, and several other countries, including South Africa where, following divestment during apartheid, it once again has a wholly owned subsidiary. The Ford Motor Company currently manufactures Automobiles and other components of vehicles in the following factories Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Ford also has a cooperative agreement with Russian automaker GAZ. GAZ (RTSGAZA or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod ( Russia, Nizhny Novgorod) translated as Gorky Automobile Plant (ГАЗ or Го́рьковский автомоби́льный

Since 1989, Ford has acquired Aston Martin (which it sold again on March 12, 2007^[22], but it will retain a $77 million stake in the sports car maker^[23]), and Volvo Cars from Sweden, as well as a controlling share (33. Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, England. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish premium Automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Controlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting Stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders 4%) of Mazda of Japan, with which it operates an American joint venture plant in Flat Rock, Michigan called Auto Alliance. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. A joint venture (often abbreviated JV) is an entity formed between two or more parties to undertake economic activity together AutoAlliance International ( AAI) is a Joint venture automobile assembly firm co-owned by Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation, in which It has spun off its parts division under the name Visteon. Visteon is an Automotive parts company spun off from the Ford Motor Company in 2000.

Ford's FoMoCo parts division sells aftermarket parts under the Motorcraft brand name. Motorcraft is an auto parts Brand of Ford Motor Company. History The Ford Motor Company launched the auto parts division in 1972 to provide

Ford's non-manufacturing operations include organizations such as automotive finance operation Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford Motor Credit Company is the Financial services arm of Ford Motor Company, and is headquartered in Dearborn Michigan. Ford also sponsors numerous events and sports facilities around the nation, most notably Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City and Ford Field in downtown Detroit. This article is about the multipurpose entertainment facility Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. Ford Field is an indoor football Stadium located in Detroit Michigan that is the home of the Detroit Lions of the NFL.

Overall the Ford Motor Company controls the following operational car marques: Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, and Volvo. Lincoln is an American Luxury car manufacturer operated under the Ford Motor Company. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish premium Automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden

Global markets

Initially, Ford models sold outside the U. S. were essentially versions of those sold on the home market, but later on, models specific to Europe were developed and sold. Attempts to globalize the model line have often failed, with Europe's Ford Mondeo selling poorly in the United States, while U. The Ford Mondeo is a Large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world S. models such as the Ford Taurus have fared poorly in Japan and Australia, even when produced in right hand drive. The Ford Taurus is an Automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the Road. The small European model Ka, a hit in its home market, did not catch on in Japan, as it was not available as an automatic. The Ford Ka is a City car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere The Mondeo was dropped by Ford Australia, because the segment of the market in which it competes had been in steady decline, with buyers preferring the larger local model, the Falcon. Ford Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of The Ford Falcon is a Full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960 One recent exception is the European model of the Focus, which has sold strongly on both sides of the Atlantic. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus

From 2003, Toyota outsold Ford Motor worldwide. ^[24] From the second quarter 2006, Toyota has passed Ford as the #2 automaker, by sales, in the United States. ^[25]

The Ford Motor Company is in partnership talks to license hybrid technology from the Toyota Motor Corporation in a deal that could help establish Toyota's system as a standard for the industry. ^[26]

Europe

At first, Ford in Germany and the United Kingdom built different models from one another until the late 1960s, with the Ford Escort and then the Ford Capri being common to both companies. Ford Germany was the German subsidiary of the American Automaker Ford Motor Company, which existed under various names from 1925 Ford Motor Company Limited was the manufacturing and sales arm of the Ford Motor Company for the United Kingdom and originally also Ireland Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three separate Automobile models The Ford Consul Capri coupe produced by Ford of Great Later on, the Ford Taunus and Ford Cortina became identical, produced in left hand drive and right hand drive respectively. Ford Taunus was a range of Family cars sold by Ford in Germany and other countries The Ford Cortina is a mid sized family car built by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982 Right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the Road. Rationalization of model ranges meant that production of many models in the UK switched to elsewhere in Europe, including Belgium and Spain as well as Germany. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Ford Sierra replaced the Taunus and Cortina in 1982, drawing criticism for its radical aerodynamic styling, which was soon given nicknames such as "Jellymould" and "The Salesman's Spaceship. The Ford Sierra is a Large family car built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993 "

Increasingly, Ford Motor Company has looked to Ford of Europe for its "world cars," such as the Mondeo, Focus, and Fiesta, although sales of European-sourced Fords in the U. Ford Europe is the European division of the Ford Motor Company that is based in America. The Ford Fiesta is a Supermini car designed by Ford Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company S. have been disappointing. In Asia, models from Europe are not as competitively priced as Japanese-built rivals, nor are they perceived as reliable. The Focus has been one exception to this, which has become America's best selling compact car since its launch in 2000.

In February 2002, Ford ended car production in the UK. It was the first time in 90 years that Ford cars had not been made in Britain, although production of the Transit van continues at the company's Southampton facility, engines at Bridgend and Dagenham, and transmissions at Halewood. The Ford Transit is a range of Panel vans minibuses and pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. Dagenham is a suburban town in east London, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, situated east of Charing Cross. Halewood is a Civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England. Development of European Ford is broadly split between Dunton in Essex (powertrain, Fiesta/Ka, and commercial vehicles) and Cologne (body, chassis, electrical, Focus, Mondeo) in Germany. Dunton is the name of more than one place In the United Kingdom: Dunton Bedfordshire Dunton Buckinghamshire Ford also produced the Thames range of commercial vehicles, although the use of this brand name was discontinued circa 1965. Thames Trader reg DAP 104Bjpg|thumb|right|1964 Thames Trader recovery vehicle Elsewhere in continental Europe, Ford assembles the Mondeo range in Genk (Belgium), Fiesta in Valencia (Spain) and Cologne (Germany), Ka in Valencia, and Focus in Valencia, Saarlouis (Germany) and Vsevolozhsk (Russia). The Ford Mondeo is a Large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world Genk is a City and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Saarlouis (zaːrˈlʊɪ in German; French: Sarrelouis) is a city in the Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis Vsevolozhsk (Все́воложск is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on Karelian Isthmus 24 km east of St Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Transit production is in Kocaeli (Turkey), Southampton (UK), and Transit Connect in Kocaeli. Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself

Ford also owns a joint-venture production plant in Turkey. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Ford-Otosan, established in the 1970s, manufactures the Transit Connect compact panel van as well as the "Jumbo" and long wheelbase versions of the full-size Transit. This new production facility was set up near Kocaeli in 2002, and its opening marked the end of Transit assembly in Genk. Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself

Another joint venture plant near Setubal in Portugal, set up in collaboration with Volkswagen, formerly assembled the Galaxy people-carrier as well as its sister ships, the VW Sharan and Seat Alhambra. Setúbal (sɨˈtubaɫ or) is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. See also the Ford Galaxie full-size car of the 1950s and 1960s For the Ford Galaxy built in Argentina in the 1990s see Volkswagen Passat. The Volkswagen Sharan is a Large MPV produced by the German Automaker Volkswagen since 1995 With the introduction of the third generation of the Galaxy, Ford has moved the production of the people-carrier to the Genk plant, with Volkswagen taking over sole ownership of the Setubal facility.

Ford Europe has broken new ground with a number of relatively futuristic car launches over the last 50 years.

Its 1959 Anglia two-door saloon was one of the most quirky-looking small family cars in Europe at the time of its launch, but buyers soon became accustomed to its looks and it was hugely popular with British buyers in particular. The Ford Anglia was a British car from Ford in the UK. It was related to the Ford Prefect and the later Ford Popular. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located It was still selling well when replaced by the more practical Escort in 1967. Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models

The third incarnation of the Ford Escort was launched in 1980 and marked the company's move from rear-wheel drive saloons to front-wheel drive hatchbacks in the small family car sector. Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models It also offered levels of style, comfort and refinement which were almost unmatched on comparable cars of this era. It was a huge success all over Europe and it was Britain's most popular car for most of its 10-year production life.

The fourth generation Escort was produced from 1990 until 2000, although its successor - the Focus - had been on sale since 1998. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus On its launch, the Focus was arguably the most dramatic-looking and fine-handling small family cars on sale, and sold in huge volumes right up to the launch of the next generation Focus at the end of 2004.

The 1982 Ford Sierra - replacement for the long-running and massively popular Cortina and Taunus models - was a style-setter at the time of its launch. The Ford Sierra is a Large family car built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993 The Ford Cortina is a mid sized family car built by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982 Ford Taunus was a range of Family cars sold by Ford in Germany and other countries Its ultramodern aerodynamic design was a world away from a boxy, sharp-edged Cortina, and it was massively popular just about everywhere it was sold. A series of updates kept it looking relatively fresh until it was replaced by the front-wheel drive Mondeo at the start of 1993. The Ford Mondeo is a Large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world

The first two incarnations of the Mondeo were well-built, refined and reliable family cars that attracted strong sales, but the third incarnation (launched in 2007) took the large family car market to new heights in terms of build quality, refinement, comfort, equipment, driver appeal and value for money.

The rise in popularity of small cars during the 1970s saw Ford enter the mini-car market in 1976 with its Fiesta hatchback. The Ford Fiesta is a Supermini car designed by Ford Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company Most of its production was concentrated at Valencia in Spain, and the Fiesta sold in huge figures from the very start. Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. An update in 1983 and the launch of an all-new model in 1989 strengthened its position in the small car market. The second generation Fiesta was significantly updated twice before an all-new model was launched in 2002, and over the years it has become more refined, spacious, better-built and more enjoyable to drive.

Asia Pacific

In New Zealand and Australia, the popular Ford Falcon was long considered the average family car and is considerably larger than the Mondeo, Ford's largest car sold in Europe. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Ford Falcon is a Full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960 Between 1960 and 1972, the Falcon was based on a U. S. Ford of that name, but since then has been entirely designed and manufactured locally. Like its General Motors rival, the Holden Commodore, the 4. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. The Holden Commodore is an Automobile manufactured by the Holden division of General Motors (GM in Australia and formerly in New Zealand 0 L Falcon retains rear wheel drive. High performance variants of the Falcon running locally-built engines produce up to 365 hp (272 kW). A ute (short for "utility," known in the US as pickup truck) version is also available with a similar range of drivetrains. The coupé utility combines a two-door " Coupé " cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty Unibody Automobile platform A pickup truck is a light Motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling In addition, Ford Australia sells highly-tuned Falcon sedans and utes through its performance car division, Ford Performance Vehicles. A pickup truck is a light Motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling Ford Performance Vehicles ( FPV) is the Melbourne -based official performance car division of Ford Australia, founded in 2002 These cars produce 390 hp (291 kW) and are built in small numbers to increase their value as collectors' cars.

In Australia, the Commodore and Falcon have traditionally outsold all other cars and comprise over 20% of the new car market. In New Zealand, Ford was second in market share in the first eight months of 2006 with 14. 4 per cent. ^[27] This is all set to change with a shift away from local manufacturing and assembly: 2007 second quarter has seen Ford Australia cut their prestige (LWB) models and more recently, announced closure of their key engine manufacturing. This is due partly to drops in sales with stiff competition from Toyota's new Aurion and an updated Mitsubishi 380, both taking a large piece of the local family sedan market. Ford is betting on growth in small car sales with the Focus which it plans to assemble locally, and the popular Territory (Falcon-based) SUV.

Ford's presence in Asia has traditionally been much smaller. However, with the acquisition of a stake in Japanese manufacturer Mazda in 1979, Ford began selling Mazda's Familia and Capella (also known as the 323 and 626) as the Ford Laser and Telstar. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. The Mazda Familia is a long-running nameplate used by Mazda for their Small family cars manufactured between 1964 and 2003 with 10589052 sold worldwide The Mazda 626 was an Automobile produced by Mazda for the export market The Ford Laser was a compact car sold by Ford in Asia, Oceania, and parts of South America, and Africa. The Ford Telstar was an Automobile sold by the Ford Motor Company in Asia, Australasia and Africa, comparable in size to the The Laser was one of the most successful models sold by Ford in Australia, and outsold the Mazda 323, despite being almost identical to it. The Laser was also built in Mexico and sold in the U. S. as the Mercury Tracer, while the 1991 (and on through the end of the model in the early 2000s) American Ford Escort (and 1991-on Tracer) was based on the Laser/Mazda 323, assembled in the US and Mexico. The Mercury Tracer was a Compact car sold by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company.

Through its relationship with Mazda, Ford also acquired a stake in South Korean manufacturer Kia, which built the (Mazda-based) Ford Festiva from 1988-1993, and the Ford Aspire from 1994-1997 for export to the United States, but later sold their interest to Hyundai. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Kia Motors, a subsidiary of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea 's 2nd largest automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Seoul, First generation (1986-1993 In 1986 the Subcompact Festiva was introduced in Japan and it was introduced to North America and Europe (as the Mazda 121 The Ford Aspire was the second-generation of the Ford Festiva Subcompact car sold by Ford Motor Company in the US and Canada The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea ’s largest and the world’s fifth largest automaker in terms of units Kia continued to market the Aspire as the Kia Avella, later replaced by the Rio and once again sold in the US. Ironically, Hyundai also manufactured the Ford Cortina until the 1980s. Ford also has a joint venture with Lio Ho in Taiwan, which assembled Ford models locally since the 1970s. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia.

Ford came to India in 1998 with its Ford Escort model, which was later replaced by locally produced Ford Ikon in 2001. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models The Ford Ikon is a sedan version of the Ford Fiesta Mark V on the Ford B3 platform. It has since added Fusion, Fiesta, Mondeo and Endeavour to its product line.

South America

In South America, Ford has had to face protectionist government measures in each country, with the result that it built different models in different countries, without particular regard to rationalization or economy of scale inherent to producing and sharing similar vehicles between the nations. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a In many cases, new vehicles in a country were based on those of the other manufacturers it had entered into production agreements with, or whose factories it had acquired. For example, the Corcel and Del Rey in Brazil were originally based on Renault vehicles. The Ford Corcel was a car sold by Ford Motor Company in Brazil, Chile and Venezuela. The Ford Del Rey was a Midsized car produced by the Ford Motor Company in Brazil from 1981 to 1991 This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation.

In 1987, Ford merged its operations in Brazil and Argentina with those of Volkswagen to form a company called Autolatina, with which it shared models. Autolatina was the name of a Joint venture between Volkswagen and Ford in South America. Sales figures and profitability were disappointing, and Autolatina was dissolved in 1995. With the advent of Mercosur, the regional common market, Ford was finally able to rationalize its product line-ups in those countries. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North Consequently, the Ford Fiesta and Ford EcoSport are only built in Brazil, and the Ford Focus only built in Argentina, with each plant exporting in large volumes to the neighboring countries. The Ford Fiesta is a Supermini car designed by Ford Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company The Ford EcoSport is a Compact SUV designed and built in Brazil by Ford. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus Models like the Ford Mondeo from Europe could now be imported completely built up. The Ford Mondeo is a Large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world Ford of Brazil produces a pick-up truck version of the Fiesta, the Courier, which is also produced in South Africa as the Ford Bantam in right hand drive versions. The Ford Courier was the first American compact Pickup truck, sold in North America from 1972-1982 The Ford Bantam is a " bakkie " (pickup truck or "ute" sold by the Ford Motor Company in South Africa. Right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the Road.

Africa and Middle East

In Africa Ford's market presence has traditionally been strongest in South Africa and neighboring countries, with only trucks being sold elsewhere on the continent. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Ford in South Africa began by importing kits from Canada to be assembled at its Port Elizabeth facility. Later Ford sourced its models from the UK and Australia, with local versions of the Ford Cortina including the XR6, with a 3. 0 V6 engine, and a Cortina 'bakkie' or pick-up, which was exported to the UK. In the mid-1980s Ford merged with a rival company, owned by Anglo American, to form the South African Motor Corporation (Samcor). Anglo American PLC () is a world-wide group of companies, originally founded in South Africa as a Mining enterprise but now extending into other areas The South African Motor Corporation known more commonly as Samcor, was a South African car manufacturer created in 1985 through the merger of Ford The South African Motor Corporation known more commonly as Samcor, was a South African car manufacturer created in 1985 through the merger of Ford

Following international condemnation of apartheid, Ford divested from South Africa in 1988, and sold its stake in Samcor, although it licensed the use of its brand name to the company. Samcor began to assemble Mazdas as well, which affected its product line-up, which saw the European Fords like the Escort and Sierra replaced by the Mazda-based Laser and Telstar. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. Telstar was the first active Communications satellite (launched in 1962 and the first Satellite designed to transmit telephone and high-speed data communications Ford bought a 45 per cent stake in Samcor following the demise of apartheid in 1994, and this later became, once again, a wholly owned subsidiary, the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. The South African Motor Corporation known more commonly as Samcor, was a South African car manufacturer created in 1985 through the merger of Ford Ford now sells a local sedan version of the Fiesta (also built in India and Mexico), and the Focus and Mondeo Europe. The Falcon model from Australia was also sold in South Africa, but was dropped in 2003.

Ford's market presence in the Middle East has traditionally been even smaller, partly due to previous Arab boycotts of companies dealing with Israel. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ford and Lincoln vehicles are currently marketed in ten countries in the region. ^[28] Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE are the biggest markets. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Ford also established itself in Egypt in 1926, but faced an uphill battle during the 1950s due to the hostile nationalist business environment ^[29]. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Ford's distributor in Saudi Arabia announced in February 2003 that it had sold 100,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles since commencing sales in November 1986. Half of the Ford/Lincoln vehicles sold in that country were Ford Crown Victorias. The Ford Crown Victoria is the current model name Ford uses for the Rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for ^[30] In 2004, Ford sold 30,000 units in the region, falling far short of General Motors' 88,852 units and Nissan Motors' 75,000 units. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States.

Environmental Record

Record of Ford's environmental decisions

Ford has a mixed record on environmental issues, consisting of both positive and negative reports. In 2003, Ford discarded its goal of improving mileage on sport-utility vehicles by 25 percent by 2005, considering that it would boost mileage of all vehicles instead. However, this plan had neither specific target nor goal. ^[31]

William Clay Ford Jr. , the chairman and chief executive of the Ford Motor Co. , commented in 2002 that a credibility gap on environmental issues has eroded America's love for cars. "During the nearly 25 years I've worked in the industry, the love affair that people have had with automobiles has in some ways grown stale, and some would say it's even dying," Ford said. "If you remember, in California, people used to write songs about T-Birds and Corvettes. Today, they write regulations. " ^[32]

For the 2007 model year, Ford has 13 U. S. models that achieve 30 miles per gallon or better (based on the highway fuel economy estimates of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) and several of Ford’s vehicles were recognized in the EPA and Department of Energy Fuel Economy Guide for best-in-class fuel economy. Also, Ford has eliminated nearly 3 million pounds of smog-forming emissions from our U. S. cars and light trucks over the 2004 to 2006 model years. ^[33]

Alternative fuel vehicles and hybrids

In 2000, under the leadership of the current Ford chairman, William Clay (Bill) Ford, the Company stunned the industry (and pleased environmentalists) with an announcement ^[34] of a planned 25 percent improvement in the average mileage of its light truck fleet — including its popular SUVs — to be completed by the 2005 calendar year. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Claycomo is a village in Clay County, Missouri, United States. A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis According to the Gregorian calendar, the calendar year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31.

On the other hand, Ford ended the Think City experiment and ordered all the cars repossessed and destroyed, even as many of the people leasing them begged to be able to buy the cars from Ford. Think Global is an Electric car company located in Aurskog, Norway, manufacturing cars under the TH!NK brand After outcry from the lessees and activists in the US and Norway, Ford returned the cars to Norway for sale.

In 2003, Ford announced that competitive market conditions and technological and cost challenges would prevent the company from achieving this goal. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2005 fuel economy report ranking Ford cars, trucks and SUVs as having the lowest gas milleage of any automaker in America ^[35]

Ford discontinued a line of electric Ranger pickup trucks and ordered them destroyed, though it reversed in January 2005, after environmentalist protest. ^[36]

Ford did achieve significant progress toward improving fuel efficiency during 2005, with the successful introduction of the Hybrid-Electric Escape. Fuel efficiency, in its basic sense is the same as Thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. The Escape's platform mate Mercury Mariner is also available with the hybrid-electric system in the 2006 model year—a full year ahead of schedule—due to high demand. The Mercury Mariner Compact luxury SUV was introduced in 2005 The similar Mazda Tribute will also receive a hybrid-electric powertrain option, along with many other vehicles in the Ford vehicle line. The Mazda Tribute ( Code J14) is a Crossover (automobile made by Japanese Automaker Mazda since 2001 In 2005, Ford announced its goal to make 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010, but by mid-2006 announced that it would not meet that goal. Other hybrids to come out will be the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrid version in 2008. The Mercury Milan is a Mid-size luxury sedan based on the Ford CD3 platform built by Ford Motor Company and distributed by the There are also plans for a Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX Hybrid. The Edge and MKX are Ford's new crossover SUVs to come out for the 2007 model year.

Ford also continues to study Fuel Cell-powered electric powertrains, and is currently demonstrating hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine technologies, as well as developing the next-generation hybrid-electric systems. A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device It produces electricity from Fuel (on the Anode side and an oxidant (on the The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a To the extent it is successful in increasing the percentage of hybrid vehicles and/or fuel cell vehicles, there will be a significant decrease not only of air pollution emissions but also reduced sound levels, with notable favorable impacts upon respiratory health and decrease of noise health effects. A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device It produces electricity from Fuel (on the Anode side and an oxidant (on the Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Noise health effects are the Health consequences of elevated Sound levels Elevated workplace or other Noise can cause Hearing impairment

While the company's product line increasingly reflects its commitment to ecologically sustainable practices, Ford's record as a manufacturer continues to reveal problematic ones. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have listed it as the seventh-worst corporate producer of air pollution, primarily because of the manganese compounds, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and glycol ethers released from its casting, truck, and assembly plants. The University of Massachusetts (officially nicknamed UMass) is the five-campus public university system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. Glycol ethers are a group of Solvents based on Alkyl Ethers of Ethylene glycol commonly used in Paints These solvents typically have Casting is a manufacturing process by which a liquid material is (usually poured into a mold which ^[37] The United States Environmental Protection Agency has linked Ford to 54 Superfund toxic waste sites, 12 of which have been cleaned up and deleted from the list. Superfund is the common name for the United States environmental policy officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act ^[38]

Bill Ford was one of the first top industry executives to make regular use of an battery electric vehicle, a Ford Ranger EV, while the company contracted with the United States Postal Service to deliver electric postal vans based on the Ranger EV platform. The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. ( Ripuarian: Oche, Dutch: Aken, Spanish: Aquisgrán, Italian: Aquisgrana, French, The battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of Electric vehicle (EV that uses chemical Energy stored in Rechargeable battery The Ford Ranger EV (Electric Vehicle is a Battery electric vehicle produced by Ford Motor Company. The alternative fuel vehicles, such as some versions of the Crown Victoria especially in fleet and taxi service, operate on compressed natural gas—or CNG. The Ford Crown Victoria is the current model name Ford uses for the Rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG is a Fossil fuel substitute for Gasoline (petrol Diesel, or Propane Fuel. Some CNG vehicles have dual fuel tanks - one for gasoline, the other for CNG - the same engine can operate on either fuel via a selector switch. Flexible fuel vehicles are designed to operate smoothly using a wide range of available fuel mixtures—from pure gasoline, to bioethanol-gasoline blends such as E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline). Ethanol fuel is Ethanol (ethyl alcohol the same type of Alcohol found in Alcoholic beverages. E85 is an Alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and Gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC by Part of the challenge of successful marketing alternative and flexible fuel vehicles, is the general lack of establishment of sufficient fueling stations, which would be essential for these vehicles to be attractive to a wide range of consumers. A filling station, fueling station, gas station, service station, petrol station, or gasbar, Retail Outlet Significant efforts to ramp up production and distribution of E85 fuels are underway and expanding. E85 is an Alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and Gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC by ^[39]

Current Ford Flexible Fuel Vehicles:^[40]

• Ford F-150
• Ford Crown Victoria
• Ford Focus / Focus C-MAX / Ford Focus FFV (Flexible-fuel vehicle). For the 1999-present F-250 and higher models see Ford Super Duty. The Ford Crown Victoria is the current model name Ford uses for the Rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for The Ford Focus is a Compact car sold in the North American market The Ford C-Max is a Compact MPV produced by Ford in Saarlouis for the European market since 2003 A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV or dual-fuel vehicle ( Colloquially called a flex-fuel vehicle) is an alternative fuel Automobile or
• Ford Taurus
• Ford Ranger
• Ford Explorer
• Mercury Grand Marquis
• Lincoln Town Car

Ford was third to the automotive market with a hybrid electric vehicle: the Ford Escape Hybrid, which also represented the first hybrid electric SUV to market and started the Ford hybrid technology ^[41]. The Ford Taurus is an Automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Ford Ranger is a name used on two distinct compact Pickup truck lines by the Ford Motor Company and by a marketing arrangement with Mazda See also Ford Explorer Sport Trac for the spinoff pickup truck SUV Crossover version The Ford Explorer is a mid-size Sport utility vehicle The Mercury Grand Marquis is a Full-size Rear-wheel drive sedan sold by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company. The Lincoln Town Car is a Full-size, Rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford's upscale Lincoln brand A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis The Hybrid Escape will also be the first hybrid electric vehicle with a Flexible Fuel capability to run on E85. E85 is an Alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and Gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC by ^[42] The company had made plans to manufacture up to 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010, but has since had to back down on that commitment, due to excessively high costs and the lack of sufficient supplies of the hybrid-electric batteries and drivetrain system components. Instead, Ford has committed to accelerating development of next-generation hybrid-electric power plants in Britain, in collaboration with Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. This engineering study is expected to yield more than 100 new hybrid-electric vehicle models and derivatives.

Ford is also planning to produce 250,000 E85-capable vehicles a year in the US, adding to some 1. 6 million already sold in the last 10 years. ^[43]

Ford also has launched the production of hydrogen-powered shuttle buses, using hydrogen instead of gasoline in a standard internal combustion engine, for use at airports and convention centers. A hydrogen vehicle is a Vehicle that uses Hydrogen as its on-board fuel for motive power A hydrogen vehicle is a Vehicle that uses Hydrogen as its on-board fuel for motive power ^[44] At the 2006 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford showcased a hydrogen fuel cell version of its Explorer SUV. The Los Angeles Auto Show is an annual Auto show that takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. The Fuel cell Explorer has a combined output of 174 hp (130 kW). It has a large hydrogen storage tank which is situated in the center of the car taking the original place of the conventional model’s automatic transmission. The centered position of the tank assists the vehicle reach a notable range of 350 miles (563 km), the farthest for a fuel cell vehicle so far. The fuel cell Explorer the first in a series of prototypes partly funded by the United States Department of Energy to expand efforts to determine the feasibility of hydrogen- powered vehicles. The United States Department of Energy ( DOE) is a Cabinet -level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy The fuel cell Explorer is one of several vehicles with green technology Ford being featured at the L. A. show, including the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, PZEV emissions compliant Fusion and Focus models and a 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty outfitted with Ford's clean diesel technology.

Ford announced on 2007-07-09 that it will team up with Southern California Edison (SCE) to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp the largest subsidiary of Edison International ( is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle ( PHEV) is a Hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be recharged by connecting a plug to an Electric power Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid. The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer settings," according to Ford. ^[13][14]

Current and planned Ford hybrid electric vehicles:

• 2004– Ford Escape Hybrid
• 2006– Mercury Mariner
• 2008– Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan
• 2009– Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX

Auto racing

NASCAR

Ford is one of four manufacturers in NASCAR's three major series: Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Craftsman Truck Series. The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004 is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape SUV developed by the Ford Motor Company. The Mercury Mariner Compact luxury SUV was introduced in 2005 The Mercury Milan is a Mid-size luxury sedan based on the Ford CD3 platform built by Ford Motor Company and distributed by the The Edge is a premium Mid-size Crossover SUV (CUV manufactured by Ford, based on the Ford CD3 platform &mdash and marketed in slightly Lincoln MKX, a premium Mid-size luxury crossover SUV marked by Lincoln, went on sale in December 2006 as a MY 2007 model The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a Stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. Major teams include Roush Fenway Racing and Yates Racing. Roush Fenway Racing (formerly Roush Racing) is a racing team competing in NASCAR racing Yates Racing is a Motorsports racing team that currently races in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford is represented by the mid-size Fusion in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, and by the F-150 in the Craftsman Truck Series. A mid-size car (occasionally referred to as an intermediate) is the North American and Australian term for an Automobile with a size between The North American Ford Fusion (code name CD338) is a Mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year For the 1999-present F-250 and higher models see Ford Super Duty. Some of the most successful NASCAR Fords were the aerodynamic fastback Ford Torino and Mercury Montegos, and the aero-era Ford Thunderbirds. The Ford Torino was an intermediate car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976 The Mercury Montego (presumably derived from Montego Bay, Jamaica) was a Mid-size vehicle in Ford's Mercury line The Thunderbird is an automobile manufactured by Ford in the United States from 1955 through 2005 &mdash through thirteen generations and various The Ford nameplate has won eight manufacturer's championships in Sprint Cup, while Mercury has won one.

Formula One

Ford was heavily involved in Formula One for many years, and supplied engines to a large number of teams from 1967 until 2004. Rubens Gonçalves Barrichello (born May 23 1972 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently driving for Stewart Grand Prix is a former Formula One constructor and racing team These engines were designed and manufactured by Cosworth, the racing division that was owned by Ford from 1998 to 2004. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport Ford-badged engines won 176 Grands Prix between 1967 and 2003 for teams such as Team Lotus and McLaren. 1950s Colin Chapman established Lotus Engineering Ltd in 1952 at Hornsey, UK. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK Ford entered Formula One as a constructor in 2000 under the Jaguar Racing name, after buying the Stewart Grand Prix team which had been its primary 'works' team in the series since 1997. Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position Stewart Grand Prix is a former Formula One constructor and racing team Jaguar achieved little success in Formula One, and after a turbulent five seasons, Ford withdrew from the category after the 2004 season, selling both Jaguar Racing (which became Red Bull Racing) and Cosworth (to Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven). Drivers and constructors The following teams and drivers competed in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship. Red Bull Racing is one of two Formula One teams owned by Austrian Beverage company Red Bull. Gerald (Gerry Forsythe (born in Marshall Illinois) is an American businessman and Auto racing magnate best known for being one of the three men ( Kevin Oscar Newton Kalkoven, former CEO of JDS Uniphase, is an Australian venture capitalist and Auto racing magnate based in Menlo Park California ^[45]

Rally

Main article: BP-Ford World Rally Team

Ford has a long history in rallying and has been active in the World Rally Championship since the beginning of the world championship, the 1973 season. Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship The 1973 World Rally Championship season was the inaugural season for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA World Rally Championship (WRC format Ford took the 1979 manufacturers' title with Hannu Mikkola, Björn Waldegård and Ari Vatanen driving the Ford Escort RS1800. The 1979 World Rally Championship season was the seventh season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA World Rally Championship (WRC Hannu Olavi Mikkola (born 24 May 1942 in Joensuu, Finland) is a retired world champion rally driver Björn Waldegård (born November 12 1943 at Solna) from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver and the winner of the inaugural Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen ( (born April 27, 1952 in Tuupovaara) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the The Ford Escort is a Small family car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 to 2003 In the Group B era, Ford achieved success with Ford RS200. The Group B referred to a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in Sportscar racing and Rally racing regulated by the FIA. The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined Four-wheel drive Sports car produced by Ford from 1984 through 1986 Since the 1999 season, Ford has used various versions of the Ford Focus WRC to much success. World Rally Championship - 1999 Rally Winners Points Events The Ford Focus WRC is a car built for the BP Ford World Rally Team by Malcolm Wilson 's M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus ST production In the 2006 season, BP-Ford World Rally Team secured Ford its second manufacturers' title, with the Focus RS WRC 06 built by M-Sport and driven by Flying Finns Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen. The 2006 World Rally Championship season began on January 20 with the 74th Monte Carlo Rally. The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team which was also known as the BP Ford World Rally Team until mid-2007 and the Ford Motor Co team prior to 2005 is Ford M-Sport is a large and successful motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in England. "The Flying Finn " (Lentävä suomalainen was a nickname given to several Finnish middle and long-distance runners Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm (born February 5 1968 in Kauniainen) is a former Finnish rally driver Mikko Hirvonen (born July 31, 1980) is a Finnish rally driver currently driving for the BP Ford World Rally Team in the World ^[46] Continuing with Grönholm and Hirvonen, Ford successfully defended the manufacturers' world championship in the 2007 season. The 2007 World Rally Championship season was the 35th season in the FIA World Rally Championship. Ford is the only manufacturer to score in the points for 92 consecutive races; since the 2002 season opener Monte Carlo Rally. World Rally Championship - 2002 Rally Winners Points Events The Monte Carlo Rally (officially Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) is a Rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco who also organize ^[47]

Sports cars

Ford sports cars have always been visible in the world of endurance racing. The Ford GT40 was a high performance Sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body though Most notably the GT40 won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in the 1960s and still stands today as one of the all-time greatest racing cars. The Ford GT40 was a high performance Sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body though The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, The GT40 is the only American car to ever win overall at Le Mans.

Ford won the manufacturers title in 2005 in the KONI Challenge Series with the FR500C Mustang race car. The KONI Challenge Series (formerly known as Grand-Am Cup) is a Touring car series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association.

Touring cars

Ford has campaigned touring cars such as the Focus, Falcon, and Contour/Mondeo and the Sierra Cosworth in many different series throughout the years. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus The Ford Falcon is a Full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960 The Ford Contour is a passenger car manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America. The Ford Mondeo is a Large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world The Ford Sierra is a Large family car built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993 Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport Notably, the Mondeo finished 1,2,3 in the British Touring Car Championship in 2000, and the Falcon finished 1,2,3 in the Australian V8 Supercar Series in 2005. The British Touring Car Championship is a Touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. V8 Supercars is a Touring car racing category operated under the regulations of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA

Other

In the Indianapolis 500, Ford powered IndyCars won 17 times between 1965 and 1996. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American Ford has a storied history in the Trans-Am series from the 1970s through today, having won many championships and races with its Ford Mustang. The Trans-Am Series was created in 1966 by the SCCA as the Trans-American Sedan Championship. The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon Ford has also branched out into drifting with the introduction of the new model Mustang. Most noticeable is the Turquoise and Blue Falken Tires Mustang driven by Vaughn Gittin Jr, A. K. A. "JR". with 750 RWHP (Rear Wheel Horsepower). In drag racing, John Force has piloted his Drag Ford Mustang to several NHRA funny-car titles in recent seasons. Drag racing is a competition in which objects compete to be the first to cross a set finish mark usually from a dead stop and in a straight line The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon "NHRA" redirects here For other uses see NHRA (disambiguation. Formula Ford, a formula for single-seater cars without wings and originally on road tires were conceived in 1966 in the UK as an entry-level formula for racing drivers. Formula Ford is a single seater open wheel class in Motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world Many of today's racing drivers started their car racing careers in this category.

Ford trucks

Ford has produced trucks since 1908. Countries where Ford commercial vehicles are or were made include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada (badged Mercury too), France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Philippines, Spain (badged Ebro too), Turkey, UK (badged also Fordson and Thames) and USA. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Ebro was a Spanish brand of light and medium Trucks and Buses as well as All-wheel-drive utility vehicles and Agricultural tractors based mainly The Fordson model F tractor by the Ford Motor Company was the first agricultural Tractor to be mass produced. Thames Trader reg DAP 104Bjpg|thumb|right|1964 Thames Trader recovery vehicle

Most of all these ventures are now extinct. The European one that lasted longer was the lorries arm of Ford of Britain, that was eventually sold to Iveco group in 1986, and whose last significant models were the Transcontinental and the Cargo. Ford Motor Company Limited was the manufacturing and sales arm of the Ford Motor Company for the United Kingdom and originally also Ireland Iveco is an Italian Truck, Bus, and Diesel engine Manufacturer, based in Turin, Italy. The Ford Transcontinental was a heavy goods vehicle tractor and rigid unit manufactured between 1975 and 1983 by Ford of Britain. The European Ford Cargo was originally a lightweight Truck when launched in 1981 by Ford of the

In the USA, Ford's heavy trucks division (Classes 7 and 8) was sold in 1997 to Freightliner, now part of DaimlerChrysler, that rebranded it as Sterling. Freightliner Trucks is a manufacturer of heavy duty Trucks, Chassis and Semi-trailer trucks The company was founded as Freightliner LLC in 1942 and Daimler AG ( (formerly DaimlerChrysler AG) is a German car corporation (not to be confused with the British car-maker Daimler Motor Company) and Sterling Trucks is a manufacturer of heavy duty Trucks Sterling is a subsidiary of Freightliner LLC Portland Oregon. Ford continues building medium class trucks with the F-650 and F-750 and recently introduced the LCF series similar in design to the Ford Cargo trucks of the past. The Ford Cargo is a cab over engine truck model formerly manufactured in USA by Ford, but now made by Freightliner and sold as the Sterling Cargo or the

Bus products

Ford has manufactured buses in the company's early history, but most Ford buses are built on Ford chassis by other manufacturers.

Ford Tractors

The "Henry Ford and Son Company" began making Fordson tractors in Henry's hometown of Springwells (later part of Dearborn, Michigan from 1907 to 1928, from 1919 to 1932, at Cork, Ireland and 1933-1964 at Dagenham, England. The Fordson model F tractor by the Ford Motor Company was the first agricultural Tractor to be mass produced. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Dagenham is a suburban town in east London, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, situated east of Charing Cross. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland They were also produced in Leningrad beginning in 1924. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River

In 1986, Ford expanded its tractor business when it purchased the Sperry-New Holland skid-steer loader and hay baler, hay tools and implement company from Sperry Corporation and formed Ford-New Holland which bought out Versatile tractors in 1988. Sperry Corporation (1910-1986 was a major American equipment and Electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the twentieth century Versatile is a Canadian brand of agricultural equipment that has produced Augers Swathers Combine harvesters and most notably Tractors The company This company was bought by Fiat in 1993 and the name changed from Ford New Holland to New Holland. Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer New Holland is now part of CNH Global. New Holland is a part of Dutch company CNH Global, a part of the Fiat Group CNH Global NV (short for Case-New Holland) is the second largest Manufacturer of Agricultural equipment and the third largest maker of Construction equipment

Criticism

Further information: Firestone and Ford tire controversy, The Battle of the Overpass

Throughout its history, the company has faced a wide range of criticisms. The Firestone and Ford tire controversy was a period of unusually high tire failures on some Ford vehicles resulting in numerous accidents The Battle of the Overpass was an incident on 26 May, 1937, in which labor organizers clashed with Ford Motor Company Security guards The Some have accused the early Fordist model of production of being exploitative, and Ford has been criticized as being willing to collaborate with dictatorships or hire mobs to intimidate union leaders and increase their profits through unethical means. Fordism, named after Henry Ford, refers to various social theories. A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator.

Ford refused to allow collective bargaining until 1941, with the Ford Service Department being set up as an internal security, intimidation, and espionage unit within the company, and quickly gained a reputation of using violence against union organizers and sympathizers. Collective bargaining is the process whereby workers organize together to meet converse and compromise upon the work environment with their employers ^[48][49]

Ford was also criticized for wearing down Firestone tires during driving, which caused many wrecks during a short time period in 2003. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons buggies and other forms of wheeled transportation Many people were injured and killed due to the wearing down of the tires. Although Firestone received most of the blame, some blame fell on Ford, which advised customers to under-inflate the tires. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons buggies and other forms of wheeled transportation

Alleged Nazi collaboration

Further information: Henry Ford

Other accusations were that the company collaborated with the German Nazi regime and relied on Germany. Henry Ford ( July 30, 1863 &ndash April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The German Ford company used slave labor in Cologne between 1941 and 1945 and it had produced military vehicles such as jeeps, planes, and ships used by a fascist regime. Ford Germany was the German subsidiary of the American Automaker Ford Motor Company, which existed under various names from 1925 As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Many of these allegations were made in a series of United States lawsuits in 1998. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The lawsuit was dismissed in 1999 because the judge concluded "the issues. . . concerned international treaties between nations and foreign policy and were thus in the realm of the executive branch. " ^[50][51]

Detractors point to Henry Ford's outspoken anti-semitism, including his newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, which published The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Henry Ford ( July 30, 1863 &ndash April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility The Dearborn Independent, also dubbed The Ford International Weekly, was a newspaper established in 1901 but published by Henry Ford from 1919 The Protocols of the Elders of Zion ( Protocols of the wise men of Zion, Library of Congress 's Uniform Title; "Протоколы They also point to the fact that in 1938, four months after the German annexation of Austria, Ford accepted the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the Nazi regime's highest honor for foreigners before the outbreak of the war, as the only American ever to be given the award. The Order of the German Eagle (Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler was instituted in 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. ^[52].

Defenders of the company argue that the Ford German division, Fordwerke, had been taken over by the Nazi government after it rose to power, claiming that it was not under the company's control, though Henry Ford, according to court records, did stay in touch with the company. Ford Germany was the German subsidiary of the American Automaker Ford Motor Company, which existed under various names from 1925 Although Ford's initial motivations were anti-war, the company was heavily involved in the war effort after the outbreak of war. ^[51]

Argentine "Dirty War"

Further information: Dirty War

Ford's Argentine subsidiary was accused of collaborating with the Argentine 1976-1983 military dictatorship, actively helping in the political repression of intellectuals and dissidents that was pursued by said government. This article refers to the Argentine Dirty War for the British film of the same name see Dirty War (film. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. No result was proven and the company denied the allegations.

In a lawsuit initiated in 1996 by relatives of some of the estimated 600 Spanish citizens who disappeared in Argentina during the "Dirty War", evidence was presented to support the allegation that much of this repression was directed by Ford and the other major industrial firms. This article refers to the Argentine Dirty War for the British film of the same name see Dirty War (film. According to a 5,000-page report, Ford executives drew up lists of "subversive" workers and handed them over to the military task-forces which were allowed to operate within the factories. These groups were allegedly kidnapped, tortured and murdered workers - at times allegedly within the plants themselves. The company denied the allegations.

In a second trial, a report brought by the CTA, and the testimonies of former Ford workers themselves, claimed that the company's Argentine factory was used between 1976 and 1978 as a detention center, and that management allowed the military to set up its own bunker inside the plant. The Argentine Workers' Center ( Spanish: Central de los Trabajadores Argentinos, CTA is a trade-union federation in Argentina. The company denied the allegations. ^{[53] [54] [55]}

The Ford Pinto Memo

Further information: Ford Pinto

In September 1971 the Ford Motor Company launched the Pinto for the North American market. The Ford Pinto was a subcompact manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market first introduced on September 11, 1970 Through early production of this model it emerged that design flaws could result in fuel tank explosions when the vehicle was subject to a rear-end collision. Some sources even allege this safety data was available to Ford prior to production, but was ignored for economic reasons. ^[56] Either way, a major scandal followed with the leaking to San Francisco magazine Mother Jones of the notorious "Ford Pinto Memo", an internal Ford cost-benefit analysis showing that the cost of implementing design changes to the subcompact's fuel system was greater than the economic cost of the burn injuries and deaths that could be prevented by doing so. Mary Harris Jones ( May 1, 1830 or August 1, 1837 – November 30, 1930) better known as Mother Jones, born in Subsequently some have played down^[57] the importance of this case as Pinto explosion fatality estimates range widely from 27 to 900,^[56] with the lowest figures being allegedly in line with comparable fatality statistics for other car models. Nevertheless, the affair is an infamous example of a big corporation putting profit before human life because one senior Ford executive, at the time of the memo, is alleged to have written of his Pinto customers: it's "cheaper to let them burn". ^[58]

In the related Ford Pinto product liability case Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Co. , 119 Cal. App. 3d 757 (4th Dist. 1981) the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District reviewed Ford's conduct and upheld compensatory damages of $2. 5 million and punitive damages of $3. 5 million against Ford. Of the two plaintiffs, one was killed in the collision that caused her Pinto to explode, and her passenger, 13-year old Richard Grimshaw, was badly burned and scarred for life.

A similar problem occurred in Australia with faulty plastic tanks shipped from the U. S. (deemed unsafe for use in the U. S. ) and installed in the locally produced Ford Falcon, and when hit at the rear the tanks burst into flame, with the same effects as above.

See also

• NASCAR
• Detroit Automobile Company
• Dodge v. Ford Motor Company
• Ford F-Series
• Ford V-8
• Fordson tractor
• Firestone vs Ford Motor Company controversy
• The Henry Ford
• Henry Ford Company
• History of Ford Motor Company
• List of Ford vehicles
• List of Ford factories
• List of Ford engines
• List of Ford platforms
• List of Ford VIN codes
• List of CEOs of Ford Motor Company
• Plug-in hybrid
• Smith Electric Vehicles
• Southern California Edison
• Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT)
• Ford Special Vehicle Operations (SVO)
• United States Council for Automotive Research

Notes

References and further reading

External links

• Official gateway to global websites
• Ford News Blog
• Ford and environment:
  • Greener miles
• http://www.ford-problems.com/
• Ford's Pensions & Health Insurance.
• Ford forms 'Transformation Advisory Council'
• http://www.bftrules.com
• http://www.cashfidelity.com-An online community dedicated to FORD and turbo ford vehicles

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