History of Ford Motor Company
The Ford history starts already 1903. Between 1903 and 1908 Ford built cars in a small scale. All were named after the 19 first letters in the alphabet.
The first car was the Ford A. 1927 the name turns up again and now as the Ford A that the whole world was waiting for. If the time ever can run out on Ford it did run out of the Model T 1927. Fords competitors on the market was 1927 offering modern more powerful cars than the Ford Model T could match. On May 1927 all Ford plants across USA closed down while the Ford Company constructed and retooled for the new Model A
Early developments and assembly line
During its early years, the company produced a range of vehicles designated, chronologically, from the Ford Model A (1903) to the Model K and Model S (Ford's last right-hand steering model) of 1907. The K, Ford's first six-cylinder
model, was known as "the gentleman's roadster" and "the silent cyclone", and sold for US$2800; by contrast, around that time, the Enger 40 was priced at US$2000, the Colt Runabout US$1500, the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout US$650, Western's Gale Model A US$500, and the Success hit the amazingly low US$250.
During its early years, the company produced a range of vehicles designated, chronologically, from the Ford Model A (1903) to the Model K and Model S (Ford's last right-hand steering model) of 1907. The K, Ford's first six-cylinder
model, was known as "the gentleman's roadster" and "the silent cyclone", and sold for US$2800; by contrast, around that time, the Enger 40 was priced at US$2000, the Colt Runabout US$1500, the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout US$650, Western's Gale Model A US$500, and the Success hit the amazingly low US$250.The next year, Henry Ford introduced the Model T. Earlier models were produced at a rate of only a few a day at a rented factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, with groups of two or three men working on each car from components made to order by other companies (what would come to be called an "assembled car"). The first Model Ts were built at the Piquette Road Manufacturing Plant, the first company-owned factory. In its first full year of production, 1909, about 18,000 Model Ts were built. As demand for the car grew, the company moved production to the much larger Highland Park Plant, and in 1911, the first year of operation there, 69,762 Model Ts were produced, with 170,211 in 1912. By 1913, the company had developed all of the basic techniques of the assembly line and mass production. Ford introduced the world's first moving assembly line that year, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours 40 minutes (and ultimately 1 hour 33 minutes), and boosted annual output to 202,667 units that year After a Ford ad promised profit-sharing if sales hit 300,000 between August 1914 and August 1915, sales in 1914 reached 308,162, and 501,462 in 1915; by 1920, production would exceed one million a year.
These innovations were hard on employees, and turnover of workers was very high, while increased productivity actually reduced labor demand. Turnover meant delays and extra costs of training, and use of slow workers. In January 1914, Ford solved the employee turnover problem by doubling pay to $5 a day, cutting shifts from nine hours to an eight hour day for a 5 day work week (which also increased sales; a line worker could buy a T with less than four months' pay), and instituting hiring practices that identified the best workers, including disabled people considered unemployable by other firms. Employee turnover plunged, productivity soared, and with it, the cost per vehicle 
plummeted. Ford cut prices again and again and invented the system of franchised dealers who were loyal to his brand name. Wall Street had criticized Ford's generous labor practices when he began paying workers enough to buy the products they made.
plummeted. Ford cut prices again and again and invented the system of franchised dealers who were loyal to his brand name. Wall Street had criticized Ford's generous labor practices when he began paying workers enough to buy the products they made.While Ford attained international status in 1904 with the founding of Ford of Canada, it was in 1911 the company began to rapidly expand overseas, with the opening of assembly plants in Ireland (1917), England and France, followed by Denmark (1923), Germany (1925), Austria (1925), and Argentina (1925), and also in South Africa (1924) and Australia (1925) as subsidiaries of Ford of Canada due to preferential tariff rules for Commonwealth countries. By the end of 1919, Ford was producing 50 percent of all cars in the United States, and 40% of all British ones; by 1920, half of all cars in the U.S. were Model Ts. (The low price also killed the cyclecar in the U.S.) The assembly line transformed the industry; soon, companies without it risked bankruptcy. Of 200 U.S. car makers in 1920, only 17 were left in 1940.
It also transformed technology. Henry Ford is reported to have said, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." Before the assembly line, Ts had been available in a variety of colors, including red, blue, and green, but not black. Now, paint had become a production bottleneck; only Japan Black dried quickly enough, and not until Duco lacquer appeared in 1926 would other colors reappear on the T.
In 1915, Henry Ford went on a peace mission to Europe aboard a ship, joining other pacifists in efforts to stop World 
War I. This led to an increase in his personal popularity. Ford would subsequently go on to support the war effort with the Model T becoming the underpinnings for Allied military vehicles, like the Ford 3-Ton M1918 tank, and the 1916 ambulance.
War I. This led to an increase in his personal popularity. Ford would subsequently go on to support the war effort with the Model T becoming the underpinnings for Allied military vehicles, like the Ford 3-Ton M1918 tank, and the 1916 ambulance.Panic at Ford
New York News Bureau released the description and the ads. It was a real panic situation at Ford. Ford´s advertising agency denied the ad as the correct description for the new Ford A. Just "fiction and imagination " But there is "never a smoke without a fire" so the media was hungrier than ever. The media speculations about the car became wild and the rumors said that the car had a 12 cylinder engine, was electric, was a diesel and so on.
Waiting was not a name for it. A nation was suffering and expected and Henry Ford to make a car that would be another pacesetter.
Between May 25 and until August 10 1927 no statement from Ford about the new car was issued. Edsel Ford announced " The New Ford Automobile is an accomplished fact. The tests already show that it is faster, smoother, more rugged and more flexible than we hoped for. "On the 11th of November 1927, 6 months after all factories stopped making the Model T, a new Ford driving on the street was spotted by a reporter from Brighton Argus ( Michigan).
A "scoop" indeed for a small town paper.
The New Ford Car was a pea-green Tudor with wire heels, speedometer, bumpers, 4-wheel brakes, standard gearshift and bullet-shaped headlights.
Argus wrote " This is strongly suspected of being the new Ford "Mystery" car.
On December 1927 was the Model A introduced to the market. 1.250.000 NYorkers saw the Model A during the first 5 show days. Movies and photographs were distributed all over USA.
Ford dealers with empty showroom
Many Ford dealers showrooms had no Model A to show during Jan Feb , Mars April, and May 1928. In may they got window posters from Ford " wait for The New Ford " You must say that the Ford dealers were brave. Even late summer 1928 there were not many dealers that had got a model A on the display. In June the dealers got a folder from Ford Motor Company showing the Ford and with explanations why that A was so long delayed. " Fords president passion for improvement " and the long running start to stock up the assembly plants.
The New Ford - Success!
To solve the problem with empty showrooms, Ford representatives drew cars from dealer to dealer to make it possible to show the car for one hour in each town. By January 10 1928 727.000 Model As were sold and that with empty showrooms! The production in early January was about 125-140 cars per day. The production increased dramatically and the market welcomed the Model A. The public pronounced the Model A as the complete success! The millionth model A was produced February 1928. At that moment Ford manufactured 7500 cars per day! In June Ford set record with 9100 cars on one day.
Ford outstanding again
Ford was once again the leader in Automobile production. Ford A was produced during 1928-31 in more than 4 000.000 units. A lot of them still remains today and more cars will be restored every year. Just in Sweden there are about 3500 A today 1997.
Ford on it's way to Sweden
In January 1928 wrote the newspaper "Svenska Journalen" like this: The New Ford car "for every man" is on it’s way to Sweden. They also had a story about The development of Ford Motor Company. Svenska Journalen was a newspaper mainly for households and they normally didn`t write about cars. Some interesting pitcures were shown as "The New Ford Car" and it looks like the pictures are from England. The Ford A has small lights on the fenders.
Henry Ford, his son Edsel and Edsels two sons in front of the New Ford Car. They also made a comparison between one of Henry Ford´s first cars and The New Ford A. They can also tell us that the difference is notable. If you look closely it seems like the front bumper on the Ford behind the old Ford car has open ends. That gives us the information that even cars in England had open bumper ends. The often heard theory that only 200 of the very first cars were equipped with those bumpers can that still be correct ? If this was one of the pre series cars why put on fender lights just for a visit in England? Can anyone of you give us the correct answer?
This picture, also from England tells us that this sportscar for sure will become popular. This Sport Coupe has also open bumper ends and fender lights. Do we have two of the first 200 cars standing in England January 1928 ? In the text I can read following " From birth to death is a Ford cars lifetime about 7 years but there are some long living cars that stands for 14-15 years". My friends what do you say about that ? We know better and just here in Sweden we have at least 3500 Ford A cars. Approx. 1000 of them can be driven on our roads today.
I think it is interesting to see those very early cars in England and I know of several very early cars now existing in Sweden. We have the 189 car here and one with frame number and engine number about 1000 and one engine about 500. Finland got one of it`s first Ford A deliverd with engine number 1500. That was a Tudor. If you know of anyone that have a very early Ford A please let us know. It you want to we can publish it here at NetClassics Internet.
Fords interest in airplanes were intensive and you can see him standing in front of one of the airplanes that the Ford factory did build. Suppose that the picture was taken in USA, then we have something else to think about. Why has the car fender lights if it is at the factory in USA?
If you look closely on the background on the picture with the Sport Coupe you can see some windows on the factory or place were the car was located. Look at this picture published in the same article. The windows looks similar .
