FORD MOTOR COMPANY, manufacturer of Ford V-8 automobiles and trucks and the other earlier Ford automobiles and trucks manufactured since the first car was sold in 1903, is situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It was incorporated in Michigan June 16, 1903 with a capital of $roo,000. Of the original 12 stockholders Henry Ford held 251% of the stock. Later he ac quired up to 582%. In 1919, Edsel B. Ford, having succeeded his father in the presidency, acquired the remaining 411% outstand ing.
On July 9, 1919, the company was reorganized, under the laws of Delaware, with a capitalization of $100,000,000. It has 34 branches in the United States, 16 of which are assembly plants. There are foreign plants, offices and associated companies in 31 countries throughout the world. The principal manufacturing units are in and about Detroit, Michigan, and operate five days a week on 8-hour shifts. There are also manufacturing plants at Iron Mountain, Michigan, Hamilton, Ohio, and Green Island, New York, besides 8 small plants in the vicinity of Dearborn. The River Rouge plant, at Dearborn, largest industrial unit in the world, embraces 1,096 acres; operates 92 miles of railroad, i2 miles of docks and 7,250,000 square feet of floor space; it employs at capacity production 104,000 men who collectively utilize nearly every industrial trade known to man. Its bins have a capacity of 2,000,000 tons of ore, coal and limestone ; its furnaces and mills develop and fashion 43 different kinds of steel to a total of 2,500 tons daily; while its glass plant turns out 25,000,00o sq.ft. annu ally, and cars are made at the rate of one every ten seconds.
The general offices of the company are at Dearborn. The com pany operates its own lighting, heat and power plant; its fire department ; paper mill; its foundries; steel mills; rolling mill; sintering plant; hot and cold strip mills; coke ovens; cement plant ; body plant ; open hearth furnaces; box factory; blast fur naces; telephone and telegraph exchanges; paint factory; artificial leather plant ; freight and express offices; laboratories; machine shops; the Henry Ford Trade School for boys; hospitals; and a general store. The company owns more than 5oo,000 acres of tim ber and iron ore lands which are situated in northern Michigan and it is developing a rubber plantation in Para, Brazil, embracing approximately 2,500,00o acres of jungle.
In Detroit is the Lincoln Motor Company, a division of the Ford Motor Company, acquired February 4, 1922. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd., supplies the trade in the Dominion of Canada and, with the exception of the British Isles, throughout the British Empire. Fordson Coal Company, organized in 1923, owns 120,000 acres of coal and timber lands in Kentucky and West Virginia. The company's freight steamships carry ore and timber from northern Michigan to the River Rouge plant, return ing with coal for Duluth, while Ford ocean ships carry motor parts abroad and to company plants on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The company sold its first car June 16, 1903 and produced 1,708 cars in its first year. The first Model T was made October I, 1908 and the 15,0oo,000th left the line on May 26, 1927. On December 2, 1927, the Model A was introduced to the public, fol lowed on November 28, 1931, by Model B, last of the 4-cylinder type. Of these models 5,000,000 units were built. The Ford V-8 was introduced March 31, 1932 and the 2,00o,000th of this model was assembled June From its inception to September 1, the company built and sold 23,308,684 units. (B. R. D.)