First Ford Tank Being Tested over Various Obstacles, May 1918

01

Artifact Overview

Tanks emerged during World War I in response to trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns. Their tracks -- rather than tires -- handled rough ground, and their armor protected against wire and gunfire. Ford designed a 2 1/2-ton, 2-man tank and sent several examples to France for testing. Results were encouraging, but the war ended before mass production could begin.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

03 May 1918

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

64.167.833.P.21965

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8.000 in
Width: 11.000 in

First Ford Tank Being Tested over Various Obstacles, May 1918