Search
- Machine Shop at Ford Motor Company Highland Park Plant, circa 1913 - The Highland Park Ford Plant, designed by renowned industrial architect Albert Kahn, was the second production facility for the Model T. This photograph shows Highland Park's machine shop filled with specialized machine tools. Among the milling machines shown here are "hobbers," which cut teeth in metal to make gears.
- circa 1913
- Collections - Artifact
Machine Shop at Ford Motor Company Highland Park Plant, circa 1913
The Highland Park Ford Plant, designed by renowned industrial architect Albert Kahn, was the second production facility for the Model T. This photograph shows Highland Park's machine shop filled with specialized machine tools. Among the milling machines shown here are "hobbers," which cut teeth in metal to make gears.
- Ford Rouge Plant Pictorial Flow Chart, "Complete Car Can Be Built in 28 Hours," 1940 - This diagram illustrates how Ford Motor Company's massive River Rouge Plant turned coal, iron ore, limestone, rubber, and sand into iron, steel, tires, glass, and finished automobiles.
- August 19, 1940
- Collections - Artifact
Ford Rouge Plant Pictorial Flow Chart, "Complete Car Can Be Built in 28 Hours," 1940
This diagram illustrates how Ford Motor Company's massive River Rouge Plant turned coal, iron ore, limestone, rubber, and sand into iron, steel, tires, glass, and finished automobiles.
- Close-up of Adhesive on Wood Veneer Door Frame Pillar for Ford Station Wagons, Iron Mountain Plant, March 1949 - Ford Motor Company built wood station wagon bodies at its Iron Mountain plant in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For 1949, Ford eliminated wood framing from its wagons in favor of steel. Wood was still used on the wagons, but in the form of specially laminated paneling bolted onto the steel frames. Iron Mountain closed when Ford switched to all-steel wagons in 1952.
- circa 1949
- Collections - Artifact
Close-up of Adhesive on Wood Veneer Door Frame Pillar for Ford Station Wagons, Iron Mountain Plant, March 1949
Ford Motor Company built wood station wagon bodies at its Iron Mountain plant in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For 1949, Ford eliminated wood framing from its wagons in favor of steel. Wood was still used on the wagons, but in the form of specially laminated paneling bolted onto the steel frames. Iron Mountain closed when Ford switched to all-steel wagons in 1952.
- "How a Ford Mustang is Assembled" Graphic, circa 1978 - Ford Motor Company illustrated the steps in building a Mustang in this poster from 1978. It was the company's 75th anniversary, and the poster perhaps reminded viewers that Ford had perfected the moving assembly line some 60 years earlier. The time required to assemble a Mustang -- from chassis, to body, to paint, to pre-delivery -- was about 27 hours.
- circa 1978
- Collections - Artifact
"How a Ford Mustang is Assembled" Graphic, circa 1978
Ford Motor Company illustrated the steps in building a Mustang in this poster from 1978. It was the company's 75th anniversary, and the poster perhaps reminded viewers that Ford had perfected the moving assembly line some 60 years earlier. The time required to assemble a Mustang -- from chassis, to body, to paint, to pre-delivery -- was about 27 hours.
- Workers Dropping Engine into 1958 Ford Thunderbird Body on Assembly Line, 1957 - Ford's two-seat Thunderbird was a hit when it debuted for 1955, but vice president Robert McNamara reasoned that adding more seats would sell even more cars. The 1958 model year brought the four-seat "Squarebird" -- so nicknamed for its boxy proportions. Aesthetic arguments aside, McNamara was right. Ford sold nearly 16,000 more Thunderbirds for 1958 than it had the year before.
- December 20, 1957
- Collections - Artifact
Workers Dropping Engine into 1958 Ford Thunderbird Body on Assembly Line, 1957
Ford's two-seat Thunderbird was a hit when it debuted for 1955, but vice president Robert McNamara reasoned that adding more seats would sell even more cars. The 1958 model year brought the four-seat "Squarebird" -- so nicknamed for its boxy proportions. Aesthetic arguments aside, McNamara was right. Ford sold nearly 16,000 more Thunderbirds for 1958 than it had the year before.
- Testing Ford V-8 Engines, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935 - Henry Ford's last great automotive innovation was his introduction of a low-priced V-8 engine for 1932. Starting under $500, it was an exceptional value. Ford Motor Company's V-8 outsold its four-cylinder engine by a wide margin, and the four-cylinder unit was retired for 1935. The 1932 V-8 engine design remained in production until 1953.
- October 24, 1935
- Collections - Artifact
Testing Ford V-8 Engines, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935
Henry Ford's last great automotive innovation was his introduction of a low-priced V-8 engine for 1932. Starting under $500, it was an exceptional value. Ford Motor Company's V-8 outsold its four-cylinder engine by a wide margin, and the four-cylinder unit was retired for 1935. The 1932 V-8 engine design remained in production until 1953.
- Assembling Brakes on Ford V-8 Automobiles, 1937 - While other automakers adopted hydraulic brakes for their cars in the 1920s and early 1930s, Ford used mechanical brakes until the 1939 model year. Ford's mechanical units relied on cables and linkages to transmit pressure from the brake pedal to the brakes. Hydraulic units used fluid to transmit -- and multiply -- that pressure for more effective braking.
- September 21, 1937
- Collections - Artifact
Assembling Brakes on Ford V-8 Automobiles, 1937
While other automakers adopted hydraulic brakes for their cars in the 1920s and early 1930s, Ford used mechanical brakes until the 1939 model year. Ford's mechanical units relied on cables and linkages to transmit pressure from the brake pedal to the brakes. Hydraulic units used fluid to transmit -- and multiply -- that pressure for more effective braking.
- Interior of the Ford Iron Mountain Plant, December 1946 - Ford Motor Company's Iron Mountain plant, located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, produced wood body frames and parts for the automaker's various models. After Ford adopted all-steel sedan bodies for the 1937 model year, Iron Mountain focused on station wagon bodies. Some 300 skilled craftspeople worked at the plant until 1952, when Ford wagons switched to all-steel bodies.
- December 13, 1946
- Collections - Artifact
Interior of the Ford Iron Mountain Plant, December 1946
Ford Motor Company's Iron Mountain plant, located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, produced wood body frames and parts for the automaker's various models. After Ford adopted all-steel sedan bodies for the 1937 model year, Iron Mountain focused on station wagon bodies. Some 300 skilled craftspeople worked at the plant until 1952, when Ford wagons switched to all-steel bodies.
- Cylinder Block Line, Ford Plant in Cork, Ireland, February 1929 - Henry Ford formed an Irish subsidiary company, Henry Ford & Son Limited, in 1917. Two years later, he opened a tractor plant in County Cork, Ireland -- his father's birthplace. Soon the factory began producing automobile engines and parts for Ford factories in England. Apart from a temporary closure during World War II, the plant remained in operation until 1984.
- February 12, 1929
- Collections - Artifact
Cylinder Block Line, Ford Plant in Cork, Ireland, February 1929
Henry Ford formed an Irish subsidiary company, Henry Ford & Son Limited, in 1917. Two years later, he opened a tractor plant in County Cork, Ireland -- his father's birthplace. Soon the factory began producing automobile engines and parts for Ford factories in England. Apart from a temporary closure during World War II, the plant remained in operation until 1984.
- Inside the Ford Rouge Plant Pressed Steel Building, Conveyors Moving New Parts to Body Assembly Area, 1940 - The pressed-steel building at Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant produced steel components like automobile fenders, body panels, and roof sections. In the late 1930s, the building had more than 4,000 presses, and 10,000 workers turned out more than 2,000 different parts. Some of those parts were used at the Rouge, and some were shipped to other Ford assembly plants.
- February 08, 1940
- Collections - Artifact
Inside the Ford Rouge Plant Pressed Steel Building, Conveyors Moving New Parts to Body Assembly Area, 1940
The pressed-steel building at Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant produced steel components like automobile fenders, body panels, and roof sections. In the late 1930s, the building had more than 4,000 presses, and 10,000 workers turned out more than 2,000 different parts. Some of those parts were used at the Rouge, and some were shipped to other Ford assembly plants.