OAKVILLE, Ont., August 17, 2009 – It was 105 years ago today that Canadian entrepreneur Gordon McGregor signed an agreement with Henry Ford and invested $125,000 to establish the Ford Motor Company of Canada at the Walkerville Wagon Works in Windsor, Ont.

In its early years, the company struggled to survive building only 117 cars in its first year and employing 17 people. But over the decades, Ford of Canada has grown to be the longest-established automobile company in Canada and has played a major role in the country's economic development.

Since its inception, Ford of Canada has:

• Employed more than 120,000 people at its offices and manufacturing plants across the country;
• Produced more than 28 million vehicles including cars, trucks, minivans, crossovers, military vehicles, and even farm tractors;
• Manufactured more than 21 million engines.

Today, Ford continues to serve Canadians by focusing on what matters most to consumers – quality, safety, fuel economy and smart technologies. For the past two months, Ford has been named the top-selling manufacturer in Canada.

Some other key accomplishments include:

• The Canadian-built Ford Flex was awarded the 2009 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC);
• Ford F-series is the top-selling pickup truck in Canada for 43 consecutive years;
• Ford Sync™ wins the 2008 Best New Technology Award by AJAC;
• Ford Escape Hybrid has won the ecoENERGY award five years in a row for Most Fuel Efficient Special Purpose vehicle by the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada;
• Ford Ranger has won the ecoENERGY award every year since 2003 for the Most Fuel Efficient Pickup by the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada;
• Ford's Blind Spot Mirror won the 2009 Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Pyramid Award for Safety Innovation of the Year and Ford's 100% Recycled Seats won the award for Environmental Initiative of the Year - a historic first as no previous automaker has ever won both awards.

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About Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited

Ford of Canada’s operations include a national headquarters, three regional offices, two branch offices, four vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, and two parts distribution centres. Ford employs approximately 7,400 people in Canada, while an additional 18,000 people are employed in the more than 400 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca.

August 17, 2009

Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs.