Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated in Michigan on June 16, 1903. The corporation's common stock was entirely owned by Henry Ford and a small group of local investors.
In 1919, Henry Ford bought out all of these investors and reincorporated the company in the State of Delaware. From 1919 to 1956, all stock in the company was owned by members of the Ford Family, the Edison Institute, and the Ford Foundation.
Ford Motor Company Landmark Moments: A Shareholder Perspective
First offered to the public on January 18, 1956, when the Ford Foundation began to sell its stock in the company. The price was $64.50 per share.
The stock first traded on the New York Stock Exchange on March 7, 1956. The stock "split" six times since it was issued. The splits and their payment dates, which appear on the actual certificates, were
May 31, 1962: 2 for 1
May 24, 1977: 5 for 4
December 1, 1983: 3 for 2
June 2, 1986: 3 for 2
January 12, 1988: 2 for 1
July 5, 1994: 2 for 1
"Old" Ford Motor Company common stock was replaced by "new" Ford common stock, based on the Value Enhancement Plan recapitalization of the company which occurred on August 2, 2000.
Shareholders, electing to receive ALL "new" stock in exchange for their "old" stock, received 1.748175 shares of "new" stock in exchange for each share of their "old" stock.
Shareholders electing to receive the PRO RATA election of "new" stock in exchange for their "old" stock received 1.554593 shares of "new" stock in exchange for each share of their "old" stock.
