BRENTWOOD, ESSEX, 12 January, 2011 – On 8 March 1911, just three years after Ford's 'Universal Car', the Model T, was unveiled in Britain, Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was incorporated to look after the most important market outside North America.
Later the same year, Trafford Park, a suburb of Manchester, played host to Ford's first UK factory with a disused tram works converted to Model T assembly opening in October. Four-man teams built individual vehicles until Henry Ford's revolutionary introduction of the moving assembly line in 1913. By 1914 Ford sales of nearly 10,000 cars were equal to the output of the next six biggest British manufacturers combined.
Ford's start in Britain had humble beginnings. In 1903 two Ford Model A cars were shipped to England and a modest trade began. The Ford Model B took to London's roads in 1905, forming part of the earliest fleet of motor taxi cabs. It was the world debut of the Model T at the 1908 Olympia Motor Exhibition that convinced Ford a British company was needed, and so began a journey that would see Ford become the UK's favourite car company.
Today, Ford enjoys an enviable reputation, leading UK car sales for 34 consecutive years and the best-selling Ford Transit helping Ford lead commercial vehicle sales for 45 consecutive years. In 2011 Ford will launch the new Ford Focus, another global car in the spirit of the Ford Model T.
Ford directly employs over 15,000 people in the UK, many in highly skilled roles developing and building high-technology, fuel-efficient, low CO2 engines. The Ford plants at Bridgend in South Wales and Dagenham in east London have the combined capacity to assemble two million engines annually and one in three Ford cars globally is powered by a UK engine. A further 100,000 jobs are supported through the Ford supplier chain and dealer network.
Ford of Britain chairman, Joe Greenwell, said: "Ford of Britain has been in the fabric of the nation for over a hundred years and no motor company has touched more lives in Britain. We have a proud heritage and a bright future. Ford of Britain is a major pillar of Ford's global strategy and the new Ford Focus, centrepiece of the centenary, features advanced powertrains developed and produced in the UK."
Ford plan a year-long centenary celebration with themed marketing campaigns to flag up this special year. Historical displays will take place at various motoring events and a gala event will take place in the first half of 2011.
Ford-related events are being held around the country including the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire and the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire. This year's Goodwood Revival, the country's premier historic motoring event, will see a significant number of classic Ford cars take to the circuit, in September.
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Editors Notes
Key dates for Ford in Britain
1903 First two cars – Models As – imported from USA
1904 Ford sales company for Britain – Central Motor Car Company of London - established
1908 Model T unveiled at Olympia Motor Show London
1911 Ford Motor Company (England) Limited, forerunner of Ford of Britain, incorporated. Model T assembly begins at Trafford Park, Manchester
1924 Marshland at Dagenham purchased
1926 Introduction of the 40-hour, five-days week at Trafford Park
1927 After 19 years and over 15 million models sold the Model T is replaced by the Model A
1928 Ford Motor Company Limited established
1929 Henry Ford's son, Edsel, cuts the first sod at Dagenham, beginning two years of construction
1931 Dagenham production begins – first vehicle a 30cwt Model A truck
1932 Model Y introduced
1940 Dagenham convert to war production
1945 By the end of the war Ford had built 360,000 fighting and transport vehicles, 262,000 V8 engines and 34,000 Merlin aero engine
1948 First post-war Ford, 3.5-litre V8 Pilot, launched
1954 £75 million expansion programme launched
1958 Ford becomes the first British motor company to install its own on-site computer
1962 Iconic Ford Cortina launched
1963 New Ford car plant opens at Halewood on Merseyside
1965 Versatile Ford Transit commercial vehicle launched
1967 Ford of Europe incorporated and Ford Research and Engineering Centre opens at Dunton, Essex
1968 Ford Escort launched to replace Anglia 105E
1971 1,000,000 Escort built setting new sales record
1976 1,000,000 Transit built
1980 Cortina, Escort and Fiesta take first three places respectively in car sales chart, the first time this has been achieved by any manufacturer. Ford Bridgend start full production
1982 Sierra replaces Cortina
1986 £100million investment in Transit production
1987 Ford announce £1.6billion investment programme
1988 Announcement of £725 million investment in new engine production at Bridgend, South Wales
1993 Ford Mondeo launched to critical acclaim including European Car of the Year 1994
1995 Escort, Fiesta and Mondeo gain top three places in best-sellers list
1996 Radical Ford Ka launched
1997 £1 billion investment package for Ford plants across UK, Ford enters MPV market with Ford Galaxy
1998 £24million environmental test lab at Ford Dunton allows seasonal and altitude testing all year round, award winning Ford Focus launched
1999 Racing Puma unveiled
2000 Ford escort bows out after 33 years of production and more than 4.6 million taking to Britain's roads
2001 New state-of-the-art learning centre of excellence announced for Ford Dagenham
2002 New GT40 concept unveiled, Ford 'RS' brand is revived for the best-selling Ford Focus
2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair opens state-of-the-art Dagenham Diesel Centre, thousands gather in Dearborn, USA for centenary of Ford Motor Company
2005 Ford unveils Focus flexi-fuel, a bio-fuel vehicle, allowing both fuels to be put in same tank, 40 years of Ford Transit
2006 £100million investment programme for Ford Bridgend to produce premium engines
2007 Ford tops 30 years as UK's favourite car brand and is voted Britain's most trusted car brand for seventh consecutive year
2008 Series of Ford programmes aimed improving customer driving introduced including gear change indicators and driving skills courses
2009 Fiesta takes What car? Car of the Year title, Dagenham celebrates 80 years, 'Electric' Ford prototype unveiled
2010 Ford announces £1.5 billion green investment programme for UK research and production, HRH the Prince of Wales visits Ford Bridgend to mark production of the new fuel-efficient and low-CO2 Ford EcoBoost range of engine
2011 Ford of Britain celebrates its centenary
