11 Ford Facts Worth Knowing

Classic Trends - September 13, 2021

1. The First Hot Rod

first hot rod from ford

Although Ford has done it all, the MotorWagen was the first automobile created and sparked the idea and creation for the vehicles we have today. Carl Benz designed this beauty in 1885 in Germany. The Motorwagen was constructed using steel tubing with woodwork panels—it was a very fragile car given the weight distribution. With the max speed of just ten mph, this beauty had 0.6 horsepower (mighty impressive for the late 1800s). You could have bought the MotorWagen for only $1,000, which is equivalent to $28,144 today.

2. The Second Hot Rod

second hot rod

The Quadricycle was the very first car built by Henry Ford in 1896. Ford used four bicycle tires, a leather belt, a gasoline-powered engine with 4-horsepower, and a chain drive for the transmission. The seat, taken from a buggy, was the perfect bench seat for two. Ford sold the Quadricycle for $200 to help build his second car.  

3. Boogity, Boogity, Let’s Go Racing!

first ford race car

Prior to 1966, Ford had never participated in the international sensation of F1 racing. A few years prior, they had attempted to buy out Ferrari, but with them having a six-year winning streak, that deal fell through. Then Ford decided it was time to try and expand their demographic. They built a race car, driven by one of the best racers F1 has seen to this day, Ken Miles. Miles drove their GT40 in the 24-hour race of Le Mans, France. 

4. Mean Green Fighting Machine

ford factory

On this date, we were still unaware of the effects we were having on our planet. We didn’t know that burning human and animal waste could create a form of energy. Henry Ford was ahead of his time; he was burning biofuels before anyone knew what biofuels were in his factory. We only could have hoped people would have picked up on his energy-efficient ways.  

5. War, What is it Good For?

ford vehicles

Ford’s most famous car ever built was their Model T because they could dress it for every occasion; delivery trucks, ambulances, and even artillery transportation. Where wars of the past had relied on human resources and horses for transportation, Ford made sure to lend their services to the soldiers during World War I.

6. Lifelong Friendship

old friends

It only makes sense for the man who created cars and the lightbulb to become friends, right? Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were lifelong friends, well past the grave. While Edison was on his deathbed, Ford asked if his son would gather Edison’s last gasp of air. This tube of air now resides in “The Henry Ford” museum, and it’s labeled as “Life and Breath.” 

7. Man’s Next Best Friend

F-150 man's best friend

Henry Ford always had the future on his mind, wondering where the world would go and what they would need to accomplish those new goals. Ford put another huge step forward when he created man’s next best friend, the F-150. With the world quickly evolving around the car industry, Ford wanted to create a vehicle that would work just as hard as the person driving it. The F-150 quickly upheld its reputation, gained loyalty from millions of families, and became the best-selling vehicle in the United States since 1982.

8. Best of Both Worlds

ford fast car

Daily driver or weekend hot rider? Why pick one when you could have both! Henry Ford had everybody and their brother in mind when he created the Ford Mustang. Whether you are a car enthusiast who only wants to bring her to car shows or looking for a luxury daily driver, the mustang was the go to in the 1960’s. The Mustang is the first model that has been in continuous production since the launch date. Just within the first two years of the release, Ford sold over one million units. 

9. G.O.A.T

ford bronco at the beach in California

The G.O.A.T of all Fords, the Bronco. This car is called the G.O.A.T simply because it stood for Goes Over All Terrain in 1966. Fun Fact, Mckinley Thompson was the designer for the Ford Bronco in 1963. He was the first African American automobile designer working for Ford (a massive deal in the 1960s!) Ford & Don Frey wanted to make sure that the Bronco could be a versatile sedan, unlike “it’s big brother, the mustang,” having an abundant amount of accessories in their first catalog release. Being the G.O.A.T, the Bronco was essentially unchanged until 1973, when they decided to widen the width and make it slightly longer. Overall, the Bronco has gone from three different versions in the first release, from broader and more prolonged, to smaller and shorter, and now to the great piece it is today with equal parts of 4x4 ability and highway gas mileage. 

10. Calling All Michiganders

ford sign

Did you know that Ford Motor Company was built in 1903 in Detroit, Michigan? In this time frame, large corporations and high wages were not a standard. Ford started with 12 employees with wages at only $2.50 a day in 1914. Within a year, Ford increased his pay to $5 (that’s unheard of for those times) a day, creating a positive environment for team members. Thus their output increased in productivity. This even gave his employees a chance to buy their first car, a win-win for both the employees and the company!

11. Single File Line

Various elements of the early 1900s are considered fundamentals in shaping the world we have grown into, but everything changed when Ford created the assembly line. This creation was so revolutionary to how factories functioned and performed. This more than tripled the number of cars they could produce while cutting the time down by more than half. With turning parts on one end and finishing the vehicles on the other, Ford was involved in every aspect of each vehicle since it carried his name, but he didn’t know how much he would change the world with this bit of organization.

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