FORD: GO FURTHER

Ford, whose first vehicle was a 4-horsepower 4-wheeled bicycle, is an automobile factory founded in 1903 in Highland Park, Michigan, USA, by 12 investors with $28,000 under the leadership of Henry FORD. Ford Motor Company, an automotive sector leader that stepped into business in Michigan, actively produces and sells vehicles in 6 continents and 200 markets. Some of the automobile brands affiliated with Ford Motor Company, which Ford is a part of, are Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury. It is also a partner with Mazda. Land Rover and Jaguar, brands that were part of this group for a long time, were recently sold to Tata, Volvo to Geely. Aston Martin also separated. Henry Ford's Model T, developed with the opportunity for company and factory workers to own a car, was launched in America in 1908. While this production continued, by 1918, half of the cars on the market were Model T. In 1927, the Model T was replaced by the Model A. Having a brand like Ford in America made America stand out in industry, while Henry Ford's efforts to increase production speed and reduce costs led to a reduction in chassis production time from 12.5 hours to 2 hours and 40 minutes in 1913, and along with this, daily working hours were reduced while workers' salaries were doubled. With these developments, concepts such as work study and time study also began to emerge in the industry at that time.

Ford Automobile Production

Ford Motor Company experienced lost time due to World War I and II until 1955. After 1955, Ford, whose shares were opened to the public, opened factories in many countries, especially Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and Turkey. Ford's partnership in Turkey started as 51% Ford Motor Company, 49% Otosan A.Ş. With an agreement signed on October 3, 1997, equal shares resulted in the emergence of Ford Otosan. Ford Otosan, which opened its first factory in Turkey in Istanbul, had a project that was considered uneconomical by Ford Europe for a period, and when the Istanbul factory could not meet this production capacity, a new factory was built in Gölcük, a district of Kocaeli. Ford Otosan Kocaeli factory was named Best Plant In The World by inspectors among European Ford factories in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and ranked first. According to 2014 data, Ford produced 245,000 vehicles with an employment of 9,762 people. 32% of these vehicles are sold domestically, and the rest are sold abroad. Many car enthusiasts know that Ford has left unforgettable vehicles in automotive history. One of them is the 1967 Ford Mustang. Although it is difficult to reach in our country due to its price, it continues to be produced in America as an accessible sports car. Another automobile is the Ford GT 40. This automobile is a delightful result of the rivalry between Ferrari and Ford for car enthusiasts. After winning five times against Ferrari between 1960-1965, this magnificent vehicle was withdrawn from both racing and production. Ford, which recently separated from Aston Martin, gives the impression that its latest brand face, integrated into its vehicles, takes design cues from Aston Martin. In America, with its premium segment pickups and SUVs, Ford is also eyeing the premium class in the Turkish market with its Edge model.