 EDSEL FORD |
June 16, 2003
 The 10 most significant stories Stories 1 to 25 Stories 26 to 50 Stories 51 to 75 Stories 76 to 100 Introduction to Ford 100Stories 26 - 50 26.Model A is a smashing but short-lived success As successful as the Model T was, it overstayed its welcome. The Model A was its successor. View story 27.People beg for jobs at Ford, are met with bullets Thousands of people were so desperate for money in 1932 that they marched on Ford Motor Co.'s Dearborn, Mich., Rouge complex to beg for jobs. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of five people. View story |
The appeal is self-evident. That's the way it is with the 1932 Ford. Starting with its difficult birth at Ford Motor Co., the car has inspired endless passion and creativity. View story A May-December romance: Young boy meets old car Paul Beck, who grew up in Ashley, Mich., a farm town near Lansing, was 13 in 1958 when he fell in love with the 1932 Ford. Many years later, Paul finally had his '32 roadster - but for his son, not himself. View story 29.Foundation helped save family's control of company By starting the foundation that bears its name, the Ford family not only did a lot of good, but it also saved a bundle in inheritance taxes and helped the family retain control of the company. View story  30.Lincoln Zephyr: Gorgeous, popular, but soon goneA noun may best describe the Lincoln Zephyr: glue. The streamlined, affordable Lincoln is credited with holding the make together in the mid-1930s, when many thought Lincoln was headed for the scrap heap. View story 31.Harry Bennett: Henry Ford's chief thug targets UAW, later threatens family peace Hired by Henry Ford after a New York street fight, Harry Bennett rose to prominence as perhaps America's most famous corporate thug. View story 32.Mercury's identity crisis What does the Mercury brand stand for? Higher-priced Fords dressed up with different chrome and fancier trim? Or innovative designs such as the 1949 Mercury whose classic lines made it a favorite among hot rodders? View story 33.Gregorie brought Edsel's dream to life Eugene "Bob" Gregorie had a unique ability. Listening to his mentor and boss Edsel Ford talk about concepts or designs, Gregorie could sketch along to capture Edsel's ideas. Edsel wanted a "special little sports car" that he could drive during the 1939 winter months at his Hobe Sound estate in Florida. View story The once and future yacht designer: Eugene 'Bob' Gregorie Eugene Turrenne "Bob" Gregorie began and ended his career as a yacht designer. Between the boats, though, Gregorie had one of the most powerful pens in the auto world. View story   34.Ford Motor battles, befriends laborFrom paying factory workers an unheard of $5 a day in 1914 to his violent opposition to the UAW in the 1930s, Ford shaped labor's progress in 20th century America. View story Q&A: 'Bit by the union bug' Ernest Lofton attended his first union meeting in 1954 and got "bit by the union bug," as he puts it. It was a love affair that lasted until he retired in 1998. View story 35.Company, workers redeem Ford war legacy Henry Ford was a reluctant warrior - and worse. Yet, in World War II, Ford Motor Co. proved itself to be an invaluable part of the "arsenal of democracy," which ultimately overwhelmed Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan with a deluge of warplanes, tanks, other armored vehicles, trucks and, yes, Jeeps. View story They built bombers, then a family Doris Mitchell and Don Bluhm were fresh out of high school in Belleville, Mich., when they went to work at Ford Motor Co.'s new Willow Run bomber plant in early 1942. View story Sing a song of service with Ford in WWII World War II was an arid time for advertisers. Civilian goods were scarce and were a cinch to sell, so advertising was meant simply to keep the company's name before the public. View story 36.Edsel Ford: What might have been Edsel Ford, the forgotten Ford, was an able car guy who could have remedied the years of mismanagement by his father. Could Edsel have rewritten the history of Ford Motor? His father never gave him the chance. But what if he had? View story Edsel Ford: 1893 -- 1943 Edsel is perhaps the most enigmatic of the Fords: Blessed by birth but stifled by a domineering father; gifted in many areas but held back from leading the company that bore his name. View story  37.Two Henrys struggle for powerDespite his famous surname, Henry Ford II was not an obvious candidate to inherit the corner office at Ford Motor Co. View story Q&A: Whiz Kid Miller says personal stamp of Henry II made Ford Motor unique Arjay Miller, longtime confidant of Henry Ford II, was one of two Whiz Kids to become president of Ford Motor Co. Miller, 87, lives in Woodside, Calif. He spoke with Dave Guilford. View story 38.Ford Division-J. Walter Thompson marriage has had ups and downs but has lasted 60 years Ford Division and J. Walter Thompson Co. this year celebrate their 60th anniversary - making theirs the oldest U.S. automaker-advertising agency relationship. Like any marriage, there have been good times and bad. View story 39.Lincoln Mercury: Stumbling stepchild Lincoln Mercury owns two distinctions in Ford Motor Co. history: Established in 1945, it was the automaker's first vehicle division - predating Ford Division by four years. View story  Ford Motor Co.'s fabled Whiz Kids glimpsed just how unconventional their new employer could be at the end of their group job interview in September 1945. Clearly the group would be joining an organization far different from the military. View story Q&A: Gilmour: Whiz Kids wanted facts, not fiction Allan Gilmour, Ford Motor Co. vice chairman and CFO, joined the company in 1960 as a Whiz Kid protege. Gilmour discussed the Whiz Kids' legacy in 1999 with Mary Connelly. View story Q&A: Ford finance lured a young M.B.A. It was Ford's finance reputation that drew Lee Miskowski - and his M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin - to Ford Motor Co. in the 1950s. He worked with some of the Whiz Kids, including Edward Lundy and Robert S. McNamara. Miskowski, 71, spoke with David Versical. View story 41.Ford's Napoleon: Ernie Breech rescued the empire Ernie Breech, who saw Ford Motor rise to earn $500 million in annual profit, later recalled his task as "civilizing a monster." View story 'A spirit of teamwork' Ernie Breech was often a "cover boy" in the nation's business press. Bob Finlay, who later was editor (1965-74) of Automotive News, wrote a profile of Breech for Forbes magazine in 1947. View story 42.A giant passes, an era ends America's leading industrialist died in a cold, dark, stone fortress that was buffeted by high winds and racked by rain. The date was April 7, 1947. View story 43.Ford F series: America's workhorse The seeds of success for Ford's F-series pickup were planted long before the vehicle's debut on Jan. 16, 1948. View story  44.Crash program for '49 Ford turned company's fortunes aroundFord's future at the end of World War II looked bleak. The company needed a home run, a car so different from previous Fords that buyers would clamor to own it. The solution materialized in an 18-month crash program guided by former General Motors executives and a stylist with ties to Studebaker. The home run was the 1949 Ford. View story A '40s whodunit: Accounts differ on who deserves credit Richard Caleal, an unemployed Studebaker designer in 1946, created the car design for the '49 Ford at his Mishawaka, Ind., home. View story 45.Ford Motor has only one king: The Ford brand For anyone thinking, writing or talking about Ford Motor Co., one fact is paramount: The Ford brand is the absolute king. Everything that happens at the company revolves around the Ford brand. View story 46.Ford's dealer development program: An American dream maker The phrase "dealer development" is associated with automakers' efforts to train and provide financial assistance for minority entrepreneurs who dream of owning a dealership. The Big 3 were the pioneers in this area, and Ford Motor Co. was at the forefront. View story 47.Among 3 brothers, Henry II muscled his way to the top In 1953, the year of Ford Motor Co.'s Golden Jubilee, the three Ford brothers of the third generation still were widely viewed as a kind of package deal. But Henry II was clearly the boss. View story  48.The T-Bird: Whoever did it, did it right Success has a hundred fathers. In the case of the Ford Thunderbird, plenty of folks claim parental guidance. View story A joy ride in T-Bird No. 1 Most first editions of legendary cars are squirreled away in a private museum or are on proud display at a corporate office. But the first production copy of the 1955 Ford Thunderbird can be seen storming around the hills of Orange County, Calif. View story 49.Ford's guaranteed wage made labor history In June 6, 1955, Ford Motor Co. became the first U.S. company to sign a revolutionary agreement with the UAW that required the company to add money to state unemployment benefits. View story 50.Results of '50s effort led to pullback on safety When Ford Motor Co. lists the safety milestones in its 100-year history, it mentions that it conducted its first crash test in 1954 - and it means that as a positive. View story |
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