 HENRY FORD II |
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 51 - 75 51.Henry Ford never wanted his company to go public Henry Ford never wanted his company to go public. He might not have said, "Over my dead body," but he certainly felt that way - and in the end that's how it worked out. View story What would 10 original shares be worth now? When Ford Motor Co. went public in 1956, thousands of everyday folks bought shares - most of them just a few shares. Merrill Lynch reported at the time that the average sale of the Ford stock it brokered was about 10 shares. What would those 10 shares be worth today had the purchaser held them for all these 47 years? View story |
Henry Ford's heirs still control about 40 percent of the voting shares in Ford Motor Co. through ownership of extra-strength Class B stock, which represents more than 16.5 shareholder votes per share. View story 52.The past ain't what it used to be: The Edsel finally is cool Roy A. Brown Jr., the retired Ford designer who created the most infamous grille in automotive history, is not surprised that the Edsel now is viewed in a kinder light. View story 53.From cash cow to cash eater Ford Motor Credit Co. was launched in 1959 to help dealers sell vehicles and finance their inventories and operations. View story 54.As the 1950s end, 'one size fits all' strategy gives way to Falcon, other economy cars The car market was simple before the 1960 model year. One car in one size was supposed to fit everyone's needs. But the Big 3's strategy of "one size fits all" changed forever in the fall of 1959, when several small, stylish vehicles called economy cars debuted, namely the 1960 Ford Falcon, Chevrolet Corvair and Plymouth Valiant. View story  55.Breech grooms Henry; Henry brooms BreechRumors had been in the wind for years. More and more, it was Robert S. McNamara rather than Ernest Breech who had Henry Ford II's ear. View story 56.The rise of the bean counter: Robert S. McNamara McNamara brought a modern vision to Ford and became its first president since 1906 who was not a member of the Ford family. View story Q&A: McNamara on killing early T-Bird: No regret Robert S. McNamara, one of the Whiz Kids hired by Ford Motor Co. at the end of World War II to help Henry Ford II revive the company, served as general manager of Ford Division and became company president. He left in January 1961 to become secretary of defense in the administration of President John Kennedy. McNamara, now 87, responded to a few questions from Harry Stoffer. View story 57.Iacocca: From '56 for '56' to company president Lee Iacocca's career at Ford Motor Co. is remembered largely for its dramatic end in 1978, when, as president, he was broomed abruptly by Henry Ford II. But his 32 years at Ford left a major mark on the company. View story 58.Iacocca shot down the Cardinal The Cardinal would have been Ford Motor's first front-wheel-drive car in the United States, but the automaker canceled the project in 1962 before it got off the ground. View story 59.Lincoln has long presidential legacy Lincoln has become known as the car of presidents. View story  60.Mustang inspired passion, profitsOn April 17, 1964, Ford Motor Co. launched the original Mustang and created one of the most sensational and beloved automobiles of the 20th century. View story  Sperlich says formula still would workHal Sperlich, program manager for the 1964 Ford Mustang, says the formula that made the original model a hit is timeless. View story 61.Henry Ford couldn't have foreseen his company's success in motorsports With "Total Performance" producing something that looked more like Total Domination, Ford's motorsports victories in the 1960s - at Indianapolis, at Le Mans and seemingly everywhere else on the planet - would have amazed and most likely delighted Henry Ford. View story  62.Henry II’s vision forges Ford of EuropeJune 1967 opened with the release of the Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On June 5, Israel attacked Egypt and Syria to begin the Six Day War. And Henry Ford II visited Europe with two things on his mind: He wanted to see the company’s GT40 race cars perform in the 24-hour race at Le Mans on June 10 and 11, and he wanted to make a fundamental change in the way Ford operated in Europe. View story Q&A: Ford of Europe was respected Gordon MacKenzie spent 32 years at Ford. He became Ford Division’s general sales manager soon after the Mustang was launched in 1964. MacKenzie, 81, spoke with David Versical. View story 63.UAW won protection from layoff after grueling 68-day strike in '67 It took a 68-day strike and the loss of 500,000 vehicles, but Ford Motor Co. and the UAW made labor history in 1967 when they agreed to a contract that paid high-seniority hourly workers nearly all of their weekly pay during a layoff. View story 64.Bunkie Knudsen's big gamble never paid off Thirty-five years ago, it was unheard of for a top auto executive to quit his job and join a competitor. When you went to work for an automaker, it was understood that you would finish your career there - maybe 40 years later, maybe more. Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen broke the mold. View story 65.Ford chalked up long list of firsts The automobile industry would be very different today without the production and technology breakthroughs by Ford Motor Co. engineers, scientists and researchers. View story 66.Lee Iacocca's Pinto: A fiery failure Ford Motor Co. cannot afford another Pinto. Neither can the auto industry. View story 67.After a long climb, Iacocca attains the presidency - temporarily To the young and impatient Lee Iacocca, his ascent to the presidency of Ford Motor Co. seemed to take forever. View story 68.Exotic Italians added spice to Ford line  Perhaps it was Henry Ford II's lingering frustration with not completing a deal to buy Ferrari. Certainly it was because of Lee Iacocca's interest in things Italian. But from 1971 through 1974, select Lincoln-Mercury dealerships sold not only Continentals and Cougars but also the exotic De Tomaso Pantera. View story Q&A: Shelby: HFII was ‘the glue’Of all the people who made Fords go faster, no one has had a more lasting influence than Texan Carroll Shelby, who turned 80 this year. View story 69.Running on empty For Ford, the energy crisis was a watershed event. It came at the same time that air pollution regulations meant adoption of costly catalyst-based systems, an area in which General Motors had a commanding lead. View story 70.Passing up the minivan was a maxi-mistake This is one product decision that Ford Motor Co. wishes it could change. Ford could have been the first automaker to market a minivan. View story Q&A: Minivan pioneer did a lot more It's flattering to be called the father of the minivan. But Hal Sperlich says there's more to his career. View story 71.Henry II ends Iacocca's quest for the top spot at Ford Motor Few firings in the automotive world have caused as big a ripple as the ousting of Lee Iacocca by Henry Ford II on July 13, 1978. View story 72.Pay attention to Germany, car-savvy Lutz warned Ford Ford merged its independent German and British units in 1967. But the consolidation was far from complete when Robert Lutz joined Ford of Europe in 1974. View story  73.Ford and Mazda: A lesson in cooperationIt was headline news, but hardly an auspicious welcome. Ford Motor Co. was raising its stake in Mazda from 25 percent to 33.4 percent - enough to give it, under Japanese law, a veto over any board decision. View story 74.From red ink to glory: The '80s story The English language is short on words to describe the mess that surrounded Ford Motor Co. in the early 1980s. View story Q&A: Lataif: Ford dealers were in tough straits Louis Lataif was named general manager of Ford Division during one of its darkest times, in January 1981. View story  After mortality tapped him on the shoulder in the form of his first angina attack in November 1975, Henry Ford II began concentrating on his successor. View story Q&A: Long ago, on Long Island, Caldwell glimpsed his future Philip Caldwell, the first Ford Motor Co. CEO who wasn’t a member of the Ford family, had a glimpse of his future in 1939. Caldwell, 83, was interviewed by Dave Guilford. View story |
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