Ford Motor Swot Analisys

Since the company's founding in 1903, the name Ford has been synonymous with the automotive industry. Company founder Henry Ford Sr. became known for innovation, transforming cars into commodities for the masses and his company into an American icon. Below, selected milestones from the company's history: June 16, 1903: Henry Ford and 11 investors sign articles of incorporation for Ford Motor Company in Michigan. Oct. 1, 1908: Ford introduces the Model T, which became one of the most popular cars in the world. Production officially ended in May 1927 after total world production of 15,458,781.Oct. 7, 1913: The Highland Park plant in Michigan begins operations as the first moving automobile assembly line in the world. Jan. 5, 1914: Ford begins offering $5 per day for eight-hour work days and 15,000 job seekers clamor for 3,000 jobs at the Model T Plant in Highland Park. The previous pay rate was $2.34 per day for nine hours. March 1, 1941: Ford begins to produce general-purpose "jeeps" for the U.S. military and shifts completely to military production starting in Feb. 1942.                                      
                            Civilian production does not resume until July 1945. Jan. 17, 1956: Ford common stock goes on sale, with 10.2 million shares sold in the first day, representing 22 percent of the company. Sept. 7, 1987: Ford acquires 75 percent of Aston Martin Lagonda, Ltd. Dec. 31, 1988: Ford's worldwide earnings were $5.3 billion, the highest of any auto company to date. Dec. 1, 1989: Ford spends $2.5 billion to buy Jaguar Cars. March 15, 1990: Ford introduces the Explorer sport utility vehicle. Though the Explorer is the nation's best-selling SUV model, sales hit a 15-year low in Nov. 2005 and fell 29 percent for 2005. July 1, 1992: Ford buys 50 percent of Mazda Motor Manufacturing and changes that company's name to AutoAlliance International. June 20, 1993: Ford opens its first dealerships in China. Its brand sales in China increased 46 percent... [continues]

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