Ford Motor Company

Notably the Mondeo finished 1,2,3 in the BTCC in 2000. These awards are voted on by special committees, rather than by the Academy membership as a whole. Ford has campaigned touring cars such as the Focus, Falcon, and Contour/Mondeo and the Sierra Cosworth in many different series throughout the years. It must also exist either on a 35mm or 70mm film print OR on a 24fps or 48fps progressive scan digital film print with a native resolution no lower than 1280x1024. Most notably the GT40 won the prestigious 24 hours of LeMans many times in the 1960s and still stands today as one of the all-time greatest racing cars. [1] Rule 2 states that a film must be "feature-length" (defined as 40 minutes) to qualify for an award (except for Short Subject awards, of course). Ford sports cars have always been visible in the world of endurance racing. Today, according to Rules 2 and 3 of the official Academy Awards Rules, a film has to open in the previous calendar year (from midnight January 1 to midnight December 31) in Los Angeles County, California, to qualify.

Ford has a very long history in rally racing, having previously run the Ford RS200 and many versions of the Ford Escort to great success. The ceremony has consecutively aired on ABC since 1976. Ford has also been active many years in the World Rally Championship, and has used various versions of the Ford Focus WRC since 1999 to much success. The ceremony and extravagant afterparties, including the Academy's Governors Ball, are televised around the world. The team achieved little success, and after a turbulent four seasons, Ford pulled out of F1 after the 2004 season, selling both Jaguar Racing (which became Red Bull Racing) and Cosworth.[10]. This is an elaborate extravaganza, with the invited guests walking up the red carpet in the creations of the most prominent fashion designers of the day. Ford entered Formula One as a constructor in 2000 under the Jaguar Racing name, after buying out the Stewart Grand Prix team it had become increasingly involved in. The major awards are given out at a ceremony usually in March following the relevant calendar year.

These engines were designed and manufactured by Cosworth, the racing division of which was owned by Ford from 1998 to 2004. In fact, the Academy's domain name is oscars.org and the official website for the Academy Awards is at oscars.com. Ford was heavily involved in Formula One for many years, and supplied engines to a large number of constructors from 1967 until 2004. However it became, the nickname stuck and is used almost as commonly as Academy Award, even by the Academy itself. Formula One. Some believe it comes from Academy librarian Margaret Herrick, who saw it on a table and said, "it looks just like my uncle Oscar!" Others claim that Bette Davis named it after her first husband. Ford powered racing cars have won the Indianapolis 500 many times. The root of the name "Oscar" is contested.

John Force has piloted his Drag Ford Mustang to several NHRA funny-car titles in recent seasons. The official name of the Oscar statuette is the "Academy Award of Merit." Made of gold-plated britannium, it is 13.5 inches (34 cm) tall and depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film. Ford has a storied history in the Trans-Am series from the 1970s through today having won many championships and races with its Ford Mustang. . Ford-Cosworth is currently the sole supplier of engines to the Champ Car World Series. The most recent awards were the 77th Academy Awards. Ford's racing teams debut the Fusion race car, replacing the Taurus, at the 2006 Daytona 500. Actors (with a membership of 1,311) make up the largest voting bloc.

Major teams include Roush Racing and Robert Yates Racing. The Awards are granted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a professional honorary organization which as of 2003 had a voting membership of 5,816. Ford is one of four manufacturers in the three NASCAR series: Nextel Cup, Busch Series, and Craftsman Truck Series. The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent film awards in the United States and arguably the world. Ford has been active in a number of forms of motor sports. Academy Award statistics: Directors receiving 3 or more nominations. Ford hybrids:. Academy Award statistics: Actors receiving 2 or more awards.

The company is on track to selling 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010. Academy Award statistics: Actors receiving 5 or more nominations. The Hybrid Escape will also be the first hybrid vehicle to market with a Flexible Fuel capability to run on E85 ethanol-gasoline mixture [9]. Academy Award statistics: Films receiving awards for Best Picture, Directing, Actor, Actress and Writing. Ford was third to market with a hybrid car — the Ford Escape Hybrid, and the first to market with a Hybrid SUV / Crossover. Academy Award statistics: Films receiving 10 or more nominations. Part of the challenge of successful marketing alternative and flexible fuel vehicles, is the general lack of establishment of sufficient infrastructure (fueling stations), which would be essential for these vehicles to be attractive to a wide range of consumers. Academy Juvenile Award – 1934 to 1960.

Flexible fuel vehicles are designed to operate automatically on a wide range of available fuel mixtures - from pure gasoline, to ethanol-gasoline blends such as E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline). Sawyer Award. Some CNG vehicles have duel fuel tanks - one for gasoline, the other for CNG - the same engine can operate on either fuel via a selector switch. Gordon E. The alternative fuel vehicles, such as some versions of the Crown Victoria especially in fleet and taxi service, operate on compressed natural gas - or CNG. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Vehicles with this emblem are generally alternative fuel or flexible-fuel vehicles. Thalberg Memorial Award – 1938 to present.

Many Ford vehicles now sport an emblem — a green leaf springing from a curving road-like twig — symbolic of the new "green" commitment to preserve the environment and reduce resource consumption, while delivering safe, economical, and effective products to the motoring public. The Irving G. Bill Ford was one of the first top industry executives to make regular use of an battery electric vehicle, a Ford Ranger EV, while the company contracted with the United States Postal Service to deliver electric postal vans based on the Ranger EV platform. Academy Special Achievement Award. [8]. Academy Honorary Award – 1928 to present. [7] In 2004, Ford sold 30,000 units in the region, falling far short of General Motors' 88,852 units and Nissan Motors' 75,000 units. Unique and Artistic Production – 1928 only.

Half of the Ford/Lincoln vehicles sold in that country were Ford Crown Victorias. Best Title Writing – 1928 only. [6] Ford's distributor in Saudi Arabia announced in February 2003 that it had sold 100,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles since commencing sales in November 1986. Best Story – 1928 to 1956. [5] Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE are the biggest markets. Short Film - Novelty – 1932 to 1935. Ford and Lincoln vehicles are currently marketed in ten countries in the region. Best Short Film - Live Action - 2 Reels – 1936 to 1956.

Ford's market presence in the Middle East has traditionally been even smaller, partly due to previous Arab boycotts of companies dealing with Israel. Best Short Film - Color – 1936 and 1937. The Falcon model from Australia was also sold in South Africa, but was dropped in 2003. Engineering Effects – 1928 only. Ford now sells a local sedan version of the Fiesta (also built in India and Mexico), and the Focus and Mondeo Europe. Best Dance Direction – 1935 to 1937. Ford bought a 45 per cent stake in Samcor following the demise of apartheid in 1994, and this later became, once again, a wholly owned subsidiary, the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. Comedy Direction – 1928 only.

Samcor began to assemble Mazdas as well, which affected its product line-up, which saw the European Fords like the Escort and Sierra replaced by the Mazda-based Laser and Telstar. Best Assistant Director – 1933 to 1937. Following international condemnation of apartheid, Ford divested from South Africa in 1988, and sold its stake in Samcor, although it licensed the use of its brand name to the company. Writing Original Screenplay – 1940 to present. In the mid-1980s Ford merged with a rival company, owned by Anglo American, to form the South African Motor Corporation (Samcor). Writing Adapted Screenplay – 1928 to present. Later Ford sourced its models from the UK and Australia, with local versions of the Ford Cortina including the XR6, with a 3.0 V6 engine, and a Cortina 'bakkie' or pick-up, which was exported to the UK. Visual Effects – 1939 to present.

Ford in South Africa began by importing kits from Canada to be assembled at its Port Elizabeth facility. Academy Award, Scientific or Technical – 1931 to present at three levels. In Africa and the Middle East, Ford's market presence has traditionally been strongest in South Africa and neighbouring countries, with only trucks being sold elsewhere on the continent. Sound Effects Editing – 1963 to present. Ford in Brazil produces a pick-up version of the Fiesta, which is also produced in South Africa, in right hand drive as the Ford Bantam. Sound. Models like the Ford Mondeo from Europe could now be imported completely built up. Live Action Short Film.

Consequently, the Ford Fiesta is only built in Brazil, and the Ford Focus only built in Argentina, with each plant exporting in large volumes to the neighbouring country. Animated Short Film – 1931 to present. With the advent of Mercosur, the regional common market, Ford was able to rationalise its product line-ups in those countries. Best Song. Autolatina was dissolved in the 1990s. Original Music Score. In the 1980s, Ford merged its operations in Brazil and Argentina with those of Volkswagen to form a company called Autolatina, with which it shared models. Makeup – 1981 to present.

For example, the Corcel and Del Rey in Brazil were originally based on Renaults. Best Foreign Language Film – 1947 to present. In some cases, it based its models on those of other manufacturers whose plants it had taken over. Film Editing – 1935 to present. In South America, Ford has had to face protectionist government measures in each country, with the result that it built different models in different countries with no rationalisation or economies of scale. Documentary Short Subject. It has since added Fusion, Fiesta, Mondeo and Endeavour to its product line. Documentary Feature.

Ford came to India in 1998 with its Ford Escort model, which was later replaced by locally produced Ford Ikon in 2001. Directing – 1928 to present. Ford also has a joint venture with Lio Ho in Taiwan, which assembled Ford models locally since the 1970s. Costume Design – 1948 to present. Ironically, Hyundai also manufactured the Ford Cortina until the 1980s. Best Cinematography – 1928 to present. Through its relationship with Mazda, Ford also acquired a stake in South Korean manufacturer Kia, which later built the Ford Aspire for export to the United States, but later sold the company to Hyundai. Best Art Direction – 1928 to present (also called Interior or Set Decoration).

and Asia as the Ford Festiva. Best Animated Feature – 2001 to present. The smaller Mazda 121 was also sold in the U.S. Best Supporting Actress – 1936 to present. as the Mercury Tracer, while the 1989 American Ford Escort was based on the Laser/Mazda 323. Best Supporting Actor – 1936 to present. The Laser was also built in Mexico and sold in the U.S. Best Actress – 1928 to present.

The Laser was one of the most successful models sold by Ford in Australia, and outsold the Mazda 323, despite being almost identical to it. Best Actor – 1928 to present. However, with the acquisition of a stake in Japanese manufacturer Mazda in 1979, Ford began selling Mazda's Familia and Capella (also known as the 323 and 626) as the Ford Laser and Telstar. Best Picture – 1928 to present. Ford's presence in Asia has traditionally been much smaller. In Australia they comprise over 20% of the new car market.

In both Australia and New Zealand, the Commodore and Falcon outsell all other cars. These cars produce over 400bhp and are built in small numbers to increase their value as collectors' cars. In addition, Ford Australia sells highly-tuned Falcon sedans and utes through its performance car division, Ford Performance Vehicles. A ute (short for "utility," known in the US as pickup truck) version is also available with a similar range of drivetrains.

High performance variants of the Falcon running locally-built engines produce up to 390bhp. Like its General Motors rival, the Holden Commodore, the 4.0 liter Falcon retains rear wheel drive. Ford of that name, but since then has been entirely designed and manufactured locally. Between 1960 and 1972, the Falcon was based on a U.S.

In Australia and New Zealand, the popular Ford Falcon is considered the typical (if not particularly economical) family car, though it is considerably larger than the Mondeo sold in Europe. Another joint venture plant near Setubal in Portugal, set up in collaboration with Volkswagen, assembles the Galaxy people carrier as well as its sister ship, the VW Sharan. This new production facility was set up near Kocaeli in 2002, and its opening marked the end of Transit assembly in Genk. Ford-Otosan, established in the 1970s, manufactures the Transit Connect compact panel van as well as the "Jumbo" and long wheelbase versions of the full-size Transit.

Ford also owns a joint venture production plant in Turkey. Transit production is in Kocaeli (Turkey), Southampton (UK), and Transit Connect in Kocaeli. Petersberg (Russia). Elsewhere in continental Europe, Ford assembles the Mondeo range in Genk (Belgium), Fiesta in Valencia (Spain) and Cologne (Germany), Ka in Valencia and Focus in Valencia, Saarlouis (Germany) and St.

Ford's Halewood Assembly Plant was converted to Jaguar production. It owns the Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin car plants in Britain which are still operational. Ford also produced the Thames range of commercial vehicles although the use of this brand name was discontinued circa 1965. Development of European Ford is broadly split between Dunton in Essex (powertrain, Fiesta/Ka and commercial vehicles) and Cologne (body, chassis, electrical, Focus, Mondeo) in Germany.

It was the first time in more than eighty years that Ford cars had not been made in Britain, although production of the Transit van continues at the company's Southampton facility, engines at Bridgend and Dagenham, and transmissions at Halewood. In 2001, Ford ended car production in the UK. The Focus has been one exception to this, which has become America's best selling compact car since its launch in 2000. In Asia, models from Europe are not as competitively priced as Japanese-built rivals, nor are they perceived as reliable.

have been disappointing. Increasingly, Ford Motor Company has looked to Ford of Europe for its "world cars," such as the Mondeo, Focus, and Fiesta, although sales of European-sourced Fords in the U.S. The Ford Sierra replaced the Taunus and Cortina in 1982, drawing criticism for its radical aerodynamic styling, which was soon given nicknames such as "Jellymould" and "The Salesman's Spaceship". Rationalisation of model ranges meant that production of many models in the UK switched to elsewhere in Europe, including Belgium and Spain as well as Germany.

Later on, the Ford Taunus and Ford Cortina became identical, produced in left hand drive and right hand drive respectively. At first, Ford in Germany and the United Kingdom built different models from one another until the late 1960s, with the Ford Escort and then the Ford Capri being common to both companies. One recent exception is the Focus — The European model has sold strongly on both sides of the Atlantic. The Mondeo was dropped by Ford Australia, because the segment of the market in which it competes had been in steady decline, with buyers preferring the larger local model, the Falcon.

The small European model Ka, a hit in its home market, did not catch on in Japan, as it was not available as an automatic. models such as the Ford Taurus have fared poorly in Japan and Australia, even when produced in right hand drive. Attempts to globalize the model line have often failed, with Europe's Ford Mondeo selling poorly in the United States, while U.S. were essentially versions of those sold on the home market, but later on, models specific to Europe were developed and sold.

Initially, Ford models sold outside the U.S. Ford's non-manufacturing operations include organizations such as automotive finance operation Ford Motor Credit Company. Its prestige brands, with the exception of Lincoln, are managed through its Premier Automotive Group. It has spun off its parts division under the name Visteon.

of Jaguar), and Land Rover, and Volvo Cars from Sweden, as well as a controlling share (33.4%) of Mazda of Japan, with which it operates an American joint venture plant in Flat Rock, Michigan called Auto Alliance. Since 1989, Ford has acquired British nameplates Aston Martin, Jaguar, Daimler (div. Ford also has a cooperative agreement with Russian automaker GAZ. Ford has major manufacturing operations in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, China, and several other countries, including South Africa where, following divestment during apartheid, it once again has a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Later, in 1985, the Merkur brand was introduced; it met a similar fate in 1989. In 1958, Ford introduced a new marque, the Edsel, but poor sales led to its discontinuation in 1960. Today, Ford Motor Company manufactures automobiles under the Lincoln and Mercury brand names. A joint venture with Mahindra and Mahindra Limited of India ended with the sale of Ford's 15 percent stake in 2005.

The sale was completed on December 22, 2005. Ford's realignment also included the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hertz Rent-a-Car to a private equity group for $15 billion in cash and debt acquisition. automotive market share since the mid-late 1990s. These cutbacks are consistent with Ford's roughly 25% decline in U.S.

Up to 30,000 hourly and salaried jobs (28% of the total workforce) in North America over the next six years are expected to be eliminated ^[4], which is comparable to similar cutbacks previously announced at General Motors. Louis), Atlanta Assembly (near Atlanta), Batavia Transmission (Batavia, Ohio), Windsor Casting (Windsor, Ontario, Canada), and Wixom Assembly (Wixom, Michigan). Louis Assembly (near St. Among these are plants in St.

"The Way Forward" includes resizing the company to match current market realities, dropping some unprofitable and inefficient models, consolidating production lines, and shutting down seven vehicle assembly plants and seven parts factories. Fields previewed the Plan, dubbed "The Way Forward", at the December 7, 2005 board meeting of the company; and it was unveiled to the public on January 23, 2006. In the latter half of 2005, Chairman Bill Ford asked newly-appointed Ford Americas Division President Mark Fields to develop a plan to return the company to profitability. Making good profits across the product line requires that the company reduce the costs of development and production, while introducing new products that connect with consumers.

Over time, it hopes to make more of its product line profitable instead of relying on a limited portion of the products for profit. Ford responded to the circumstances that lead to the bond downgrade by creating a plan to reduce the company's fixed capital costs while maintaining a special focus on cars and car-based crossover vehicles. However, Ford hopes to reverse this trend, with the introduction of the new 2006 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln Zephyr midsize cars, which are expected to compete well in this segment. For owners who frequently trade in and for those who lease their vehicles, the resale values are reflected in substantial cost differences with domestic vehicles costing more in overall costs.

These perceptions are reflected in the used car market by higher values for these foreign models. As far as the other non-truck models, many (with the notable exception of the 2005 Mustang) have been disadvantaged in the marketplace owing to a perception by buyers that foreign manufactures (especially Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai) deliver better value in terms of fuel economy, reliability, and build quality. These vehicles were revealed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and other car shows. In the fall of 2006, Ford is scheduled to introduce the 2007 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX, and Mazda CX-7.

These vehicles have proven to be very popular in the market, and Ford has introduced such vehicles as the Escape (including a Hybrid-Electric version), along with the similar Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute, and the Freestyle and Volvo XC70 and Volvo XC90 crossover SUVs. Foreign manufacturers, not having the truck manufacturing capabilities to form a platform base for similar vehicles, have instead introduced so called "crossover" SUV's — vehicles built on an automobile or minivan platform rather than a truck chassis. Due to higher fuel prices, there has been a decrease in the profits on these vehicles owing to "incentives" (in the form of rebates or low interest financing), which were needed due to declining sales. These downgrades were a recognition of high health care costs for an aging workforce and of the dependence of the company on profits from the sales of sport utility vehicles.

In May 2005, several bond rating agencies downgraded the bonds of Ford Motor Company to below investment grade (so called "junk bonds"). Ford also continues to study Fuel Cell-powered electric powertrains, and is currently demonstrating hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine technologies, as well as developing the next-generation hybrid-electric systems. The similar Mazda Tribute will also receive a hybrid-electric powertrain option, along with many other vehicles in the Ford vehicle line. The Escape's platform mate Mercury Mariner is also available with the hybrid-electric system in the 2006 model year—a full year ahead of schedule—due to high demand.

Ford did achieve significant progress toward improving fuel efficiency during 2005, with the successful introduction of the Hybrid-Electric Escape. However in 2003, Ford announced that competitive market conditions, and technological and cost challenges, would prevent the company from achieving this goal. In 2000, under the leadership of the current Ford chairman, William Clay (Bill) Ford, the Company stunned the industry (and pleased environmentalists) with an announcement of a planned 25 percent improvement in the average mileage of its light truck fleet — including its popular SUVs — to be completed by the 2005 calendar year. Henry Ford's great-grandson, William Clay Ford Jr., is the company's current Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Alex Trotman was Chairman and CEO from 1993-1998, and Jacques Nasser served at the helm from 1999-2001. Harold Poling served as Chairman and CEO from 1990-1993. By 1967, Ford had expanded into Europe. In the 1950s, Ford introduced the Thunderbird.

"Hank the Deuce" led Ford to became a publicly traded corporation in 1956; however, the Ford family maintained controlling interests in the company through a series of preferred stocks. Henry Ford II, grandson of Henry Ford, served as President from 1945-1960, and as Chairman and CEO from 1960-1980. ^[3]. In 1925, Ford expanded its reach into the luxury auto market through its acquisition of the Lincoln Motor Company, and the Mercury division was established in the 1930s to serve the mid-price auto market.

Due to market constraints, however, the company finally gave in and followed its competitors' lead when on December 2, 1927, Ford unveiled the redesigned Ford Model A and retired the Model T. Ford resisted following suit, insisting that such credit would hurt the consumer and the economy. They also extended credit so consumers could buy these more expensive automobiles. General Motors and other competitors began offering automobiles in more colors, and with more features and luxuries.

To keep prices low, Ford (at the behest of its owner, Henry Ford) offered few features. The company's goal was to produce an inexpensive automobile that any worker could afford. The Ford company lost market share during the 1920s due to the rise of consumer credit. On January 1, 1919, Edsel Ford succeeded his father as president of the company, although Henry Ford still kept a hand in management.

Referring to the Model T, Henry Ford is reported to have said that "any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." This was because black paint was quickest to dry; earlier models had been available in a variety of colors. By the end of 1913, Ford was producing 50% of all cars in the United States, and by 1918 half of all cars in the country were Model T's. However these innovations were not popular, and in order to stop the staff deserting the monotonous jobs, on January 5, 1914, Ford took the radical step of doubling pay to $5 a day, and cut shifts from nine hours to an eight hour day — moves that were not popular with rival companies, although seeing the increase in Ford's productivity, most soon followed suit. Ford introduced the world's first moving assembly line on December 1 that year, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes.

The company was forced to move production to the much larger Highland Park Plant to keep up with the demand for the Model T, and by 1913 had developed all of the basic techniques of the assembly line and mass production. The first Model Ts were built at the Piquette Manufacturing Plant. In 1908, the Ford company released the Ford Model T. Groups of two or three men worked on each car from components made to order by other companies.

During its early years, the company produced just a few cars a day at the Ford factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. Ford was launched from a converted wagon factory, with $28,000 cash from twelve investors. . As the individual work tasks became simple and repetitive this allowed the use of unskilled laborers who could be quickly trained for a single task (though it also removed most of the satisfaction that a worker performing multiple tasks may enjoy).

The use of a chain-driven track to move the vehicles to the workers was unique in the industry and quickly became the preferred method for volume production. Ford implemented the ideas of Eli Whitney, who developed one of the first assembly lines using interchangeable parts, which made it possible to put the cars together at a much lower cost and with greater reliability and repeatability. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars, and large-scale management of an industrial workforce. Ford remains one of the world's ten largest corporations by revenue.

Toyota surpassed Ford in revenue starting in 2004. In its 20th century heyday, Ford, along with General Motors and Chrysler, were known as Detroit's "Big Three" automakers, companies that dominated the American auto market. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, United States (where the company is currently headquartered), and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The Ford Motor Company (often referred to as Ford; sometimes nicknamed FoMoCo), NYSE: F is a multinational corporation that manufactures automobiles.

January 23, 2006. Washington Post. ^  Ford to Cut Thousands of Jobs and Close 14 Factories. ^  Ford Motor Company - History.

[11]. Rochester, New York:St Ives Inc Case-Hoyt. 2003 Annual Report. Ford Motor Company.

2009– Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX. 2009– Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego. 2008– Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan. 2006– Mercury Mariner.

2004– Ford Escape.