Casey Auto Looks Back on the History of Ford
We at the Casey Auto Group are big fans of the Ford Motor Company. For over a century, Ford has shown how American ingenuity can revolutionize an entire industry. Since the first Model A car was made in 1903, the blue oval company has been producing game-changing automobiles. Here’s a look back at the automaker’s historic highlights.
Henry Ford build his first vehicle in his private workshop in 1896: a four-wheel bicycle that looked like an open-carriage buggy. It ran on a peppy four-horsepower engine and couldn’t move in reverse.
After some hiccups in getting off the ground, the Ford Motor Company finally is launched and earns a profit in 1903 thanks to its Model A. Henry’s dedication paid off — and would continue to as the company overcame future hurdles.
In 1908, the same year Ford began selling overseas, Ford introduced its now-legendary Model T. By the end of its production 20 years later, over 15 million Model T units were sold.
Seeing a need for a utility vehicle for farmers and craftsmen, Henry Ford made the Model TT truck in 1917. It had an open bed, reinforced chassis, and sturdy rear axle that could handle more weight than other vehicles on the market could.
Ford saw the potential in having a luxury branch of the company, so it acquired the Lincoln Motor Company from Henry Leland in 1922. Lincoln is still Ford’s premium brand 100 years later.
In the decades following, Ford made innovations like producing the first commercially successful V8 engine, launching the mid-tier Mercury brand for the middle class, and using crash tests to improve the safety and design of its vehicles.
Can you believe that the F-Series line of trucks has been around since 1948? No wonder that models like the F-150 and Super Duty have become top-selling nameplates on the market all these years later.
Another recognizable Ford name appeared in 1964: the Mustang. This pony car was an instant success and continues to be a desirable model to own.
The Ford Taurus may not seem as stunning as the Mustang or F-Series, but it was revolutionary in its own right when it debuted in 1985. It set the standard for now-common front-wheel-drive car designs on economic unibody platforms.
Own a piece of history when you take home a new or used Ford vehicle from a Casey Auto dealership. You can still find many of these influential Ford models for sale here in Newport News, such as the F-150 truck or Mustang sports car.