Ford at Fifty: An American Story

In 1953, Ford Motor Company celebrated their 50th Anniversary. The National Press Conference was held on May 6-8, 1953 which highlighted Ford’s past accomplishments and upcoming 1953 models. In terms of productivity, standards of living, and opportunity, many fans admired the way Ford revolutionized the American way of life.

As part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, Ford offered a memorable book titled Ford at Fifty: An American Story. The book included many historical photos while telling Ford’s journey throughout the years and featured concept ideas of the new 1953 Ford models. The book states, “An automobile designer must come out with something new, exciting, and different, but not so radically different that it will frighten the customer".


Ford at Fifty: An American Story states, “In the fifty years since Henry Ford went into business with a new idea, the automobile has changed a nation's pattern of life”. Mr. Henry Ford’s journey was highlighted throughout the book, starting in 1893, when he previously worked as an engineer at the Detroit Edison Plant. By 1896, Mr. Henry Ford built his first automobile which included two cylinders with the bicycle wheels guided by a tiller. At the time, the vehicle had no breaks or reversal feature for the driver, however, Mr. Henry Ford was very determined to put his automobile on the road. Ford at Fifty: An American Story stated, “From his workshop on Bagley Avenue came the first Ford car, the idea of the assembly line, and fifteen million of the Ford Model T's”.


In the Ford at Fifty: An American Story, Mr. Henry Ford II, President of Ford Motor Company stated, “So, while this is a portrait of an industrial enterprise taken in its 50th year, it is also a look at American and people at work. It is not the whole story of America, but by describing this company-a piece of America and in the eyes of many at home and abroad, a completely institution-we have tried to say: Here is the way Americans work-here is the way they do things-here is a piece of their life. We have sought to help ourselves and others to see what America is like and thus to put an ever higher value on our priceless inheritance”.

Although Ford Motor Company was famous for its highly mechanized production, the experienced fashioned craftsmen always had an important place in the company. Their skill of labor of handling wood and metal parts for specialized jobs still offered features that machines couldn’t quite handle. The book highlights the Rouge factory story which began as a manufacturing operation plant with 1,212 acres of converting ore into steel and then steel into automobiles, among many other manufacturing processes as well. At the time, 60,000 people were employed at the Rouge and the factory was known as the largest private industry.


Both the Ford at Fifty: An American Story book and celebration was a memorable one that not only highlighted Ford’s past journey and future, but also recognized the many men and women who were apart of the history that will continue to be a part of the rich automotive and labor story in America. To purchase a copy of the Ford at Fifty: An American Story, visit amazon.com

A special thanks to Robert Tate, Automotive Historian and Researcher, for donating the story to the MotorCities Story of the Week program. Photographs are courtesy of Bob Tate’s personal collection. (Bibliography: Simon and Schuster, Inc Ford At Fifty 1903-1953. Ford Motor Company, Dearborn Michigan 1953. Banham Russ. The Ford Century Ford Motor Company And The Innovations that Shaped The World,2002.)

Please do not republish the story and/or photographs without permission of MotorCities National Heritage Area. For further information contact Robert Tate at btate@motorcities.org. If you have a story that you would like to donate to be featured as a MotorCities Story of the Week, email Lisa Ambriez at lambriez@motorcities.org.