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May 23, 1934 – Bonnie & Clyde are shot to death in a Ford V8
23May By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

May 23, 1934 – Bonnie & Clyde are shot to death in a Ford V8

On this day in 1934 outlaws Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut “Champion” Barrow were shot to death in a police ambush while driving a stolen 1934 Ford V8 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. The two had met in January 1930 at a mutual friend’s house and Bonnie was quickly smitten over Clyde. While she was married, her husband was also in and out of jail. Those two never crossed paths again after the fateful meeting of Bonnie and Clyde.  Above: Bonnie & Clyde just messin' around.Top: The 1934 Ford Deluxe V8 after it was ambushed. Clyde had a lengthy criminal history prior to meeting Bonnie. He had been arrested for stealing cars, cracking safes, and robberies of various businesses. While in jail he killed a fellow inmate for sexually harassing him, his first murder. ...
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May 21, 2003 – Automobile builder Alejandro de Tomaso dies
21May By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

May 21, 2003 – Automobile builder Alejandro de Tomaso dies

Alejandro de Tomaso was born in Argentina in 1928 to a politically prominent family. In the mid 1950s he fled his country for his grandfather's homeland, Italy, after being suspected of participating in a plot to overthrow the current Argentinian president. He landed in Modena, a city rich in automotive history and racing culture, which influenced the rest of his life. De Tomaso began a career as a racing driver for companies such as Maserati and Scuderia, making his Formula One debut in 1957. He participated in four races that year, but he scored no championship points. That didn't stop him from pursuing automotive excellence. Above: De Tamaso Vallelunga. By Rikita - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0Top: Alejandro de Tomaso with a Ford powered Pantera at Ford HQ. In 1959 he founded the De...
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May 12, 1988 – The Ford Probe, the car that could have been the next Mustang, debuts
12May By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

May 12, 1988 – The Ford Probe, the car that could have been the next Mustang, debuts

1991 Ford Probe The Ford Probe may have a funny name, but it could have been worse: Mustang. As front-wheel-drive platforms became more popular with consumers in the 1980s, the brass at Ford had a vision; an all new FWD Ford Mustang. Furthermore, intentions saw the all American Pony Car receiving Japanese underpinnings courtesy of Ford's relationship with Mazda. This of course meant no V8 option. Oh, the misery! To add to the excitement, the car would be built on the Mazda G Platform. This being the base for Mazda's gutless sedan known as the 626 in North America. While internal disagreements at Ford had been raging for some time as to weather the car should be the next Mustang, the buying public would put the final nail in the coffin. After Ford's plan ended up on the cover of Aut...
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May 8, 1956 – HFII resigns as Ford Foundation chairman
8May By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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May 8, 1956 – HFII resigns as Ford Foundation chairman

Henry Ford II The Ford Foundation was founded in 1936 with a mission statement that claimed it was created “for scientific, educational and charitable purposes, all for the public welfare.” On this day in 1956 Henry Ford II resigned as its chairman. Until the founding of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, The Ford Foundation continually ranked as the highest giving US non-profit.  A few highlights of the Foundations work include its first grant to support the development of the public broadcasting system, then known as National Educational Television (NET), which went on the air in 1952. In 1969 the Foundation gave US$1 million to the Children's Television Workshop to help create and launch Sesame Street. In 1972, the Foundation provided a three-year, $1.2 million g...
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April 26, 1948 – Ford begins 1949 model production featuring first post war Big 3 Design
26Apr By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
Business

April 26, 1948 – Ford begins 1949 model production featuring first post war Big 3 Design

1949 Ford (Ford Motor Company) At the time World War II broke out the auto industry was pushing many revolutionary ideas. Among them, Studebaker released its first car with automatic hidden headlights and General Motors offered automatic transmissions in a variety of their models. When the conflict erupted on US soil in December 1941, the efforts of automakers shifted to wartime production. Designers and engineers once tasked with developing the next great automobile now raced to design vehicles, planes, weapons and other items that would help take down hostile enemies on two different fronts. The task left no room for civilian automotive production, let alone design. When the Nazis finally surrendered in May of 1945, Ford began to prep their factories for a return to normalcy, despite...
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Five 1950s project cars for $5,000 or less
18Apr By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
Cheap Classic Cars

Five 1950s project cars for $5,000 or less

By Cody Clark Every day, classic cars become more expensive. But for $5,000, can you still drive around in a relic from America’s golden era of motoring? While these project cars for sale on Craigslist may not be the best examples of the height of American manufacturing, they prove that on a budget there are still cars out there that require just a few very long weekends to roar back to life. Great investments start when the car can’t lose any more value, right? 1955 Chrysler for sale This 1955 Chrysler Windsor is available in Long Beach, CA for $3,600. It looks like it still has a few years before it rusts fully into the ground, and the seller states the engine turns. The dash mounted shifter, ‘Power steering’ label on the steering wheel and extremely wide white walls make t...
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April 17, 1964 – The Ford Mustang goes on sale
17Apr By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

April 17, 1964 – The Ford Mustang goes on sale

Picture yourself the New York Auto Show on this day in 1964. You're in a huge crowd, gathered to hear Henry Ford II, grandson of Henry Ford, make a monumental announcement. He begins his speech, puffing up a balloon of anticipation. Then POP!  The curtain drops and you feast your eyes on an all new car! The pony car revolution is about to blossom. A bomb has been dropped on the auto industry, catapulting American sports cars into a spotlight that previously shined only on the Europeans. The Ford Mustang is here. 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang On the same day the car debuted at the show, dealers began sales to the general public. Approximately 22,000 of them sold the first day on the market. Within 18 months, more than 1,000,000 Mustangs were sitting in driveways all across the world...
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April 11, 1888 – Henry Ford marries Clara Bryant
11Apr By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

April 11, 1888 – Henry Ford marries Clara Bryant

Clara Jane Bryant and Henry Ford tied the knot on this day in 1888, Clara’s 22nd birthday. The ceremony took place at her parents’ home in Greenfield Township, Michigan. Over the next 50 years Clara stood next to Henry as the Ford Motor Company grew into a global manufacturing behemoth. The couple originally met at a New Year’s dance in 1885 and were engaged in 1886. Clara’s mother said she was too young to marry and made them wait two more years. In 1891 the couple moved from the farmland that Henry received from his father to Detroit when Henry took a job at the Edison Illuminating Company. The couple had one child, Edsel, and were married until Henry’s death in 1947. She passed about three years later in 1950.
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April 7, 1947- Henry Ford dies
7Apr By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

April 7, 1947- Henry Ford dies

Henry Ford, with son Edsel, standing with the 15 millionth Ford and the original Quadricycle. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, passed away at age 83 on this day in 1947 at his estate in Dearborn, Michigan. The cause of death being a cerebral hemorrhage. But, to get to the end, we must start at the beginning. Born July 30, 1863, Ford grew up in small town outside of Detroit, Michigan on a family farm. After his father gifted him a timepiece, he took it apart and put it back together, gaining an understanding of its mechanics. He'd later move to Detroit to become an apprentice machinist and later became a steam engine repair man. After gaining more experience in engines and electrical devices, h Edison Illuminating Company hired him as an engineer in 1891. After a promotion in ...
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March 26, 2008 – Ford sells Jaguar & Land Rover
26Mar By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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March 26, 2008 – Ford sells Jaguar & Land Rover

On this day in 2006, Ford named Tata Motors, a part of conglomerate Tata Group, as the preferred bidder to purchase Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Company. The deal closed the following June to the tune of $2.3 billion. This was about half of what Ford purchased them in 2000. Under the terms of the deal, Ford also had to return Tata up to $600 million following the sale to make up for any shortfalls in the two brands’ pension plans. Ford offloaded the brands during a major company overhaul following a two year loss of $15 billion. Above: Ford era Land Rover Range RoverTop: 2008 Jaguar XF At the time of the purchase, Tata Group focused on overseas acquisitions of everything from coffee companies to manufacturing businesses. Tata had no intention of making any major changes...
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