It is usual for a company to have a few secrets, especially the big ones out there. However, the nature and weight of the secrets of some of these companies simply cannot be ignored, Ford Motor Companies being one of them. It has a dark side which it has tried to sweep under the rug for them to remain relevant and essential in the automobile industry. Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for us), a lot of them have been exposed to the world.
Ford Motor Company was established in 1903 by Henry Ford, a business tycoon, and industrialist. He wasn’t quite tolerant of people, which made him responsible for most of the secrets that Ford has needed to hide. Even though he is known as the father of today’s automobile, some of his actions were unacceptable and horrifying.
Here are 15 secrets Ford Motor Company doesn’t want you to know:
15 Iron Fist
Ford is known for having been generous to his employees, but he ruled with a lot of strictness at the same time. During his regime, his workers were kept an eye on, both at work and when they were off the clock. He also ensured that each worker followed the time present in their contract without a single exception.
14 Fordlandia
Fordlandia wasn’t a bad idea, but it simply wasn’t meant to be. The tragic part of this failure is that the locals were very excited for it to bear fruit, and when it didn’t work out, they were sad to see all the opportunities they could have possibly had vanish.
13 Firestone
This is to do with an incident in the early 2000s, which resulted in a tragedy. The Firestone 235-series-tires had some defects, being prone to an extremely high rate of tread separation. The New York Times reported in August 2000 that Ford knew about these defects beforehand.
12 Taking Charge
In the latter half of Ford’s career, he decided to become involved in government activities. However, he ensured that he would do things on his own accord instead of acting on the wishes of the government. He made a thousand airplanes a day for them on the condition that it would be without their supervision.
11 Nazis
When the second world war commenced, the Ford plant present in Germany didn’t have a choice but to make vehicles for the German army. The Germans used slave labor during that time, and the factory became a location focused on the German war effort. Later on, Ford stated that the German Ford division was a complete loss.
10 Thomas Edison
It is a big surprise to hear that two of the greatest inventors of all time were acquainted with each other. Edison is the one who encouraged Ford to continue working on his engines, knowing that they had the potential to make a huge difference to the world.
9 The Batmobile
Ford is responsible for the creation of the Batmobile. He called it the “Lincoln Futura,” and it was a concept car presented in an automotive show in Italy. This vehicle inspired the creation of the Batmobile. Thus, Ford can be credited for having a significant influence on pop culture too.
8 The Ford Vents
When the Ford GT was released, it had a number of amazing features to present. Its intercooler vents could be added within the center tail light assembly, but upon close inspection, it was seen that you could see the exchanger grill through it too. That is a pretty cool detail to have.
7 Religion
An Awakening Times article revealed that Henry Ford believed that he could figure out your religion just by looking at you and observing your actions. Besides that, he would always be encouraging and pushing everyone to go to church even though he wasn’t a goer himself.
6 Anti-Semitism
Henry Ford is a greatly admired and respected figure. He fought for his words to be paid well and ensured that they were part of a safe and clean work environment. That’s why it is a shocker to believe that he is the same man who created a newspaper for the promotion of Anti-Semitic teachings.
5 Nuclear Power
When nuclear power was discovered in the 1950s, everyone talked about it like it was the next big thing. At that time, Ford realized that it was an opportunity for him to create a car that could be powered by a nuclear reactor. He called it “nucleon,” and it was scrapped due to the impracticality of it.
4 Ford Probe
Back in the day, Ford decided to get rid of the Mustang. As a replacement, they made Mazda work on the Probe. Once this became known, fans started a letter-writing campaign to Ford to convince him not to discontinue the Mustang.
3 Toyota
Once Ford began to enjoy success in the US, Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese businessman, was inspired by everything he had achieved. Toyoda and his son Toyota began to work together to create one of the best car brands of today. Thus, Ford didn’t just change the landscape of the automobile industry; he inspired others to do the same too.
2 Secret Car Collection
There is a warehouse with a collection of almost all cars that Ford has ever created close to the Ford Dagenham factory in England. It has all the cars which sum up the 113 years of Ford from Cortinas to Cosworths. These cars have all been kept in brand-new condition.
1 Monster Truck
The first-ever monster truck was created in 1975 by Bob Chandler. The chassis of the truck was a part of the Ford F series and was known as Bigfoot 1 due to its immense size. This truck is responsible for creating the professional wrestling culture of the motorsport world.