Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but he essentially put most of the world on wheels; and while he didn’t invent the assembly line, he perfected it to create the basic processes still used today.
The Ford Motor Company that exists today was actually Henry’s third venture, after his first two failed to get off the ground. The second was taken over by one its directors, Henry Leland, who renamed it Cadillac to build his own car. He later sold the company to General Motors …
Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but he essentially put most of the world on wheels; and while he didn’t invent the assembly line, he perfected it to create the basic processes still used today.
The Ford Motor Company that exists today was actually Henry’s third venture, after his first two failed to get off the ground. The second was taken over by one its directors, Henry Leland, who renamed it Cadillac to build his own car. He later sold the company to General Motors and then founded Lincoln – and Henry Ford eventually bought that from him.
The first production Ford was the 1903 Model A, followed by the Model B, Model C, and so on. Some were large and luxurious, and priced to match; but Henry Ford’s vision was to build a simple car that most people could afford. That was the Model T, unveiled in late 1908. The following year he discontinued everything else, and until its retirement in 1927, with a record 15-million-plus sold, every Ford factory worldwide made nothing but the Model T and heavier-duty Ford Model TT truck.
Ford of Canada was founded in 1904. Gordon McGregor, who headed up the Walkerville Wagon Works in what would eventually become part of Windsor, Ont., convinced his investors to look into Henry’s new venture. Ford granted McGregor license to build the cars, which were sold not just in Canada but shipped across the British Empire. In 1953, a new plant was built in Oakville, Ont., closer to Toronto, and Ford of Canada moved its headquarters there.
When the Model T was retired, Henry went back to the beginning of the alphabet for his popular 1928 Model A. In 1932 he introduced his first V8, in a stylish car that would later become the quintessential “Deuce” hot rod.
During the Second World War, when all Canadian and U.S. auto plants stopped building cars to make war materials, Ford’s output included jeeps and tanks, along with B-24 bombers built in its massive new Willow Run plant in Michigan. At war’s end, it introduced its all-new 1949 model, dubbed the “Shoebox” for its handsome squared-off styling and integrated fenders.
Chevrolet had unveiled its new Corvette for 1953, and Ford countered with its Thunderbird in 1955. It redesigned almost all of its lineup for 1957, and that year outsold Chevrolet for the first time since 1935.
Big news came in April of 1964, when Ford unwrapped a new car called the Mustang. It wasn’t all that quick, not in its early days, but Ford sold more than 121,000 copies of it in just its first five months – and, of course, it’s still in the lineup today and offered in variants right up to track-ready.
Ford also made commercial vehicles, starting with delivery vans based on its Model C car in 1905. When the Model T arrived, aftermarket companies offered owners truck bodies for them. In 1925, Ford offered its first pickup, ready to go directly from the factory; and from there, trucks were always part of the lineup.
For 1948, Ford completely redesigned its pickups and dubbed them the “F-Series,” with the half-ton named the F-1, and heavier-duty models up to the F-8. The trucks got another makeover in 1953. The F-1 became the F-100, while others were tweaked and combined: the F-2 and F-3 became the F-250, while the F-4 was now the F-350.
For 1975, Ford introduced a heavier-duty half-ton, which provided buyers with extra capability and with weight ratings that avoided new U.S. emissions requirements. It was the F-150, and popular enough that the F-100 bowed out after 1983. Today, the F-Series is not only Ford’s best-seller, but it’s also the top-selling truck, and most years, the top-selling vehicle overall in Canada and the U.S.
Ford continued to offer passenger cars, including the Fusion, Fiesta, Taurus, and Focus; but with the rise of SUVs, it phased out its last sedan in Canada and the U.S. by 2022, and now the Mustang is its only car. Its current SUV lineup includes the Bronco Sport, Explorer, Expedition, and the all-electric Mustang Mach-E. There’s also the Bronco, a tough, body-on-frame model that competes head-on with the Jeep Wrangler, and bearing the iconic name from a funky little Ford off-roader introduced for 1966.
Ford’s truck lineup covers the full-size F-Series, midsize Ranger, and compact Maverick. That last one is based on the Bronco Sport unibody platform, available in gas-only or as a hybrid, and has proven to be very popular. There will also be an upcoming electric midsize truck called the Fathom. In addition to its Super Duty trucks, its commercial division includes the full-size Transit van, which also comes as an electric model. The automaker has certainly come a long way from Ford’s very first Model A.
Ford reliability
Ford started the decade with numerous quality issues and recalls, and management ultimately initiated improvement measures, including holding vehicles at the factory for extra checks before they were delivered. That hasn’t yet put Ford at the top of the reliability lists, but it has improved its standings. In 2020, Consumer Reports ranked it in 22nd place for reliability among brands, with a score of 38/100; at the end of 2025, it had moved up to 11th place, scoring 48/100. The 2021 F-150 rated 31/100 for reliability, and the publication said it was “much less reliable” than similar models; but for 2026, the F-150 has moved up to 43/100 and is expected to have “about average reliability” when compared to other new trucks.
In the 2026 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, which looks at three-year-old vehicles, Ford ranked 19th among all automakers for its 2023 model-year vehicles. But in the 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study, which asks owners about issues after three months of ownership, Ford ranked third among all automakers, and first among mainstream brands.
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