Ford Rouge
Timeline
Henry Ford had a vision of an ideal automotive “ore to assembly” complex, where every aspect of production could be processed, manufactured and assembled in one place. From tractors to cars, military jeeps, tank engines and even amphibious vehicles, and later celebrated cars like the Ford Mustang, the Rouge’s production history stands as a hallmark of the times.
| 1903 | Ford Motor Company founded |
| 1906 | Ford Motor Company becomes America’s largest car manufacturer producing 8,729 cars |
| 1908 | Ford introduces the Model T |
| 1908 | William C. Durant forms General Motors |
| 1910 | Ford opens the Highland Park Plant |
| 1913 | Ford engineers introduce a moving assembly line for auto production |
| 1914 | Ford introduces the $5 day wage for hourly workers |
| 1915 | Henry Ford purchases 2,000 acres of marshland along the Rouge River in Dearborn |
| 1917 | Construction of Rouge Plant begins |
| 1918 | First products of the Rouge are Eagle Boats for the US Navy |
| 1921 | Fordson tractor production begins at Rouge Plant |
| 1924 | First public tours of the Rouge Plant |
| 1925 | Walter P. Chrysler reorganizes Maxwell Motor Corp. into Chrysler Corp. |
| 1926 | Ford adopts 40 hour work week |
| 1927 | Model T production ends after more than 15 million are produced |
| 1927 | Ford loses first place in sales to Chevrolet |
| 1927 | Model A production begins at Rouge |
| 1928 | Tractor production discontinued at the Rouge |
| 1928 | Ford regains first place in sales |
| 1929 | Total Rouge employment climbs to 103,000 |
| 1932 | First V-8 Ford car produced at Rouge |
| 1937 | Union organizers stage massive “sit-in” strikes at General Motors’ plants in Flint |
| 1937 | Ford Service men attack union organizers in what becomes known as The Battle of the Overpass |
| 1941 | Ford signs contract with United Auto Workers, the last major auto company to do so |
| 1942 | World War II halts civilian car production |
| 1943-45 | War production at the Rouge contributes to Detroit’s reputation as “The Arsenal of Democracy” |
| 1945 | Ford civilian truck and auto production resumes |
| 1946 | 75,000 employed at the Rouge |
| 1949 | Ford introduces the first all-new cars built at the Rouge since World War II |
| 1953 | 60,000 employed at the Rouge |
| 1953 | The first Ford Thunderbird rolls off the line at the Rouge |
| 1965 | Ford Mustang begins production at the Rouge |
| 1965 | New yearly record for Rouge Plant Tours set with 239,669 visitors |
| 1971 | All-time yearly record for Rouge Plant tours set with 243,175 visitors |
| 1980 | Rouge Plant tours end |
| 1997 | UAW and Ford Motor Company sign Rouge Viability Agreement to revitalize the Rouge |
| 1999 | Six workers are killed in an explosion at the Rouge Power House |
| 2004 | New F-150 truck production begins at the Rouge in a newly constructed, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility |
| 2004 | Ford Rouge Factory Tours resume |
| 2004 | F-Series sets all-new U.S. sales record: 939,511 |
| 2008 | Ford launches an all-new version of the Ford F-150 and the first ever ultra-luxury F-150 platinum edition |
| 2009 | Ford Launched a totally redesigned and updated F-150 |
| 2010 | Ford launched the SVT Raptor. A dedicated off-road pickup |
| 2011 | Ford introduced a new engine line up for the F-150 to include a 3.7-liter V6 and a twin turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost |
| 2014 | Ford introduced the Tremor model of the F-150 |
| 2015 | Ford introduced a completely redesigned F-150 by shedding 700lbs. They introduced a military grade aluminum alloy for the body instead of steel |
| 2017 | The 2018 F-150 receives the Motor Trend Truck of the Year |
| 2019 | The Diesel Engine becomes optional for Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum |
| 2021 | Ford Unveils 2022 all Electric F-150 Lightning |
