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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 11, 2003 - FORD 5 ittcxW S'S a m /% - /4 i/f iy y / w w i/i Ford has been building cars in Canada since 1904 Cintas C a n a d aispleased toCongratulateFordO akvllle o ntheir50thAnniversary Proud to supply Ford with uniforms and entrance mats. Best Wishes and continued success from the Cintas Team 1-800-Cintas - 1 On August 17, 1904, the Ford M otor Company o f Canada was officially formed. On May 11, 1953, the first car rolled o ff the line a t the Oakville plant which, in fact was the 2 ,794,525th car Ford had built in Canada. Story by Graeme Fletcher The first Ford factory in Canada was not your usual branch plant owned and operated by a distant parent. It was the handiwork of a Walkerville, Ontario, wagon maker name George M. McGregor, a man who want ed to get into the automobile business. On August 17, 1904, the Ford Motor Company of Canada was officially formed. The first car - a 1905 Model C - was built in October of that year. The Model C was a two cylinder, lightweight vehicle that had the engine under the seat and a fake hood out front. A grant total of 107 Model C's were built in the first full year of production. In 1909 the Model T , a car that became an instant and lasting success, was introduced. The price then was 51,150. By 1912, the price had dropped to just S750 for the same car. There was a simple reason for the dramatic drop in price. Henry Ford believed that "a quality product should be made in ever-increasing vol ume and be sold more and more cheaply." This was honest marketing at its very best. In accordance with Ford's philosophy, the price of a 1925 Model T road ster had stopped to 5395. Not coincidently, the num ber built that year 100,611, was the best to date. In 1925, Ford was looking for a dramatic and spec tacular way of celebrating their 21st year in Canada and the introduction of the new and " improved" 1926 Model T . In the end, they decided to take on of their new touring cars from coast to coast, entirely under its own power. And so on September 8,1925, the epic journey started. Forty days after dipping the rear wheels in the Atlantic Ocean in Halifax, they arrived in Vancouver on October 17. The next milestone in Ford's evolution came in 1931, when the one millionth Ford produced in Canada, a Model A, rolled off the line. In November of 1951, with the need for more pro duction capacity growing, ground was broken in Oakville, Ontario, to mark the start of construction on. a totally new 311/2 acre assembly plant. On May 11, 1953, the first rolled off the line. While this car was No. 1 at the Oakville plant, it was, in fact, the 2,794,525th car Ford had built in Canada. Between 1953 and 1966, the Oakville assembly plant also built both Ford and Mercury trucks, ranging from 100 to the 1100 series. The item of interest here being that the Mercury trucks were only built in Canada. The other commercial vehicle built in the plant was the Econoline. In 1962, Ford moved their corporate head office to the Oakville complex. Then in March of 1966, they opened the Ontario Truck Plant. Prior to the addition of the truck plant, both cars and trucks were built in Oakville. The icing on the cake came in May of 1992, when Ford opened their state-of-the-art paint facility. | n m n .M M i.u w ciNite. 1903. Font Motor Company is Incorporated by Henry Font and 11 investors. 1932. The Model Y was launched. The first car specifically designed for Europe. 1964. Mustang was introduced as the first truly exciting sports car. 1991. The Explorer helped make " S U V a household word. 1908. Introduced the Model T. In 18 years, more than 15 mtfion cars were sold. 1954. The Thundertord roared in and the racy two-seater quickly became an American classic. 1986. The Taurus introduced a new industry-styling standard for aerodynamic design. 2003. Ford Motor Company celebrates its Centennial Anniversary. As a supplier to Ford for over 20 years, we want to thank you for allowing us to be a part of your many milestones. Happy Anniversary. Beyond today's standards'. ·Marque oe commerce ae PrtroCanada TraoemarK PfTROCAHAOA '