Ford research
Ford history: from the 1903 Model A to the Mustang, F-150 and Raptor
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Ford Motor Company was created on June 16, 1903, when Henry Ford and 12 others invested $28,000. Its Model T (1908) and moving assembly line made cars affordable, and Ford bought Lincoln in 1922. The F-Series, launched in 1948, has been America's best-selling truck every year since 1977.
Ford history timeline
The milestones below link to a full history page for each model, with years and production numbers, key variants, what changed by generation and what to check before you buy one.
1903
Ford Motor Company founded
Henry Ford and 12 other investors put up $28,000 to create Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903. That July it sold its first car, a two-cylinder Model A assembled at the Mack Avenue plant in Detroit.[1],[2]
1908
Model T
The Model T went on sale on October 1, 1908, at $825 by Ford's account. More than 15 million were built by May 1927.[3],[4],[5]
1913
Moving assembly line
Ford began moving-line experiments at Highland Park in April 1913. By early 1914 continuous lines produced a finished Model T every 93 minutes, compared with 12½ hours before.[2],[6]
1914
The Five Dollar Day
Announced on January 5, 1914 and effective January 12, Ford's $5 daily wage for an eight-hour day replaced $2.34 for nine hours, aimed at cutting worker turnover.[2],[7]
1922
Lincoln acquired
Ford bought the Lincoln Motor Company, founded by Henry and Wilfred Leland in 1917, for $8 million on February 4, 1922, after it entered receivership. Edsel Ford became Lincoln's president.[2],[8]
1932
Flathead V8
The first car with Ford's V8, cast as a single block, was built on March 9, 1932. Casting it in one piece let Ford sell a V8 car for under $500, and the design stayed in production with changes until 1953.[2],[9]
1948
F-Series pickups
The F-1 launched the F-Series, Ford's first post-war truck line. The F-150 name followed in 1975.[10]
1964
Mustang
Ford announced the Mustang at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964. More than 22,000 were ordered the first weekend and more than 420,000 sold in the first calendar year.[11]
1966
GT40 wins Le Mans
Ford GT40s finished 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, led by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon — the first Le Mans win for an American-built car and the first of four in a row.[12]
1966
Bronco
Don Frey introduced the Bronco on August 11, 1965, as a 1966 model, in Roadster, Sports Utility and Wagon versions. Ford built 1,148,926 by 1996.[13]
1979
Fox-platform Mustang
The third-generation Mustang moved to Ford's Fox platform for the 1979 model year.[14],[15]
1993
SVT Lightning and Cobra
Ford's Special Vehicle Team, formed in 1991, launched its first two products for 1993: the SVT Mustang Cobra and the F-150 SVT Lightning.[10],[16],[17]
1999
Super Duty
For the 1999 model year Ford split its heavy-duty pickups from the F-150 as the Super Duty, with the 7.3 Power Stroke diesel and the first V10 in a Ford truck.[18]
2005
Ford GT
The Ford GT supercar, a modern tribute to the GT40, went into production for the 2005 model year.[19]
2010
F-150 Raptor
The first F-150 Raptor arrived for 2010 with a choice of 5.4- or 6.2-liter V8.[10]
2021
Bronco returns
After a 25-year absence, the Bronco returned for 2021 in two-door and first-ever four-door forms, with the smaller Bronco Sport alongside.[20],[21]
2022
F-150 Lightning EV
Ford began building the all-electric F-150 Lightning in 2022, reviving the Lightning name.[22]
Mustang generations at a glance
| Generation | Model years | Published production / sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st generation | 1964½ (1965)–1973 | ~417,000 in first 12 months; 1 millionth built March 1966; 317,423 built for 1968; 191,522 for 1970; just over 410,000 for 1971–73 |
| Mustang II | 1974–1978 | over 1.1 million sold |
| Fox body | 1979–1993 | 2,608,705 sold (sum of Hagerty's yearly figures) |
| SN95 / New Edge | 1994–2004 | more than 1.5 million built |
| S197 | 2005–2014 | more than 1 million sold in the US |
| S550 | 2015–2023 | not published |
| S650 | 2024–today | not published |
| All generations | 1964–2018 | 10,000,000th Mustang built August 2018 (Flat Rock, Michigan) |
Full detail, production numbers and buying advice: Mustang generations and history.
F-Series and F-150 generations at a glance
| Generation | Model years | What defined it |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (F-1) | 1948–1952 | First F-Series; F-1 half-ton plus heavier models; inline six or V8 |
| 2nd (F-100) | 1953–1956 | F-1 renamed F-100; first automatic transmission in the series |
| 3rd | 1957–1960 | Styleside body with a wider bed |
| 4th | 1961–1966 | Integrated cab-and-bed option (1961–1962) |
| 5th | 1967–1972 | — |
| 6th | 1973–1979 | F-150 name introduced for 1975 |
| 7th | 1980–1986 | 17-character VINs from model year 1981 |
| 8th | 1987–1991 | — |
| 9th | 1992–1996 | — |
| 10th | 1997–2003 (F-150) | Rounded redesign; Triton modular V8s; SuperCrew four-door from 2001; Super Duty split off for 1999 |
| 11th | 2004–2008 | Fully boxed frame |
| 12th | 2009–2014 | 3.5 EcoBoost and 5.0 V8 from 2011; first Raptor |
| 13th | 2015–2020 | Aluminum-alloy body, up to 700 lb lighter; 2.7 EcoBoost |
| 14th | 2021–today | PowerBoost hybrid, Pro Power Onboard; Lightning EV |
Engines, changes by generation and buying advice: F-150 generations and history.
Every Ford model history
Mustang and Shelby
- Ford Mustang history (1964–today)
- Fox body Mustang history (1979–1993)
- Ford Mustang Mach 1 history (1969–1978, 2003–2004, 2021–2023)
- Mustang Boss 302 history (1969–1970, 2012–2013)
- Shelby GT350 history (1965–1970, 2015–2020)
- Shelby GT500 history (1967–1970, 2007–2014, 2020–2022)
F-Series trucks
- Ford F-150 history (1948–today (F-150 name since 1975))
- Ford Super Duty history (1999–today)
- Ford F-150 Raptor history (2010–today)
- Ford Lightning history (1993–1995, 1999–2004, 2022–2025)
Bronco and off-road
- Ford Bronco history (1966–1996, 2021–today)
- Ford Bronco Raptor history (2022–today)
- Ford Ranger Raptor history (2018–today)
Racing, supercars and the early years
- Ford GT40 history (1964–1969)
- Ford GT history (2004–2006, 2016–2022 (Mk IV track car from 2023))
- Ford Model T history (1908–1927)
How to check a Ford's factory build
Standardized 17-character VINs began with model year 1981[34]. For a 1981-or-later Ford, CarWhere can check for detailed build data — trim, paint, interior, engine, axle and installed option packages — and decode it: see the Ford build sheet by VIN. For earlier cars, the door data (warranty) plate carries the original factory codes, and The Henry Ford's Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn holds extensive Ford Motor Company historical collections.[35]
Frequently asked questions
When was Ford founded?
Ford Motor Company was created on June 16, 1903, when Henry Ford and 12 other investors put up $28,000. (The Henry Ford's chronology dates the formal organization to June 17.)
What was Ford's first car?
The 1903 Model A, a two-cylinder car assembled at the Mack Avenue plant in Detroit. Ford sold its first one in July 1903.
Who owns Lincoln?
Ford Motor Company. Ford bought Lincoln, founded by Henry and Wilfred Leland in 1917, for $8 million in February 1922.
What is the best-selling Ford ever?
The F-Series pickup line: Ford says it has sold more than 34 million trucks since 1977 and has been America's best-selling truck for 49 straight years. The Model T, at more than 15 million, was Ford's best-selling model of its era.
When did Ford introduce the assembly line?
Ford began moving-line experiments at Highland Park in 1913, and by early 1914 continuous lines built a Model T every 93 minutes instead of 12½ hours.
More Ford research
Sources
Production figures and dates come from Ford Motor Company, the Ford Media Center, Ford Performance and The Henry Ford wherever available; auction figures are public results from the auction house. Market medians are CarWhere's own analysis of live US dealer listings from licensed vehicle-data providers.
- Life of Henry Ford — Ford Motor Company (corporate history)
- Ford Motor Company Chronology, 1903–2003 — The Henry Ford
- Ford's Model T: A Car for the Great Multitude — The Henry Ford
- The Moving Assembly Line and the Five-Dollar Workday — Ford Motor Company (corporate history)
- Fifteen-Millionth Ford Car on Assembly Line on the Last Day of Model T Production, May 26, 1927 — The Henry Ford
- Ford Methods and the Ford Shops — The Henry Ford
- Ford's Five Dollar Day — The Henry Ford
- Lincoln Motor Company History — The Henry Ford
- Ford's Game-Changing V-8 Engine — The Henry Ford
- The Ford F-150 pickup truck over the years: A brief history (June 26, 2020) — Motor Authority
- Birth of the Mustang — Ford Motor Company (corporate history)
- Ford Racing History: From Henry Ford's First Win to Mustang GTD (Oct. 10, 2025) — Ford Motor Company (From the Road)
- The Ford Bronco — Ford Motor Company (corporate history)
- Your handy 1979–93 Ford Mustang (Fox-body) buyer's guide — Hagerty Media (July 2021)
- Ford Mustang generations: every pony car from 1965 to today — Motor1.com
- Ford's first muscle truck, the SVT Lightning, is still an affordable classic — Hagerty
- Special Vehicle Team — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
- A Look Back At The First Ford F-Series Super Duty Truck (Mar. 15, 2024) — SlashGear
- 2005 Ford GT (Motor City 2015, Lot 131) — RM Sotheby's
- A brief history of the Ford Bronco generations — Hagerty
- 2021 Ford Bronco presented, along with the Bronco Sport — Auto123
- Ford F-150 Lightning Truck: production begins (April 26, 2022) — Ford Motor Company (corporate.ford.com)
- Mustang facts, 1964–1973 (Ford News Center release, archived copy) — Ford Motor Company
- Ford celebrates 1 millionth Mustang (March 2, 1966) — HISTORY.com
- Anticipating the 2021 Mustang Mach 1, we look back at the original run — Hagerty Media (April 2020)
- Your Handy 1994–2004 Ford Mustang (SN95) Buyer's Guide — Hagerty Media (May 2024)
- 2005–2014 Ford Mustang market data — Hagerty
- Ford feiert Produktion des 10-millionsten Ford Mustang (August 2018) — Ford Media Center
- Ford F-Series — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
- Ford F-Series (tenth generation) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
- Preview: 2015 Ford F-150 (Ford release, Jan. 13, 2014) — Winding Road
- 2015 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost Makes 325 HP, 375 LB-FT (July 2014) — AutoGuide
- 2021 Ford F-150 Revealed: PowerBoost Hybrid Targets Best-in-Class Towing and 700-Mile Range (June 2020) — AutoGuide
- 49 CFR Part 565 — Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) requirements — eCFR (U.S. Government)
- Research Services — Benson Ford Research Center — The Henry Ford
Independent reference compiled by CarWhere Research — not affiliated with or endorsed by Ford Motor Company or Shelby American. Ford, Mustang, F-150, Bronco, Raptor, Shelby, GT500 and the other model names are trademarks of their owners.