Ford, Not Built Tough

Are poor people naturally attracted to Fords? My family was poor, so when I was growing up we had 3 or 4 Ford vehicles, and every single one we owned was a pile of junk! One of our first Fords was a late 80’s candy apple red Ford Mustang. We were so proud of that car! Our pride was short lived, because the engine caught on fire and burned the car up (good thing it happened while nobody was in it). We also owned a 92 Ford Probe and when we bought the car my mom said that it was the fastest car on the road. The Probe was so fast, it even had a special “Turbo” button that my mom would let us push to make us go even faster. After a year or so of dealing with issue after issue, the frame snapped in half and my mom was stuck in the middle of the desert (very negative experience for her). My father also owned a mid 90’s Ford Ranger as a work truck. He ended up having to rebuild the whole drive train, and decided to sell it before anything else went wrong.

If you didn't figured it out by the title, I’m sure you can tell that I am not fond of Ford Motor Company. All of my memories of owning a Ford are negative ones, but I’m sure there were some good experiences as well. I’m sure Ford makes good cars too; I have just never seen one.

Henry Ford driving "Sweepstakes"

In 1901 Henry Ford proved to everyone that he could build the most reliable car around. He built his custom racecar named “Sweepstakes” with newly invented technologies that we still use today. Ford entered his first race ever against Alexander Winton (The best builder/racer of that era). Back then racecars always had 2 men in them, one being the driver and the other being the mechanic (who was constantly fixing the car during the race). Racecars were not reliable by any means, and this was where Henry Ford’s new racecar would show the world that it was the best car ever made. On the 8^th lap of the race, the “Winton Motor Carriage” began to break down, and Henry Ford in his reliable racecar was able to pass him. Henry Ford finished the race as the winner. This was Henry Ford’s first and last race. His victory later gave him the leverage and backing to Incorporate Ford Motor Company, and build the very successful consumer car “Ford Model A”. Ford has been one of the most successful carmakers ever since; but they have had their ups and downs, just like every other carmaker.

Henry Ford

Ford continues to market their vehicles in being the “most reliable”; they take pride in the fact that their automobiles are American made. In my opinion, Ford Motor Company lost the right to be deemed “reliable” in the 1980’s. Sure they had some decent cars, but they were not to Henry Ford’s standards of reliability. After researching Ford, and learning about Henry Ford’s great victory (a corner stone in history for Ford Motor Company), I have gained a great deal of respect for him, and where Ford Motor Company came from. Over the past 5-10 years Ford has been improving their vehicles. I might even agree to drive one as a rental car. During those decades when they were crap, it ruined the idea of ever wanting to own one. 

Ford Motor Company's mission statement is to be viable and profitable for all. I agree that it has been a very profitable company for all involved, and I think that with any big corporation, the cost cuts that inevitably happen usually give the consumer the short end of the stick. That's probably what happened those years they couldn't put out a reliable vehicle. In today's age corporations have to keep the customer first or they wont last. That is why customer service and quality products are important to any company in todays world. Consumers have the ability to research and read through other consumer's reviews before they make the "educated" decision to buy anything. In closing, I feel that Ford Motor Company, and most other car manufacturers are becoming more reliable. However, I still have a sour feeling in my gut when I see a Ford emblem.

Photo Credits

1. Calvin and Hobbes Peeing on Ford: google images

2. Henry Ford driving Sweepstakes: hfha.org

3. Henry Ford Photo: google images

Research performed on:

Ford.com

Wikipedia.com