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81-444: The roots of the MN12 program began in 1984 when Ford sought to build on the success of the then-current, Fox body -based Thunderbird and Cougar. Going beyond unique styling, Ford wanted to produce a Thunderbird and Cougar that could compete with more sophisticated and higher performing cars from European automakers such as BMW . To accomplish this, Ford needed to develop a new platform since

162-678: A 2.3 L inline-4 to a 5.0 L V8. To further improve the fuel economy of Lincoln Fox-platform vehicles in the 1980s, the platform was adapted for the use of BMW diesel inline-6 engines. The Fox platform was produced in four separate wheelbases, 100.5 inches (for the Ford Mustang/Mercury Capri; lengthened to 101.3 for the SN95 redesign), 104.2 inches (1983–1988 Thunderbird/Cougar), 105.5 inches ("standard"; sedans/wagons), and 108.5 inches ("long"; 1980 Thunderbird/Cougar XR7/ Continental Mark VII/ Lincoln Mark VII/ Lincoln Continental). During

243-619: A Fox platform mid-size sedan for the 1982 model year (again giving Lincoln a Cadillac Seville competitor). To eliminate further duplication, the Continental Mark VI lived out its model cycle and was replaced by the far more contemporary Mark VII for 1984. For 1983, the Ford and Mercury product ranges saw a number of extensive changes. To move its full-size nameplates upmarket, the Ford LTD Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis became

324-488: A big edge in marketing, production, and technological innovation. Most of the Big Three's competitors ended production by the 1960s, and their last major domestic competitor- American Motors Corporation, was acquired in 1987. Crosley Motors ceased auto production in 1952. Packard and Studebaker merged in 1954, but ended production of Packard-branded cars in 1958 and ceased all auto production in 1966. Kaiser-Frazer Corporation

405-520: A decision that was revised in 1982. With the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act of 1965, emission controls began being instituted in 1968. The use of leaded gasoline began being curtailed in the early 1970s, which resulted in lower-compression engines being used, and thus reducing horsepower and performance. Catalytic converters began being widely used by

486-532: A four-wheeled car. Selden filed a series of amendments to his application which stretched out the legal process, resulting in a delay of 16 years before the patent was granted on 5 November 1895. Selden licensed his patent to most major American automakers, collecting a fee on each car they produced and creating the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers . The Ford Motor Company fought this patent in court, and eventually won on appeal. Henry Ford testified that

567-576: A large market segment. Pony cars were introduced with the Ford Mustang in 1964. This car combined sporty looks with a long hood, small rear deck, and a small rear seat. The car proved highly successful and imitators soon arose, including the Chevrolet Camaro , Pontiac Firebird , Plymouth Barracuda (actually introduced two weeks prior to the Mustang), AMC Javelin , and the two-seat AMX , as well as

648-525: A local responsibility with limited government assistance. During this time, there was an increase in production of automobiles coupled with a swell of auto dealerships, marking their growth in popularity. State governments began to use the corvee system to maintain roads, an implementation of required physical labor on a public project on the local citizens. Part of their motivation was the needs of farmers in rural areas attempting to transport their goods across rough, barely functioning roads. The other reason

729-517: A multiple-wheelbase design, as the short-wheelbase version remained in development to replace the Mustang II. In 1975 North American Automobile Operations took over development of the Fox platform from Sperlich's Product Planning and Research group. The first running Fox (Fairmont) prototype was a Cortina with a modified suspension, using MacPherson struts and torsion bars. The torsion bars would not appear in

810-550: A number of other car companies and parts suppliers. Durant was interested in acquiring Ford, but after initial merger talks, Henry Ford decided to keep his company independent. In 1910, Durant lost control of GM after over-extending the company with its acquisitions. A group of banks took over control of GM and ousted Durant. Durant and Louis Chevrolet founded Chevrolet in 1913 and it quickly became very successful. Durant began acquiring stock in GM and by 1915 had majority control. Chevrolet

891-664: A number of suspension advances over the Fox platform. As the Lincoln Mark VII was replaced by the Mark VIII for 1993, the Ford Mustang became the sole Fox-platform produced by Ford. In total, fifteen distinct vehicles were produced on the Ford Fox platform, with the Ford Fairmont, Mercury Zephyr, Ford Durango, Ford Mustang SVO, and Continental/Lincoln Mark VII produced exclusively on the architecture. The platform would be produced in

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972-405: A small and local scale. Increasing sales facilitated production on a larger scale in factories with broader market distribution. Ransom E. Olds and Thomas B. Jeffery began mass production of their automobiles. Henry Ford focused on producing an automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. A patent filed by George B. Selden on 8 May 1879 covered not only his engine but its use in

1053-515: A substantial redesign of the Ford Mustang extended its life into the 21st century, ending production in 2004. Produced across 26 model years, the Fox platform is the second-longest car architecture ever designed by Ford Motor Company (behind the Panther platform , 33 model years). Designed to be relatively lightweight and simple, the Fox platform was initially developed to replace several derivatives of

1134-460: A variety of body styles, including two-door and four-door sedans, two-door coupes, three-door hatchbacks, five-door station wagons, two-door convertibles (marking the return of the bodystyle to Ford), and a two-door coupe utility (the last coupe utility produced by Ford in North America). [REDACTED] [REDACTED] (eighth generation) (fifth generation) Automotive industry in

1215-437: Is that the front end has struts; however, since there is an upper control arm they are actually coilover shocks. Brakes were a vented rotor / single-piston caliper with Sport model Thunderbirds receiving a larger diameter rotor. The rear suspension consisted of upper and lower control arms with coil spring and shock. Varying sway bar diameters were used among the different models of Cougar and Thunderbird. All MN12 cars shipped from

1296-633: The Audi Fox (although not named after it), Ford executives experienced with the automotive industry outside the United States sought to benchmark a new design from a popular European subcompact design. Development started in early 1973 on both a short-wheelbase version to replace the Pinto/Cortina/Taunus lines and a long-wheelbase version that would become the Fairmont. Although the Fairmont would be

1377-954: The Doble Steam Motors Corporation (advanced steam engines) and Franklin Automobile Company (air-cooled aluminium engines) going out of business. Errett Lobban Cord , who controlled the Auburn Automobile Company (which also sold the Cord ) and the Duesenberg Motor Company, was under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service . His auto empire collapsed in 1937 and production ceased. Major technological innovations were introduced or were widely adopted during

1458-695: The Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis were replaced after the end of their short 1986 model year run by the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. As the Lincoln Continental shifted to front-wheel drive after the 1987 model year, sedan production of the Fox platform ended. For 1989, Ford moved the Thunderbird and the Mercury Cougar to the all-new MN12 platform; while still rear-wheel drive, the new chassis introduced

1539-532: The Maxwell Motor Company , revitalized the company and, in 1925, reorganized it into Chrysler Corporation . In 1927, he acquired Dodge . The acquisition of Dodge gave Chrysler the manufacturing facilities and dealer network that it needed to significantly expand production and sales. In 1928, Chrysler introduced the Plymouth and DeSoto brands. Chrysler overtook Ford to become the second largest auto maker by

1620-577: The Model A in 1927, after a six-month production stoppage to convert from the Model T, and produced it to 1931. While the Model A was successful, Ford lost ground to GM and eventually Chrysler, as auto buyers looked to more upscale cars and newer styling. Ford was a pioneer in establishing foreign manufacturing facilities, with production facilities created in England in 1911, and Germany and Australia in 1925. Ford purchased

1701-588: The Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regal . Kuchta also approved an independent rear suspension for the MN12 platform, something that would make the Thunderbird and Cougar the only rear-drive domestic cars other than the Chevrolet Corvette (and the later Dodge Viper RT/10 ) to feature this. Ford engineers working on the MN12 program also explored the use of all-wheel drive for the platform with Ford going so far as paying German automaker Porsche to study

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1782-575: The attack on Pearl Harbor . All factories were enlarged and converted, many new ones such as Ford's Willow Run and Chrysler's Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant were built, and hundreds of thousands more workers were hired. Many workers were new arrivals from Appalachia. The most distinctive new product was the Jeep , with Willys making 352,000 and Ford another 295,000. The industry produced an astonishing amount of material, including 5.9 million weapons, 2.8 million tanks and trucks, and 27,000 aircraft. This production

1863-585: The "luxury" version of the Mustang, the Mercury Cougar . Muscle cars were introduced in 1964 with the Pontiac GTO . These combined an intermediate-sized body with a large high-output engine. Competitors were quickly introduced, including the Chevrolet Chevelle SS , Dodge R/T ( Coronet and Charger ), Plymouth Road Runner /GTX, Ford Torino , and AMC's compact SC/Rambler . Muscle cars reached their peak in

1944-459: The 1930s, following similar strategies as General Motors. General Motors wanted automobiles to be not just utilitarian devices, which Ford emphasized, but status symbols that were highly visible indicators of an individual's wealth. Through offering different makes and models, they offered different levels in social status, meeting the demands of consumers needing to display wealth. Ford and General Motors each had their own impact on social status and

2025-536: The 1930s, such as synchromesh manual transmissions, semi-automatic transmissions, automatic transmissions , hydraulic brakes , independent front suspension , and overhead-valve engines. The Cord 810 used front-wheel drive, had hidden headlights, and was offered with a supercharger. Exterior styling designs were more flowing, as shown most noticeably on the Auburn Speedster and the Cord 810/812. Radical air-streamed design

2106-464: The 1950s and 1960s – from a very low base. In 1966, the Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) had market share of 89.6% (44.5% in 2014). From 1966 to 1969, net imports increased at an average annual rate of 84%. The Volkswagen Beetle was the biggest seller. The compact Nash Rambler had been around since 1950, and American Motors Corporation (AMC) expanded into a range of smaller cars than were offered by

2187-412: The 1960s, with the Big Three dominating the industry. Meanwhile, with the passage of the $ 33 billion Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 , a network of regional and interstate roads continued to enhance transportation. As urban areas became more congested, more families migrated to the suburbs. Between 1960 and 1970, 70 percent of the population's growth occurred in the suburbs. Imported vehicles grew during

2268-746: The 1970s, a period known as the Malaise Era of auto design during which American cars suffered from very poor performance. Seat lap belts were mandated by many states effective in 1962. Under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards required shoulder belts for front passengers, front head restraints, energy-absorbing steering columns, ignition-key warning systems, anti-theft steering column/transmission locks, side marker lights and padded interiors starting in 1968. Beginning in 1972, bumpers were required to be reinforced to meet 5-mph impact standards,

2349-399: The 1994 model year, as the Mustang underwent a major redesign (under the body family program code name Fox-4 ), the Fox platform itself saw major changes to its architecture. As part of the upgrade, most of its parts were redesigned carrying over only the floor pan and front suspension cross member with major changes to the suspension and improvements to noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH);

2430-492: The 20th century, global competitors emerged, especially in the second half of the century primarily across European and Asian markets, such as Germany, France, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. is currently second among the largest manufacturers in the world by volume . American manufacturers produce approximately 10 million units annually. Notable exceptions were 5.7 million automobiles manufactured in 2009 (due to crisis ), and more recently 8.8 million units in 2020 due to

2511-639: The Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) and AMC . Their U.S. market share has dropped steadily as numerous foreign-owned car companies have built factories in the U.S. As of 2012, Toyota had 31,000 U.S. employees, compared to Ford's 80,000 and Chrysler's 71,100. The development of self-powered vehicles was accompanied by numerous technologies and components giving rise to numerous supplier firms and associated industries. Various types of energy sources were employed by early automobiles including steam, electric, and gasoline. Thousands of entrepreneurs were involved in developing, assembling, and marketing of early automobiles on

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2592-524: The Big Three and struggled financially. The French auto maker Renault took control of AMC in the early 1980s, but financial difficulties continued and AMC was purchased by Chrysler Corporation in 1987. Periodically, other entrepreneurs would found automobile companies, but most would soon fail and none achieved major sales success. Some of the best known included Preston Tucker 's 1948 sedan , Earl Muntz 's Muntz Car Company , Malcolm Bricklin 's Bricklin SV-1 ,

2673-466: The Big Three. By 1960, Rambler was the third most popular brand of automobile in the United States, behind Ford and Chevrolet. In response to this the domestic auto makers developed compact-sized cars, such as the Ford Falcon , Chevrolet Corvair , Studebaker Lark , and Plymouth Valiant . The four-seat 1958 Ford Thunderbird (second generation) was arguably the first personal luxury car , which became

2754-602: The Continental Mark VII, Ford Mustang SVO, 1994–2004 Ford Mustang, and the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Due to the use of strut front suspension, the Fox platform was designed with a wider engine bay than its Falcon-chassis predecessor. As a result, the chassis was flexible in its use of longitudinal engines, accommodating a wide variety of powertrains, including four-cylinder (naturally-aspirated and turbocharged), inline-6, V6, and V8 engines, ranging from

2835-583: The Ford Falcon compact architecture dating from 1960. For 1978, the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr were the first models derived from the chassis, replacing the Ford Maverick and Mercury Comet . As downsizing expanded into the intermediate segment, the Fox platform came into use for mid-size applications, replacing the larger Ford Torino chassis. While best known for underpinning the Ford Mustang pony car,

2916-435: The Fox platform also saw use in personal luxury segments, underpinning coupes for all three Ford divisions. During the mid-1980s, the usage of the Fox platform began to decline as Ford transitioned its compact and mid-size vehicle lines to front-wheel drive. After the 1992 model year, the Ford Mustang was the sole model to use the chassis. For 2005, the fifth-generation Ford Mustang adopted the rear-wheel drive D2C platform ,

2997-474: The Great Depression were General Motors Corporation , Ford Motor Company , Chrysler Corporation , Hudson Motor Car Company , Nash-Kelvinator Corporation , Packard Motor Car Company , Studebaker Corporation , and Crosley Motors . The former three companies, known as the Big Three , enjoyed significant advantages over the smaller independent auto companies due to their financial strength, which gave them

3078-532: The U.S. About 3,000 automobile companies have existed in the United States. In the early 1900s, the U.S. saw the rise of the Big Three automakers , Ford, GM, and Chrysler. The industry became centered around Detroit, in Michigan, and adjacent states and in nearby Ontario, Canada. Historian John Rae summarizes the explanations provided by historians: a central geographic location, water access, and an established industrial base with many skilled engineers. The key factor

3159-519: The United States#1970s Employment In the United States, the automotive industry began in the 1890s and, as a result of the size of the domestic market and the use of mass production, rapidly evolved into the largest in the world. The United States was the first country in the world to have a mass market for vehicle production and sales and is a pioneer of the automotive industry and mass market production process. During

3240-472: The addition of government financing reflected that change. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 allocated $ 75 million for building roads. It was also responsible for approving a refocusing of military vehicles to road maintenance equipment. It was followed by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 , which provided additional funding for road construction. By 1924, there were 31,000 miles of paved road in

3321-459: The auto companies switched to making military equipment and weapons. By the end of the 1950s the remaining smaller producers disappeared or merged into amalgamated corporations. The industry was dominated by three large companies: General Motors , Ford , and Chrysler , all based in Metro Detroit . Those " Big Three " continued to prosper, and the U.S. produced three-quarters of all automobiles in

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3402-473: The automakers granted workers a company-paid pension to those 65 years old and with 30 years seniority. In the mid-1950s, the automakers agreed to set up a trust fund for unemployed auto workers. In 1973, the automakers agreed to offer pensions to any worker with 30 years seniority, regardless of age. By then the automakers had also agreed to cover the entire health insurance bill for its employees, survivors, and retirees. The only major auto companies to survive

3483-399: The backbone of United States manufacturing during the 20th century. The practicality of the automobile was initially limited because of the lack of suitable roads. Travel between cities was mostly done by railroad, waterways, or carriages. Roads were mostly dirt and hard to travel, particularly in bad weather. The League of American Wheelmen maintained and improved roads as it was viewed as

3564-542: The beginning of the first 1970s oil crisis , leading gas prices to increase to US$ .55 (equivalent to $ 3.77 in 2023) per gallon. Under chairman/CEO Henry Ford II and president Lee Iacocca , several changes were made at the executive level of Ford Motor Company. William O. Bourke, ex-chairman of Ford of Europe and one-time managing director of Ford of Australia , was made executive vice president of North American Operations; Robert Alexander, previously with Ford of Europe as vice president in charge of car development,

3645-594: The biggest miscues in auto marketing with the Ford Edsel , which was the result of unpopular styling and being introduced during an economic recession. The introduction of the Interstate Highway System and the suburbanization of America made automobiles more necessary and helped change the landscape and culture in the United States. Individuals began to see the automobile as an extension of themselves. Big changes were taking place in automobile development in

3726-743: The compact Maverick ; while the Mustang II was several months from release, the Maverick was derived from the Falcon. Lincoln-Mercury sold no small cars of its own, importing the Capri from Ford of Europe. Ford of Europe sold the Escort as its smallest car; Ford UK sold the Cortina while Ford of Germany sold the Taunus In December 1973, Lee Iacocca formally approved development of the Fox platform. Sharing its name with

3807-495: The company entered the 1980s, Ford became part of a growing trend among automobile manufacturers using front-wheel drive in its vehicles. As part of the 1983 changes to the Ford product range, the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr were phased out in favor of the front-wheel drive Ford Tempo / Mercury Topaz , introduced as 1984 models and based on a long-wheelbase variation of the Ford Escort platform. Introduced as 1983 models,

3888-580: The company to postpone its planned discontinuation of the full-size Panther-platform vehicles. To rectify the sales collapse and capitalize on the move to full-size vehicles, Ford began a major model shift of many of its best-selling vehicle nameplates in all three divisions. For 1981, Lincoln saw the first changes, as the Lincoln Continental was rechristened the Lincoln Town Car; the Lincoln Continental nameplate went on hiatus until it reappeared on

3969-581: The demise of many auto makers due to the economic effects of the Great Depression , stiff competition from the Big Three, and/or mismanagement. Luxury car makers were particularly affected by the economy, with companies like Stutz Motor Company , Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company , Peerless Motor Company , Cunningham , and the Marmon Motor Car Company going out of business. The 1930s also saw several companies with innovative engineering, such as

4050-463: The early 1980s, the Fox platform would be involved in major changes to many Ford nameplates. In the marketplace, redesigns of the Ford Granada, Ford Thunderbird, and Mercury Cougar had been poorly received by consumers, leading to a collapse in sales for all three nameplates from 1980 to 1982. In addition, fuel prices had stabilized to the point where consumers had shifted back to full-size cars, leading

4131-452: The ensuing years, the US companies periodically bounced back, but by 2008 the industry was in turmoil due to the aforementioned crisis . As a result, General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy reorganization and were bailed out with loans and investments from the federal government. June 2014 seasonally adjusted annualized sales were the biggest in history, with 16.98 million vehicles and toppled

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4212-473: The existing Fox platform couldn't satisfy the requirements of the MN12 program. Heading the program was Anthony "Tony" S. Kuchta, who was appointed to the position by Ford management in 1986, when formal production program began. Kuchta decided to retain a rear-wheel drive layout for the MN12 platform as a basis for delivering better road performance, as opposed to following the Thunderbird and Cougars' front-wheel drive -based rivals from General Motors , such as

4293-419: The factory with a 5 x 4.25" (5x108mm) lugnut bolt pattern. Ford Fox platform The Ford Fox platform is an automobile platform that was used by Ford Motor Company . Introduced for compact sedans in the 1978 model year , the Fox architecture was utilized for a wide variety of configurations for Ford and Lincoln-Mercury vehicles. In its original form, the platform was used through the 1993 model year;

4374-626: The feasibility of its use, but Kuchta ultimately decided against it out of cost concerns. MN12 cars had a 113" wheelbase and were available with a 3.8L V6 engine, a 3.8L V6 supercharged engine from 1988 to 1995 (1988-1990 in Cougar), a 5.0L V8 engine from 1991 to 1993, and a 4.6L V8 engine from 1994 to 1997. A 4.6L DOHC V8 engine was used for the FN10 platform Lincoln Mark VIII from 1993 to 1998. The front suspension consists of upper and lower control arms with coilover shocks. A common misconception with this platform

4455-500: The fifth and final vehicle architecture developed as a Fox-platform replacement. In the American automotive industry , 1973 marked a significant period of transition. In May, the EPA released the first comprehensive list of fuel economy data; in addition for providing information for consumers, the data was required to establish protocols for CAFE and gas-guzzler taxes . October 1973 marked

4536-492: The final version. The Fox platform, like most compact and mid-size cars of the late 1970s, was designed with a rear-wheel drive layout. In contrast to the full-size Fords and Mercurys of the time, the Fox platform used unibody construction. The Fox platform used MacPherson strut front suspension, continuing the use of a live rear axle suspension configuration. Initially configured with rear drum brakes, four-wheel disc brakes were added to higher-performance vehicles, including

4617-460: The first Fox-based car to reach the market, development was guided by an anticipated sport coupe to be based on the new platform. By 1974 the difficulties faced in meeting the conflicting regulatory requirements in different markets and differing production methods used by the various divisions had killed the world-car idea. While unable to replace the Cortina/Taunus, the Fox platform remained

4698-423: The first conveyor belt-based assembly line in 1913, producing the Model T , which had been introduced in 1908. These assembly lines significantly reduced costs. The first models were priced at $ 850, but by 1924 had dropped to $ 290. The Model T sold extremely well and Ford became the largest automobile company in the U.S. By the time it was retired in 1927, more than 15 million Model Ts had been sold. Ford introduced

4779-435: The global COVID-19 pandemic. Production peaked during the 1970s and early 2000s at 13–15 million units. Starting with Duryea in 1895, at least 1,900 different companies have been formed, producing over 3,000 makes of American automobiles. World War I (1917–1918) and the Great Depression in the United States (1929–1939) combined to drastically reduce the number of both major and minor producers. During World War II, all

4860-429: The late-1940s proved to be very successful and helped ignite the horsepower race, the second salvo of which was Chrysler's 1951 Hemi engine . Longer, lower, and wider tended to be the general trend. Exterior styling was influenced by jets and rockets as the space-age dawned. Rear fins were popular and continued to grow larger, and front bumpers and taillights were sometimes designed in the shape of rockets. Chrome plating

4941-414: The late-1960s, but soon fell out of favor due to high insurance premiums along with the combination of emission controls and high gas prices in the early 1970s. While the personal luxury, pony, and muscle cars got most of the attention, the full sized cars formed the bulk of auto sales in the 1960s, helped by low oil prices. The styling excesses and technological gimmicks (such as the retractable hardtop and

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5022-415: The leadership of Charles F. Kettering . GM followed Ford by expanding overseas, including purchasing England's Vauxhall Motors in 1925, Germany's Opel in 1929, and Australia's Holden in 1931. GM established GMAC, now Ally Financial , in 1919 to provide credit for buyers of its cars. Walter Chrysler was formerly president of Buick and an executive of GM. After leaving GM in 1920, he took control of

5103-509: The luxury Lincoln automaker in 1922 and established the Mercury division in 1939. General Motors Corporation (GM), the company that soon became the world's largest automaker, was founded in 1908 by William Durant . Durant had previously been a carriage maker, and had taken control of Buick in 1904. In 1908, the company initially acquired Buick , Oldsmobile and Oakland (later to become Pontiac ). In 1909, GM acquired Cadillac , along with

5184-504: The modern Stutz Blackhawk , Clénet Coachworks , Zimmer , Excalibur , and John DeLorean 's DeLorean . Initial auto production after World War II was slowed by the retooling process, shortages of materials, and labor unrest. However, the American auto industry reflected the post-war prosperity of the late-1940s and the 1950s. Cars grew in overall size, as well as engine size during the 1950s. The Overhead valve V-8 engine developed by GM in

5265-410: The patent did more to hinder than encourage development of autos in the United States. Originally purchased by wealthy individuals, by 1916 cars began selling at $ 875. Soon, the market widened with the mechanical betterment of the cars, the reduction in prices, as well as the introduction of installment sales and payment plans. During the period from 1917 to 1926, the annual rate of increase in sales

5346-421: The previous record of July 2006. Chrysler later merged into Fiat as Fiat Chrysler and is today a part of the multinational Stellantis group. American electric automaker Tesla emerged onto the scene in 2009 and has since grown to be one of the world's most valuable companies, producing around 1/4th of the world's fully-electric passenger cars. Prior to the 1980s, most manufacturing facilities were owned by

5427-590: The pushbutton automatic transmission) of the 1950s were de-emphasized. The rear fins were downsized and largely gone by the mid-1960s, as was the excessive chrome. Safety and environmental issues during the 1960s led to stricter government regulation of the auto industry, spurred in part by Ralph Nader and his book: Unsafe at Any Speed : The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile . This resulted in higher costs and eventually to weaker performance for cars in

5508-581: The size of the Lincoln model range while eliminating the duplication of several Ford/Mercury vehicles (the Ford Fairmont/Granada and Mercury Zephyr/Cougar sedan and wagon); the mid-size Fairmont/Zephyr were replaced by the compact Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz for 1984 and the Cougar reverted to its coupe-only bodystyle. By the early 1990s, the Ford Mustang had become the sole model produced on the Fox platform. For

5589-563: The sole full-size sedans, while the LTD and Marquis nameplates were moved to the mid-size Fox platform as restyled versions of the Granada and Cougar sedan and wagon to replace those slow selling models. To reverse the sales collapse of the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar (now solely a coupe), Ford redesigned the two coupes with radical new aerodynamic bodystyling. The revision effectively tripled

5670-496: The type of market they were targeting. Henry Ford focused on delivering one inexpensive, efficient product for the masses. Ford's offer was one car, one color, for one price. He manufactured a product for the masses, and provided a $ 5 daily wage so that there was a local market to buy this product. By contrast, General Motors offered a product that catered to those looking to gain status by having that sense of individualism and offering different make, models, and quality. The 1930s saw

5751-529: The updated Mustang-specific platform became known as the SN-95 platform. The 2003–2004 Mustang SVT Cobra became the ultimate development of the Fox/SN95 platform, with a 390 hp supercharged 4.6 L DOHC V8. The SN95 platform would be produced for 11 years, extending the life of the Fox platform to 26 years of production. For 2005, the Mustang was completely redesigned, using the all-new Ford D2C platform . As

5832-404: The world by 1950, 8.0 million out of 10.6 million produced. In 1908, 1 percent of U.S. households owned at least one automobile, while 50 percent did in 1948 and 75 percent did in 1960. Imports from abroad were a minor factor before the 1960s. Beginning in the 1970s, a combination of high oil prices and increased competition from foreign auto manufacturers severely affected the US companies. In

5913-499: Was a major factor in the victory of the allies. Experts anticipated that Detroit would learn advanced engineering methods from the aviation industry that would result in great improvements for postwar civilian automobiles. Due to the difficult working conditions in the auto production plants, auto workers began to seek representation to help improve conditions and ensure fair pay. The United Automobile Workers union won recognition from GM and Chrysler in 1937, and Ford in 1941. In 1950,

5994-425: Was acquired by GM in 1917 and Durant was back in charge of GM. In 1921, Durant was again forced out of the company. During the late 1920s, General Motors overtook Ford to become the largest automaker. Under the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan , General Motors instituted decentralized management and separate divisions for each price class. They introduced annual model changes. GM became an innovator in technology under

6075-437: Was considerably less than from 1903 to 1916. In the years 1918, 1919, 1921, and 1924 there were absolute declines in automotive production . The automotive industry caused a massive shift in the industrial revolution because it accelerated growth by a rate never before seen in the U.S. economy. The combined efforts of innovation and industrialization allowed the automotive industry to take off during this period and it proved to be

6156-683: Was introduced on the Chrysler Airflow , a sales flop, and the Lincoln-Zephyr (both of which used unit-body construction). Packard introduced their "Air Cool-ditioned" car in 1940. After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, all auto plants were converted to war production, including jeeps, trucks, tanks, and aircraft engines. All passenger automobile production ceased by February 1942. The industry received $ 10 billion in war-related orders by that month, compared to $ 4 billion before

6237-455: Was moved to same position in the United States. Hal Sperlich was Ford Vice President of Product Planning and Research. A proponent of downsizing , Sperlich conceived of a " World Car " that could be sold in both Europe and North America as a solution to the needs of the various divisions. At the time, the Ford small-car product line included the subcompact Pinto and the Mustang II and

6318-417: Was started in 1945 and acquired Willys-Overland Motors (maker of the Jeep ) in 1953. Production of passenger cars was discontinued in 1955. In 1970, the company was sold to American Motors Corporation . In 1954, Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson merged to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). The company introduced numerous product and marketing innovations, but its small size made it difficult to compete with

6399-547: Was that Detroit was the base for highly talented entrepreneurs who saw the potential of the automobile: Henry Ford, Ransom E. Olds, Roy D. Chapin, Henry Joy, William C. Durant, Howard E. Coffin, John Dodge and Horace Dodge, and Benjamin Briscoe and Frank Briscoe. From 1900 to 1915 these men transformed the fledgling industry into an international business. Henry Ford began building cars in 1896 and started his own company in 1903. The Ford Motor Company improved mass-production with

6480-469: Was the weight of the wartime vehicles. The materials involved altered during World War I to accommodate the heavier trucks on the road and were responsible for widespread shift to macadam highways and roadways. However, rural roads were still a problem for military vehicles, so four wheel drive was developed by automobile manufacturers to assist in powering through. As the prevalence of automobiles grew, it became clear funding would need to improve as well, and

6561-503: Was very popular, as was two-tone paint. The most extreme version of these styling trends were found in the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado and Chrysler Corporation's 1957 Imperial . The Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird , introduced in 1953 and 1955 respectively, were designed to capture the sports car market. The Thunderbird grew in size in 1958 and evolved into a personal luxury car . The 1950s were also noted for perhaps one of

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