The Ford Motor Company: The Automotive Industry

The Automotive Industry The automotive industry is involved in the manufacturing and distributing of cars and specific car parts such as car bodies, drivetrains, engines and transmissions. Car companies in the industry manufacture these cars in their factories often using parts purchased from specialized companies (ex: company only producing transmissions) or parts produced in their own factories. These cars are then purchased by car dealerships (independent franchises selling cars to consumers) for display, test-driving and ultimately for consumer purchase. Today several extremely large firms dominate the automotive industry, each with footprints in almost every market around the world. Each car company typically owns several other subsidiaries

Ford began manufacturing and selling the famous Model T car, known to be the first inexpensive vehicle on the market. Ford adopted the assembly line manufacturing method (where each individual worker performs a simple task for each car) increasing production efficiency and decreasing the cost or production. Soon after, Ford became the leading automotive company in the United States. Ford remained a large car producer in the Untied throughout the 20th century, while competing with the two other American automotive giants, General Motors and Chrysler. As Ford continued to grow, the company began expanding its brands with the luxury Lincoln line-up and the mid-range Mercury brand (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Today Ford continues to produce passenger cars and commercial trucks. The company continues to sell cars through the Ford and Lincoln brand, but has recently discontinued the Mercury brand (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Ford operates in North and South America, Europe, China, Korea and Africa. Ford continues to be one of the largest American car manufacturers alongside its longtime domestic competitors Chrysler and General Motors (“Ford Motor Company