Today, Ford is generally thought of as purely an automaker. They produce the United State’s best-selling vehicle each year (the F-150 pickup) and offer a wide range of vehicles for buyers to choose from. However, there was a time when the Ford Motor Company completely stopped production for the civilian market. When the United States plunged into World War II, Ford was there to provide the machinery.
What Ford is most highly-regarded for producing during the war is bombers. These bombers, the B-24 Liberators, became integral to the Air Force, and were used heavily throughout the war. During the war, Ford ended up producing over 8,000 of the bombers. The company was able to assemble a bomber in a single hour. Not only did Ford produce complete aircraft for the war, but they also built thousands of engines for other aircraft finished elsewhere.
Likely the second biggest manufacturing feat that Ford undertook during the war was the Ford GPW, which was a highly versatile jeep. The jeep was originally a Willys MB, but Ford later started manufacturing the iconic vehicle. Throughout the war, Ford ended up constructing nearly 280,000 of the jeeps.
Though Ford was known for its B-24 Liberators and its Ford GPW jeep, they produced multiple other machines for the war. The company produced tanks, trucks, landing crafts, and armored cars. It was the ability of the Ford manufacturing plants to turn over machines quickly that made the company so valuable during the war. They were able to integrate automotive-style line production into their war effort, so that they could produce machines at a high rate.
Today you wouldn’t typically associate Ford with anything other than automobiles, but during WWII, Ford helped drive the Allies to victory. This interesting piece of history should not be forgotten!
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History