Ford has a weird history, 1902 Ford by Henry Ford pretty much became Cadillac. Seems like a missing piece here. Very tight nit group back in the beginning.Henry Ford was only the 'chief engineer' of the original Ford Motor Company. He was not the owner as most believe. Ford Motor Company was getting ready to build hand made high $ luxury models like the rest of the industry at that time but Henry had a different idea. Henry wanted to improve the lives of rural farm workers and people of more meager means by producing affordable transportation. Henry proposed the Model T. Building cheaper vehicles was not a good business model to the original investors so the idea was rejected. Henry conjured up a plan.
When his plan was ready to go Henry Ford took a full page ad out in the NY Times stating that he was Henry Ford and he was looking for investors to help him start a new company with a better vision. As expected, Ford Motor Company shares tanked as the stock started to get dumped on Wall Street. What good was the Ford Motor Company without a Ford? Henry went into action on his plan. He had shadow companies begin purchasing the shares as value plummeted until he had a majority stake in the original Ford Motor Company. He then took control and fired the two original investors from their leadership positions in the company. The two left on bad terms with their sworn intent to form their own Auto Company and then use it to 'bury the Ford Motor Company.' At least Henry was now free to pursue the Model T and the rest is history.
Oh, the two that left were the Dodge brothers. The company they started was Dodge Motors.
Luckily for us they were not successful in their mission so we get the new Maverick. Both companies are still with us with Dodge part of Fiat-Chrysler. So in the end there is an actual connection between your name Dodge and the Ford Motor Company. The two Dodge brothers funded the original startup!
https://www.hagerty.com/media/people/why-henry-leland-is-unknown-in-detroit/
Sponsored