[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11319-S11320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S 250-MILLIONTH VEHICLE

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate 
October 8, 1996 as a day on which the citizens of my State, and indeed 
the entire country, can take great pride in the milestone of a true 
Michigan institution: Ford Motor Co. For on this day, the 250-millionth 
Ford vehicle will roll off the assembly line.
  In 1903, the first Ford Model A was built by 10 employees in a small 
converted wagon factory in Detroit. More than nine decades later, Ford 
still 
calls Michigan home, maintaining its world headquarters in Dearborn. It 
is from these Michigan roots that Ford has grown into its present 
status as a

[[Page S11320]]

global corporation. Ford cars, trucks and components are made in 185 
plants in 36 countries on 5 continents and sold in over 200 markets. 
Last year, worldwide sales revenues surpassed $137 billion, factory 
production exceeded 6.6 million vehicles, and the company employed more 
than 346,000 workers.
  No car company has contributed more to America's love affair with the 
automobile than Ford From the Model T to the F-Series pickup to the 
Escort, Ford has built and sold some of the bestselling nameplates in 
automotive history. Other Ford classics, such as the Mustang and the 
Thunderbird, remain American cultural icons.
  Evidence of the positive impact of Ford Motor Co. isn't limited to 
our roads and highways. The results of founder Henry Ford innovative 
adaption of the moving assembly line to automotive production, higher 
volumes at lower costs, revolutionized industrial manufacturing 
practices around the globe. And Henry Ford 1914 announcement that he 
would pay $5 for an eight hour work day, twice the going rate, spawned 
the creation of high-skilled, high-wage jobs for American automotive 
workers.
  It is often said that Ford Motor Company ``put the world on wheels,'' 
and I like to believe Michigan played an integral role in this 
accomplishment. Our State has always offered an exceptional standard of 
living for its residents, in no small measure due to the presence of 
Ford, its suppliers and customers. On behalf of my colleagues, I 
congratulate Ford and its employees on this special occasion, and look 
forward to celebrating future milestones with Ford Motor Co. and its 
home State.

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