[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6888-S6889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY

  On Monday, May 19, 2003, the Senate passed S. Res. 100, the text of 
which is as follows:

                              S. Res. 100

       Whereas on June 16, 1903, then 39 year-old Henry Ford and 
     11 associates, armed with little cash, some tools, a few 
     blueprints, and unbounded faith, launched the Ford Motor 
     Company by submitting incorporation papers in Lansing, 
     Michigan;
       Whereas the Ford Motor Company began operations in a 
     leased, small converted wagon factory on a spur of the 
     Michigan Central Railroad in Detroit;
       Whereas the first commercial automobile emerged from the 
     Ford Motor Company in 1903 and was the original 8-horsepower, 
     2-cylinder Model A vehicle with a 2-speed transmission, 28-
     inch wheels with wooden spokes, and 3-inch tires;
       Whereas between 1903 and 1908, Henry Ford and his engineers 
     developed numerous models named after the letters of the 
     alphabet, with some of the models being only experimental and 
     not available to the public;
       Whereas on October 1, 1908, the Ford Motor Company 
     introduced its ``universal car'', the Model T (sometimes 
     affectionately called the ``Tin Lizzie''), which could be 
     reconfigured by buyers to move cattle, haul freight, herd 
     horses, and even mow lawns, and Ford produced 10,660 Model T 
     vehicles its first model year, an industry record;
       Whereas the Ford Motor Company inaugurated the first 
     automotive integrated moving assembly line in 1913, changing 
     the old manner of building 1 car at a time through moving the 
     work to the worker by having parts, components, and 
     assemblers stationed at different intervals, and beginning a 
     new era of industrial progress and growth;
       Whereas Henry Ford surprised the world in 1914 by setting 
     Ford's minimum wage at $5.00 for an 8-hour day, which 
     replaced the prior $2.34 wage for a 9-hour day and was a 
     truly great social revolution for its time;
       Whereas also in 1914, Henry Ford, with an eye to 
     simplicity, efficiency, and affordability, ordered that the 
     Model T use black paint exclusively because it dried faster 
     than other colors, allowing cars to be built daily at a lower 
     cost, and Ford said the vehicle will be offered in ``any 
     color so long as it is black'';
       Whereas Ford's self-contained Rouge manufacturing complex 
     on the Rouge River encompassed diverse industries, including 
     suppliers, that allowed for the complete production of 
     vehicles from raw materials processing to final assembly, was 
     an icon of the 20th century, and, with its current 
     revitalization and redevelopment, will remain an icon in the 
     21st century;
       Whereas in 1925, the company built the first of 199 Ford 
     Tri-Motor airplanes, nicknamed the ``Tin Goose'' and the 
     ``Model T of the Air'';
       Whereas consumer demand for more luxury and power pushed 
     aside the current model, and, on March 9, 1932, a Ford 
     vehicle with the pioneering Ford V-8 engine block cast in 1 
     piece rolled off the production line;
       Whereas while Ford offered only 2 automotive brands (Ford 
     and Lincoln) through 1937, due to increased competition, in 
     1938 Ford introduced the first Mercury, a car with a 
     distinctive streamlined body style, a V-8 engine with more 
     horsepower than a Ford, and hydraulic brakes, thus filling 
     the void between the low-priced Ford and the high-priced 
     Lincoln;
       Whereas the United Automobile Workers (UAW), one of the 
     largest labor unions in the Nation, was formed in 1935 and, 
     after a rather tumultuous beginning, won acceptance by the 
     auto industry, becoming a potent and forceful leader for auto 
     workers with Ford, which built a strong relationship with the 
     union through its policies and programs;
       Whereas, by Government decree, all civilian auto production 
     in the United States ceased on February 10, 1942, and Ford, 
     under the control of the War Production Board, produced an 
     extensive array of tanks, B-24 aircraft, armored cars, 
     amphibious craft, gliders, and other materials for the World 
     War II war effort;
       Whereas Ford dealers rallied to aid the Ford Motor Company 
     in its postwar comeback, proving their merit as the public's 
     main point of contact with the Company;
       Whereas on September 21, 1945, Henry Ford II assumed the 
     presidency of Ford, and on April 7, 1947, Ford's founder, 
     Henry Ford passed away;
       Whereas a revitalized Ford met the postwar economic boom 
     with Ford's famed F-Series trucks making their debut in 1948 
     for commercial and personal use, and the debut of the 1949 
     Ford sedan, with the first change in a chassis since 1932 and 
     the first integration of body and fenders which would set the 
     standard for auto design in the future;
       Whereas these new models were followed by such well-known 
     vehicles as the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the retractable 
     hardtop convertible Ford Skyliner, the high performing Ford 
     Thunderbird (introduced in 1955), the Ford Galaxie 
     (introduced in 1959), and the biggest success story of the 
     1960s, the Ford Mustang, which has been a part of the 
     American scene for almost 40 years;
       Whereas in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower christened 
     the new Ford Research and Engineering Center, which was a 
     milestone in the company's dedication to automotive science 
     and which houses some of the

[[Page S6889]]

     most modern facilities for automotive research;
       Whereas Ford's innovation continued through the 1980s with 
     the introduction of the Ford Taurus, which was named the 1986 
     Motor Trend Car of the Year and which resulted in a new 
     commitment to quality at Ford and in future aerodynamic 
     design trends in the industry;
       Whereas Ford's innovation continued through the 1990s with 
     the debut in 1993 of the Ford Mondeo, European Car of the 
     Year, the redesigned 1994 Ford Mustang, and the introduction 
     in 1990 of the Ford Explorer, which defined the sport utility 
     vehicle (SUV) segment and remains the best selling SUV in the 
     world;
       Whereas as the 21st century begins, Ford continues its 
     marvelous record for fine products with the best-selling car 
     in the world, the Ford Focus, and the best-selling truck in 
     the world, the Ford F-Series;
       Whereas the Ford Motor Company is the world's second 
     largest automaker and includes Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Aston 
     Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mazda automotive 
     brands, as well as diversified subsidiaries in finance and 
     other domestic and international business areas; and
       Whereas on October 30, 2001, William Clay Ford, Jr., the 
     great-grandson of Henry Ford, became Chairman and Chief 
     Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company, and as such is 
     concentrating on the fundamentals that have powered the 
     company to greatness over the last century and made it a 
     world-class auto and truck manufacturer, and that will 
     continue to carry the company through the 21st century with 
     even better products and innovations: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes--
       (A) the 100th anniversary year of the founding of the Ford 
     Motor Company, which has been a significant part of the 
     social, economic, and cultural heritage of the United States 
     and many other nations, and a revolutionary industrial and 
     global institution; and
       (B) the truly wondrous achievements of the Ford Motor 
     Company, as its employees, retirees, suppliers, dealers, its 
     many customers, automotive enthusiasts, and friends worldwide 
     commemorate and celebrate its 100th anniversary milestone on 
     June 16, 2003;
       (2) congratulates the Ford Motor Company for its 
     achievements; and
       (3) expects that the Ford Motor Company will continue to 
     have an even greater impact in the 21st century and beyond by 
     providing innovative products that are affordable and 
     environmentally sustainable, and that will enhance personal 
     mobility for generations to come.

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