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Ford Motor Company Production

Introduction

During World War II, the Ford Motor Company underwent a transformative shift from automobile manufacturing to supporting the war effort. Ford's significance lay in its establishment of the Willow Run Airport near Detroit, Michigan, which became a vital production site for B-24 Liberator bombers. Leveraging their expertise in mass production techniques from the automotive industry, Ford streamlined the assembly line process, enabling the remarkable output of approximately one bomber per hour at Willow Run. This unparalleled scale of aircraft production significantly bolstered the Allied forces, showcasing Ford's industrial commitment to aiding the war by providing essential air power. The company's innovative contributions to the war effort at Willow Run remain a testament to its adaptability, efficiency, and critical role in shaping the outcome of World War II. In addition to manufacturing planes at facilities like Willow Run Airport during World War II, the Ford Motor Company also contributed significantly to the war effort by producing military tanks, Willys Jeeps, and engines. Utilizing their expertise in mass production and assembly line techniques, Ford retooled its factories to churn out M4 Sherman tanks. This diversification in production showcased Ford's support to the Allied forces in the war on multiple fronts. This exhibition mainly focuses on the B-24 Liberators that were produced at Willow Run Airport just outside of Detroit and briefly touches on the M4 Sherman Tanks. 

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Advertisement illustrating a variety of models that Ford is building to contribute to the war
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    B-24 Liberators are being constructed at Willow Run. 650 B-24 Liberators rolled off the line every month by the end of 1944. Before                       the plant closed in 1945, Willow Run produced 8,685 B-24 bombers.
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    Ford's Willow Run Bomber Plant, designed by Albert Kahn and constructed in 1941, undoubtedly contributed to the outcome of World War             II. The factory consisted of 3.5 million square feet of factory space.
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    President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited Ford Motor Company's Willow Run bomber plant on September              18, 1942. The Roosevelts were accompanied by Henry Ford, Edsel Ford, and Charles Sorensen. Charles Sorensen was the production                    manager behind Willow Run's success.
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    Interior of the Ford Motor Company Willow Run Bomber Plant during Construction.
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    Apart from the sheer scale of its work, the American automobile industry's greatest contribution to the World War II effort was its                     technical expertise in quantity manufacturing. Automakers refined the smallest details in an item to increase the speed with which it                could be made. That knowledge was reflected in everything auto companies produced during the war, from helmets to helicopters
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    View of General William S. Knudsen, Charles E. Sorensen, and Edsel Ford posing with a group of men in front of a military plane at Willow               Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Handwritten on back: "Knudsen, William S. (6th from left), Edsel Ford (8th from left), Charles E.                    Sorensen (9th from left), Willow Run, Ypsilanti, MI, August 1942."
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    A lady handling the material flow for the B-24 Bomber.
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    Here is an M4 Sherman tank moving uphill on a muddy road Ford produced the M4 Sherman tank in addition to the B-24 Bombers.
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    Workers arriving and departing by bus at Willow Run Bomber Plant.
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    Henry Ford at Willow Run Bomber Plant.
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Ford Motor Company Production