Not refuted by the legend that the first European to bought in 1904, 8-strong Ford A for 850 dollars, ctal English psychiatrist, lechivshy sleepwalker. Which is to say - at first the reputation of the U.S. technology was Akhova.

Henry Ford recalled: «... newspaper said that our cars are composed primarily of bechevochek and wire, and that their owners had to read a happy, if they survive two weeks». Last year the doctor typed only a dozen followers, not experiencing any problems with the machine - sales hampered by the lack of authorized dealers and advertising.

After the accident-free 800-mile «agitprobega» on a mountain in Scotland and the appearance in London on three specially converted into a taxi in the Model has changed for the better: in 1906 in England was sold to 600 «Ford», and by the end of next year, distributors have been working throughout the continental Europe. Premiere «Tin Lizzie» (Ford Model T) was held simultaneously in the U.S. and UK, in 1911 only the British had already purchased 14 060 cars of this model, as in Manchester brought Ford the first outside of America.

Plant in full or in part Degenheme provided unprecedented broad network of centuries-long jubilee Ford Motor Co., Marked with fanfare last year in the United States gradually moved into the second stage, a European. Few people know that «Ford» appeared on both sides of the Atlantic almost simultaneously, but after a while the way they broke up so that the only visible link between them has branded logo. But there were still a hidden link - which would not have appeared Ford, he soon became a symbol of motorization and one of the main figures in the market. assembly in Manchester, Cork, Paris, Berlin, Antwerp, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Trieste, Stockholm, Helsinki, Rotterdam and Istanbul. In 1930, Henry Ford bought 40 acres near Cologne, in which only three years, earned a new factory, which is mainly in Europe and the favorite child of a foreign tycoon.

The basis of the new European production program has become a model for Y (in Germany it was called Koln) liter engine with a capacity of 8 hp and two-body-type sedan or cabriolet, reminiscent «shrunken» Ford A. The vehicle was designed for only five months, but this design was so successful that some units were used until the late 50's. Two years later expanded the model range from cabriolet Rheinland, made on the basis of Model B.

The next model, a landmark Ford V8 with a 3.6-liter engine with side valves, a capacity of 65 hp, providing a break to 120-130 km / h, and suggested that despite everything «work up Giroux» European bourgeoisie. Disadvantaged were the French - their laws impose severe restrictions not only on the export of cars, but also on the production of cars with mnogolitrovymi motors.

Ford avoided the obstacles in the accuracy of the covenant with the father-founder, uchivshego: «If you can not defeat a competitor - buy it!» Company acquired a portion of bread with a scratch on the water company Mathis from Strasbourg, and then start production of new items under the brand name Matford. With some modifications, the car was manufactured before 1949 and even received a pan-European popularity after the victory in the rally Bada Shatta «Monte Carlo» in 1938.

Everyone is their

In 1948, Henry Ford II brought in the first Dirborne, the generic family nest, heads of European offices, rows of which has oskudeli. From the Polish branch of nothing, from the Hungarian factory equipment moved to the USSR, Romanian nationalized, and the German model of national-socialist allies businesses razed to the ground - the last was particularly upset because the company has invested in a lot of money. Ford Werke, located in the step from the grave, delivered the famous «Marshall Plan», which links to the restoration of destroyed businesses, most notably Germany, for four years, starting in 1949, was allocated $ 14 billion.

The first shoots of bounty «Uncle Sam» appeared in the mid-fifties, when there Taunus 15M c «not defamatory names» 38-strong engine and «floating» body without wings, and speakers podnozhek. However, the rounded outline were short - Taunus 17M 1957 already was a European version of «Detroit Baroque», is not the worst way.

Over the ocean in the 50's range was updated in two years, and the Germans decided that they were not worse. In 1960, under the old name will appear very very strange kind of car, like the first American compact sedan Ford Falcon, but the sport is deeply sunk in the front oval headlights, which it called «Cologne egg».

Founded in 1939, Ford France withdrew from the war with small losses and big ambitions. Built before the war in POISSY factory near Paris was tselehonek, and in 1949 it began production sedan with a fashionable Vedett «floating» body and 2.2-liter V8. The French, like something fell out of sight big bosses, it wishes to export to the U.S. under the brand name Comete - they felt that the time of the Yankee expeditionary corps like their liquor, food and perfumes, the cars they like.

Was a complete fiasco - Americans cochli French travesty of his Ford, but for the Europeans, by contrast, it was too big. «Child prodigy Team», refuel in Dirborne, found the branch drag and in 1954 sold the company SIMCA 85% of its shares, and after four years of the balance bought Chrysler.

The fact that Ford Britain ctala leader not only in Europe but in general outside the United States, it was absolutely legitimate. Not only that, and bombers «Luftwaffe», and missiles FAU lacks refinery, for which the war has turned into a solid profit - in England produced engines Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 for Hurricane fighters and Mosquito, as well as bombers, Lancaster. When in February 1948 the first Henry Ford II on board the Queen Mary arrives in Southampton, he was very surprised that for three years without the bombings the British not only produced a quarter of a million cars, but at your own risk, have begun to design an entirely new family of Consul / Zephyr.

These machines, in 1950, this became a sensation, as were carrying the body, the world's first McPherson-type front suspension and the first firm verhneklapanny 6-cylinder engine. In 1953, Dane Morris Gatsonid won the rally «Monte Carlo» to serial Zephyr Six, seemed completely not suited for such an exhausting race: special team rasstavlennaya on the highway, cool brake, watering them with water from buckets. And in 1959 the British finally dispelled the myth of his conservatism, at least in the automotive industry.

There Anglia odnolitrovym with a motor and a revolutionary design: the «front» cover chrome grille with a large triangular front position, the headlights covered chrome visors, a rear roof rack and glass were the opposite slope, which has resulted in not only an interesting visual effect but also increase compartment. In the 60's of the only Mini to compete with the largest Anglia brought profits.

The first case of unification of the German and British models of misunderstanding happened. In the United States prepared peredneprivodny Ford Cardinal, while the overseas market was still focused exclusively on the «classic». «Do not disappear as good», - Dirborne and decided to put the machines, renamed in the Taunus and Cortina (different interior decor), in Germany and England.

Feature of this medium sedan with a big luggage compartment (volume 560 l) was V-shaped verhneklapannaya «Quartet» volume of 1.1 or 1.5 liter capacity of 40 or 55 hp, made for the front axle, is fully synchronized CAT, in contrast, placed «in the database ». Unusual was also the front suspension, which, instead of the spring elastic elements served transverse spring, at the same time served as one of the levers.

It is not like that then for «Taunus» and «Cortina» arrayed queue, but the ice of distrust in the front-wheel drive was broken - only in Cologne in 1968 was released more than 350 thousand cars. A good unplanned experiment is a crucial argument in the dispute, supporters and opponents of the idea of merging together all the European offices: in 1967, was created îf Ford Europe Inc. Siberian headquarters in London and later transferred to Cologne.