This image shows the Ford auto display.
Ford was
launched in a converted factory in 1903 with $28,000 in cash from twelve
investors, most notably John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge who would
later found the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company. During its early years,
the company produced just a few Model T's a day at its factory on
Based in
During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers
of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low
fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher
fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining
sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from
financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company.
By 2005, corporate bond rating agencies had downgraded
the bonds of both Ford and GM to junk status, citing high U.S. health care
costs for an aging workforce, soaring gasoline prices, eroding market share,
and dependence on declining SUV sales for revenues. Profit margins decreased on
large vehicles due to increased "incentives" (in the form of rebates
or low interest financing) to offset declining demand.
In the face of falling truck and SUV sales, Ford moved
to introduce a range of new vehicles, including "Crossover SUVs"
built on unibody car platforms, rather than body-on-frame truck chasses. Ford
also developed alternative fuel and high efficiency vehicles, such as the
Escape Hybrid. Ford announced that it will team up with Southern California
Edison (SCE) to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and
vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Under the
multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration
fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how
the vehicles might interact with the home and the utility's electrical grid.
Some of the vehicles will be evaluated "in typical customer
settings," according to Ford.
In December 2006, the company raised its borrowing
capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as
collateral to secure the line of credit. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that
"bankruptcy is not an option", but economists have stated that the
company's impending contract renewal with the United Auto Workers in the summer
of 2007 could be brutal. The UAW has vowed to attempt to retain the jobs banks,
a system which retains idled workers on the payroll, rather than laying them
off, in order to maintain contracted
The automaker reported a net loss of $12.7 billion
during 2006, and has estimated that it will not return to profitability until
2009. However, Ford surprised Wall Street in posting a 750 million dollar
profit in the second quarter of 2007, a change largely atttributed to the sale
of Aston Martin and cost-cutting. Ford has expressed a continued interest in
the selling of Land Rover and Jaguar. Now only until recently Ford has
expressed that they will be divesting the entire
It is a very nice and very rare non period photo that
reflects a wonderful era of Ford
's automotive history in a wonderful way. It has a nice large format
of ca. 8" x 11" (ca. 20 x 27 cm). It makes it perfectly suitable for framing.
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files and board backed envelopes.
They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.