Ford Valencia Body and Assembly
Corporate brand
UnclaimedThe United Kingdom operating company and historical manufacturing organization of Ford Motor Company.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ford of Britain is the United Kingdom operating company and historical industrial organization of Ford Motor Company. Legally known as Ford Motor Company Limited, it began British operations in 1909 and adopted the trading name Ford of Britain in 1960. It is not an independently listed automaker: the company is wholly owned within Ford's international corporate structure, ultimately controlled by Ford Motor Company. Ford's British history began with imported cars and a dealership network before the establishment of a local company under the leadership of Percival Perry. A Trafford Park assembly plant in Manchester opened in 1911 and became Ford's first factory outside North America. The facility initially assembled Model T vehicles from imported components, but quickly demonstrated the advantages of local production. Ford introduced Britain's first moving automobile assembly line at Trafford Park in 1914, helping the Model T become one of the country's best-selling cars before the First World War. The company built a much larger integrated complex at Dagenham, east of London, during the late 1920s. Opened in 1931, the plant was then Britain's and Europe's largest automobile factory. Its early products included the Model A and Model AA truck, but the smaller Model Y was more suitable for British taxation, roads and operating conditions. The Model Y became Britain's first £100 car in 1935 and established Ford as a major mass-market manufacturer. Dagenham subsequently produced generations of British-market cars, commercial vehicles and engines, while the company also operated or acquired facilities in locations including Cork, Walthamstow, Langley, Halewood, Basildon, Swansea and Southampton. Ford Motor Company Limited was created in 1928 as a public British company holding Ford's European and Middle Eastern interests. Dearborn gradually increased its control, and in 1960–61 acquired the remaining outside shareholders, turning the British company into a wholly owned Ford subsidiary. In 1967, Ford of Britain and Ford-Werke were combined within Ford of Europe, creating a more coordinated European product and manufacturing organization. British plants continued to make important Ford models, including the Cortina, Escort, Capri, Sierra, Fiesta and commercial vehicles. The organization also has an important place in British industrial and social history. The 1968 strike by women sewing machinists at Dagenham, later joined by colleagues at Halewood, halted vehicle production and became a landmark dispute over equal pay and job grading. The dispute helped influence the passage of the Equal Pay Act 1970 and was later commemorated in popular culture. Ford gradually reorganized its British manufacturing footprint. Truck operations were sold to Iveco in 1986, and the Langley plant closed in 1997. Halewood stopped building Ford vehicles after the final Escort in 2000, although Ford retained its transmission operation after the site became associated with Jaguar Land Rover. The Cork factory closed in 1984. In July 2013, Southampton production ended when the last Transit van was completed, with subsequent Transit production moved to Ford Otosan in Turkey. Ford's present British industrial activities are centered on Dagenham diesel-engine production, Halewood transmissions and the Dunton research and development site, alongside sales, marketing, servicing and product-development operations. The Ford brand remains a major participant in the United Kingdom's passenger-car and commercial-vehicle markets, although Ford of Britain is now primarily an operating, engineering and industrial subsidiary rather than a standalone vehicle manufacturer.
History
Ford's first cars reached Britain in 1903, but the company's formal British business began in 1909 with the creation of Ford Motor Company (England) Limited under Percival Perry. A dealership opened in Southampton in 1910, followed by a Trafford Park assembly plant in Manchester in 1911. The plant assembled Model T cars from imported chassis and components, with locally supplied bodies. Production expanded rapidly, reaching approximately 6,000 vehicles in 1913. In 1914, Trafford Park introduced Britain's first moving assembly line for automobile production. Ford established a major Irish operation in Cork in 1917, initially producing tractors and later assembling cars. In Britain, the need for a deep-water site led Ford to select Dagenham on the River Thames. Construction began in 1929, and the vast plant opened in 1931. The Model A and Model AA truck were followed by the smaller Model Y, designed specifically for markets outside North America. Its low price and suitability for British tax and road conditions made it a commercial success, and more than 157,000 Model Y vehicles were produced at Dagenham and Cork between 1932 and 1937. In 1928, Ford created Ford Motor Company Limited as a publicly quoted company with British and American directors. The new entity held Ford's European and Middle Eastern businesses. It retained a degree of operational independence, but Ford's Dearborn organization gradually strengthened its ownership. In 1960, Dearborn offered to buy the outside shareholders, and the transaction was completed in early 1961, making the British company wholly owned by Ford. The Second World War transformed Dagenham into a military production center. The plant produced approximately 360,000 vehicles, while a Trafford Park facility manufactured Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engines. Civilian production resumed after the war, and Dagenham reached the one-millionth vehicle milestone in August 1946. Ford expanded through additional plants and acquisitions, including body-production facilities associated with Briggs Motor Bodies in 1953. Post-war British Ford became particularly influential through models such as the Anglia, Consul, Zephyr, Cortina, Escort, Capri, Granada, Sierra and Fiesta. Halewood opened in 1962 to build the Anglia and later became associated with the Escort. Basildon began tractor production in 1964, while a former British Leyland site at Swansea was acquired for chassis components and axles. Ford of Europe was formed in 1967 through the combination of Ford's British and German operations. Industrial relations formed a significant part of Ford's history. In June 1968, women sewing machinists at Dagenham struck after their jobs were classified as lower-skilled and their pay was set below the full rate for that category. Halewood machinists later joined the action. The stoppage halted car production and ended after government intervention and a negotiated pay improvement. The event became a major reference point in the history of equal-pay legislation in Britain. Ford's commercial-vehicle activities developed from early Model T and Model TT derivatives through Fordson, Thames and later Ford-badged trucks and vans. The truck operation was sold to Iveco in 1986, creating Iveco Ford, while the Langley plant eventually closed in 1997. Cork production ended in 1984. Halewood stopped producing Ford vehicles in 2000, later becoming part of Jaguar Land Rover's manufacturing network, although Ford retained its transmission operations there. The final Ford vehicle assembled at Southampton was completed on 26 July 2013. The decision transferred next-generation Transit production to Turkey and ended more than 100 years of Ford vehicle assembly in the United Kingdom. Ford nevertheless retained substantial British engineering and industrial activities. Dagenham became focused on diesel engines, Halewood on transmissions, and Dunton in Essex remained a major research and development center. Ford of Britain therefore evolved from a vertically integrated vehicle manufacturer into a regional operating company combining engineering, manufacturing, commercial operations, sales, service and marketing.
- 2013
Southampton vehicle assembly ends
[1]Ford completed its final Southampton-built Transit, ending more than a century of UK vehicle assembly.
- 2000
Ford production ends at Halewood
[1]The final Ford Escort left Halewood, after which the site changed to other automotive production while Ford retained its transmission operation.
- 1986
Truck business sold to Iveco
[1]Ford's truck operation was sold to Iveco and continued as Iveco Ford.
- 1984
Cork factory closes
[1]Ford ended vehicle production at its Cork plant in Ireland.
- 1968
Dagenham machinists' strike
[2]The sewing machinists' dispute at Dagenham, later involving Halewood, became a defining UK equal-pay labour conflict.
- 1967
Ford of Europe created
[3]Ford combined its British and German operations into Ford of Europe.
- 1962
Halewood opens
[1]Ford opened its Halewood plant near Liverpool to produce the Anglia.
- 1960
Ford of Britain name adopted
[1]Ford Motor Company Limited adopted Ford of Britain as its trading name during the transition to wholly owned Ford control.
- 1950
Dearborn takes control of European businesses
[1]Ford's controlling interests in its European businesses were transferred to the Dearborn organization.
- 1932
Model Y enters production
[1]The small Model Y, designed for markets outside North America, entered production at Dagenham and Cork.
Products and positioning
Mass-market automotive brand and UK industrial operating company combining vehicle sales, commercial vehicles, engineering, manufacturing and after-sales support. Historically positioned around affordable, locally produced cars and practical commercial vehicles.
Passenger car · 1932
Ford Model Y
A compact Ford designed specifically for markets outside North America. Produced at Dagenham and Cork from 1932, it was better adapted to British taxation and operating conditions than the larger Model A and became Britain's first £100 car in 1935.
Passenger car · 1939
Ford Anglia
A long-running small Ford line produced in Britain from 1939 to 1967. The Anglia was one of the principal models associated with Ford's post-war expansion and was among the first vehicles built at Halewood.
Passenger car · 1962
Ford Cortina
A major British-market family car produced from 1962 to 1982. The Cortina became one of Ford's most important mass-market models and was manufactured during the period when Ford of Britain was increasingly integrated with Ford's continental European operations.
Passenger car · 1968
Ford Escort
A compact family car produced in Britain from 1968 to 2000. It was built at Halewood and other Ford facilities and became one of the best-known Ford models in the United Kingdom before production at Halewood ended.
Passenger car · 1976
Ford Fiesta
Ford's small-car nameplate, produced from 1976 to 2023 and sold widely in Britain and Europe. It became one of Ford's principal high-volume passenger-car offerings before being discontinued as the company reorganized its European product range.
Commercial vehicle · 1965
Ford Transit
Ford's major light-commercial-vehicle line and one of the most important products associated with British Ford operations. Transit production took place at Southampton until 2013, when production of the next generation moved to Ford Otosan in Turkey.
Agricultural vehicle · 1917
Fordson tractors
Ford's tractor range was produced through British and Irish operations, beginning with the Cork plant's early tractor manufacturing. The Fordson name was used for tractors and, for a period, commercial vehicles.
Automotive powertrain
Dagenham diesel engines
Dagenham remains associated with Ford's UK engine manufacturing activities, particularly diesel engines. This represents the site's post-vehicle-assembly role within Ford's European industrial network.
Automotive powertrain
Halewood transmissions
Ford retained its transmission operation at Halewood after the site ceased producing Ford-branded vehicles. The facility forms part of Ford's remaining UK manufacturing footprint.
Brand decisions
2013
End Southampton vehicle assemblyStrategyBackground
Ford's UK vehicle-manufacturing footprint had contracted, and the company reorganized Transit production across its European network.
Action taken
Ford ended Transit assembly at Southampton and moved next-generation Transit production to Ford Otosan in Turkey.
Aftermath
The final Southampton-built Transit ended more than 100 years of Ford vehicle assembly in the United Kingdom, while Dagenham, Halewood and Dunton remained important UK sites.
1986
Sell the British truck operation to IvecoM&ABackground
Ford was restructuring its commercial-vehicle activities and manufacturing footprint.
Action taken
The truck operation was sold to Iveco and continued as Iveco Ford, with Ford retaining a minority interest in the resulting business.
Aftermath
Ford withdrew from direct ownership of its former British truck manufacturing operation; Langley later closed in 1997.
1967
Create Ford of EuropeStrategyBackground
Ford operated substantial businesses in both Britain and Germany, with increasing pressure to coordinate European products and manufacturing.
Action taken
Ford merged the British and German operating organizations into Ford of Europe.
Aftermath
Ford of Britain became part of a more integrated European product and industrial structure.
1960
Acquire the remaining shareholders of Ford Motor Company LimitedM&ABackground
Ford Dearborn already held a controlling interest but the British company remained publicly quoted with outside shareholders.
Action taken
Ford offered to buy the outstanding shares and completed the transaction in early 1961, converting Ford Motor Company Limited into a wholly owned subsidiary.
Aftermath
The move enabled closer control of British operations and preceded greater European organizational integration.
1929
Build an integrated Dagenham manufacturing complexStrategyBackground
Ford sought a deep-water site capable of supporting large-scale manufacturing and distribution for Britain and continental markets.
Action taken
It constructed the Dagenham complex on the River Thames, which opened in 1931 and became a major European Ford production center.
Aftermath
Dagenham became the core of Ford's British manufacturing system for much of the twentieth century.
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