How the Leadership of Henry Ford II Put Ford Motor Company on the Path to Sustained Success

The name of Henry Ford II has represented Ford Motor Company’s World Headquarters since 1996, when the building known as the “Glass House” was dedicated to the company’s former longtime leader who took the wheel just over 80 years ago. His legacy, which includes solidifying Ford Motor Company in an uncertain postwar period and beyond, will also live on in Ford’s new WHQ building, which will be part of the new Henry Ford II World Center. 

Henry Ford II was the grandson of company founder Henry Ford and son of Edsel Ford. After his father’s passing in 1943, Henry Ford II left the Navy to rejoin the company, continuing his father’s work overseeing the wartime production effort. He succeeded his grandfather to become president on Sept. 21, 1945, at just 28 years old. 

A fresh restart 

The automotive industry faced the demand brought on by the wartime civilian production hiatus, but competition was stiff, and Ford Motor Company was not as well positioned – racking up losses of $9 million each month – as its rivals to meet the call. 

Under Henry Ford II, the company went on to reorganize its managerial structure, promoting some existing leaders and recruiting others, including the “Whiz Kids,” a group of Air Force veterans from World War II brought in to help revive the company. He also launched a $2.8 billion facilities expansion and modernization project, which included new research and engineering facilities, as well as manufacturing plants and parts facilities to increase production capacity. An international division of the company was also created in anticipation of a growing global market, and by the 1970s, Ford had visited every country where Ford had an operation or affiliate. Also, Ford Motor Company became a publicly traded company in 1956. 

The company’s fortunes quickly began to turn. After making just $2,000 in 1946, Ford’s profits jumped to $66 million a year later, $94 million in 1948, and $260 million in 1950, thanks in part to the brand-new 1949 Ford, the company's first totally redesigned vehicle since before World War II. By 1980, Ford had become the fourth-largest industrial enterprise in the United States. 

Henry Ford II retired as CEO in October 1979 after decades of global growth, marking the first time a non-Ford family member would be at the helm of the company. By that time, the company had grown from selling 900,000 vehicles in 1946, the first full year of post-war civilian auto production, to almost 6 million at the time of his retirement. Accordingly, sales had grown from $894 million to $43.5 billion, and the company’s global workforce also vastly increased from 160,000 to nearly 430,000 during his tenure.  

Henry Ford II helped establish what is now known as Ford Philanthropy in 1949, also serving as its president and trustee. He was also very active in civic and public affairs. Notably, he led a group of corporate partners in the 1970s on a multiyear redevelopment of a rundown riverfront property in downtown Detroit that would become the Renaissance Center. He also championed civil rights and advocated for improved labor relations. 

Lasting legacy 

The late-1990s dedication at the Glass House also included the unveiling of a bronze statue which is still on display in the building’s lobby. Ford died of pneumonia at age 70 in 1987 after a career that included nearly 35 years leading the company that bears his family name through significant change. He was remembered not only for his accomplishments in business but also his people skills.

“For almost four decades, Mr. Ford was Ford Motor Company,” read a statement from then-Chair and CEO Donald Petersen. “He was born to lead and he fulfilled his destiny.” 

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