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Ford became the first automaker to establish itself in Mexico in 1925.
As the United States resumed diplomatic relations with Mexico in the early 1920s, Ford Motor Company was eager to expand to a key location in a growing market, becoming the first automaker to put down roots in the country a century ago this week.
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Employees gather around the Mexico City Plant in 1926.
Ford had entered Latin America years earlier when it opened a branch in Argentina in 1913, and with the addition of operations in Mexico, there were 11 Ford subsidiaries and branches throughout the region by 1927. A 48,000-square-foot assembly plant in Mexico City became the first in Mexico and Ford’s 29th international plant when it opened in 1925. Its employees produced about 25 Model T cars and Model TT trucks per day using a scaled-down version of their American counterparts. The plant had assembled just over 26,000 vehicles by 1930.
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Ford’s Model T was popularly known as “Fordcito” or “Fotingo” in Mexico, where the cars helped greatly expand public transportation prior to the company’s arrival in 1925.
Ford would add another plant in 1929, and its production history in the country includes F-Series, Escort, and Thunderbird, among many other Ford and Mercury vehicles. The company has added new facilities, which are still in use today in the decades since: Cuautitlán Assembly Plant in 1964, Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant in 1986, Chihuahua Engine Complex in 1983, and Irapuato Electric Powertrain Center in 2017.
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Employees work at the Cuautitlan Engine Plant in this undated photo.
Ford has also shown its commitment to the community in Mexico by supporting technical training and with social programs highlighted by the long-running Ford Schools program, created by the Ford, Lincoln, and Dealers Civic Committee, which was established in 1966. More than 1.7 million children across the country have benefited from the program to date through the construction and donation of Ford primary schools and programming across the country.
Today, Ford of Mexico has more than 14,500 employees whose roles range from manufacturing and sales to design, development, testing, and validation, among other areas. The company’s assembly plants produce Bronco Sport, Maverick, and Mustang Mach-E, as well as various engines and components. The country is also home to one of Ford’s three Global Technology and Business Centers (GTBC), which includes the largest automotive engineering center in Mexico and employs approximately 3,300 engineers who work across the full spectrum of automotive engineering. Ford Motor Credit Company also has operations in the country, which boasts a dealer network that includes nearly 120 Ford and Lincoln dealerships.
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The first Ford dealers arrived in Mexico in the 1920s and began to expand following World War II. Today, there are nearly 120 Ford and Lincoln dealers in the country.
Mexico was not the only strategic locale where Ford expanded in 1925. The company is also celebrating the centennial of its operations in Australia, Germany, and Japan this year.
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The addition of Ford’s Tlalnepantla Plant in the 1960s helped improve auto parts production and build the automotive supply chain in Mexico.
Ford’s history in Mexico reflects an ability to adapt and innovate, but it also goes beyond the business and includes partnership and community building. As we mark this milestone, the company’s efforts to enrich countless lives reflect the company’s core values and set a powerful example for our global operations.
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