What did Ford do during WWII?
Ford Motor Company played a central role in the Allied war effort, converting its plants to produce bombers, tanks, Jeeps, and engines.
Industrial Transformation at Willow Run and Beyond
When the United States entered World War II, Ford redirected its vast manufacturing network from civilian cars to military hardware, delivering critical support across multiple fronts and helping sustain the Allied supply chain.
Willow Run and the B-24 Liberator
At Willow Run in Michigan, Ford built the massive factory that produced the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. The facility was designed to mass-produce airframes for the war effort, enabling the United States Army Air Forces to expand its strategic bombing capacity. Ford’s operation at Willow Run became a symbol of industrial scale in wartime production.
The following list highlights Ford's most notable wartime outputs.
- B-24 Liberator bombers produced at Willow Run: approximately 8,600 aircraft between 1941 and 1945.
- GPW Jeeps built under license for the U.S. Army: roughly 277,000–280,000 Jeeps.
- Tanks and engines: contributions to the M4 Sherman family and the Ford-built GAA V-8 engines powering armored vehicles and other combat platforms.
- Broad plant conversions and workforce mobilization: the Rouge complex and other facilities shifted to war production, supported by wage incentives and a growing cadre of women workers.
Ford's wartime outputs illustrate how the company leveraged its manufacturing muscle to support Allied operations, from air power to ground mobility, while retooling factories and supply chains for war needs.
Jeep Production and Light Vehicles
Beyond the bomber programs, Ford produced a large number of light vehicles under license, including Jeeps that became essential for infantry transport, reconnaissance, and logistics across diverse theaters of operation.
Ford’s global footprint extended to Canada and other Allied territories, where plants produced trucks, components, and engines that fed into the broader war machine and helped keep Allied campaigns supplied and mobile.
Social and Economic Impact
The war reshaped Ford's workforce and corporate culture. Longstanding wage practices helped attract and retain workers, while the scale of production opened opportunities for women and other workers to participate in manufacturing activities that had previously been male-dominated.
Together with rapid retooling of facilities and the efficient management of a sprawling supply chain, Ford demonstrated how a civilian manufacturer could pivot quickly to meet national defense needs and sustain production over several years of global conflict.
Legacy and Controversy
Ford's wartime achievement is widely recognized for its industrial prowess and its contribution to the Allied victory. At the same time, the company’s history includes controversial elements, notably Henry Ford's earlier anti-Semitic writings and public stances that have colored assessments of the era. The wartime production effort, however, stands as a major chapter in the industrial mobilization of the United States.
Summary
During World War II, Ford Motor Company transformed into a formidable war producer, delivering B-24 bombers, hundreds of thousands of Jeeps, and armored vehicle components, while expanding its workforce and refining manufacturing methods. The result was a decisive contribution to Allied capabilities, balanced by an ongoing debate over leadership choices and political views from the era.
