Detroit Automotive Factory Expansion and the Big Three (1900–1950)

1. Ford Motor Company is founded in Detroit

   Jun 16, 1903Labels: Ford Motor, Henry Ford, Detroit

   • HISTORY
   • Ford Mack Plant

2. Ford’s Piquette Avenue Plant begins operations

   Oct 1, 1904Labels: Piquette Avenue, Ford Motor, Detroit

   • Piquette Plant
   • Piquette Wiki

3. General Motors is formed as a holding company

   Sep 16, 1908Labels: General Motors, William C, Holding Company

   • GM History
   • ASSEMBLY

4. Ford completes the first production Model T

   Oct 1, 1908Labels: Model T, Piquette Avenue, Ford Motor

   • HISTORY
   • Ford Model T

5. Ford shifts Model T work to Highland Park

   Jan 1, 1910Labels: Highland Park, Albert Kahn, Ford Motor

   • Detroit Hist
   • MiPlace

6. Dodge Brothers break ground on Dodge Main

   Jun 10, 1910Labels: Dodge Brothers, Dodge Main, Hamtramck

   • Hamtramck City
   • Dodge Main

7. Moving assembly line debuts at Highland Park

   Oct 7, 1913Labels: Moving Assembly, Highland Park, Model T

   • HISTORY
   • Ford Highland Park

8. Ford announces the “Five Dollar Day” wage

   Jan 5, 1914Labels: Five Dollar, Ford Motor, Labor Policy

   • MiPlace
   • Ford Highland Park

9. Ford lays first keel at the River Rouge site

   May 1, 1918Labels: River Rouge, Ford Motor, Eagle Boat

   • Henry Ford
   • Rouge Complex

10. Chrysler Corporation is formed from Maxwell

    Jun 6, 1925Labels: Chrysler Corporation, Walter P, Maxwell

    • Detroit Hist
    • Britannica

11. GM buys remaining Fisher Body stock

    Jun 30, 1926Labels: General Motors, Fisher Body, Integration

    • Historic Structures
    • GM History

12. Ford ends Model T production and retools factories

    May 26, 1927Labels: Model T, Ford Motor, Factory Retooling

    • HISTORY
    • Hagley

13. Chrysler merges with Dodge Brothers

    Jul 31, 1928Labels: Chrysler Corporation, Dodge Brothers, Merger

    • Detroit Hist
    • Britannica

14. GM workers win UAW recognition after Flint strike

    Feb 11, 1937Labels: United Auto, GM, Flint Sit-Down

    • HISTORY
    • Flint Strike

15. Chrysler’s Detroit Arsenal ramps up tank production

    Jul 1, 1942Labels: Detroit Arsenal, Chrysler, M4 Sherman

    • Michiganology
    • Army Detroit

16. Postwar production boom reshapes Detroit auto work

    Jan 1, 1950Labels: Big Three, Postwar Boom, Detroit

    • Ford Highland Park
    • Flint Strike