River Rouge: Ford's Industrial Colossus [Hardcover]

Joseph P. Cabadas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2004

In 1914, Henry Ford ordered the construction of a small plant at the confluence of the River Rouge and Detroit River in what was then the rural community of Dearborn, just outside of Detroit. Eventually, that small pilot plant grew into the gigantic 1,100-acre River Rouge Complex, the most famous auto factory of the twentieth century, renowned as the home of Ford's "vertical integration." In 1999, Ford's great-grandson and Ford Chairman Bill Ford III announced that the company would reinvent the complex as the auto factory of the new century, scheduled for completion in 2004. Like "the Rouge" itself, this illustrated 90-year chronological history of the complex will provide a sprawling view of the evolution of automaking and industrial technologies, as well as the exciting new concepts the company is incorporating into the current redesign. Central to vertical integration was self-sufficiency: raw materials went in one end and finished cars came out the other. In fact, iron ore and coal became completed engine blocks in less than 24 hours! Filled with evocative inside-the-factory shots, this illustrated 90-year history provides sprawling views of manufacturing processes, factory evolution, and the exciting new concepts Ford has incorporated into the redesign. Author Joe Cabadas also explores "vertical integration" as conceived at the Rouge-raw materials essentially entered one door and new automobiles exited the other. In fact, iron ore and coal were transformed into engine blocks in less than 24 hours. In addition to manufacturing processes that also included glassmaking and woodworking, the engaging chronological history explores the Rouge's roles as a crucible of industry unionization (at its peak in 1929, the 1,100-acre factory employed 128,000 workers) and wartime production, and its profound influence on Japanese automakers. Thanks to the Rouge's immensity and diverse operations, archival and current images provide a visual cornucopia for just about any reader.- The River Rouge automotive factory is part of Henry Ford's grand legacy that remains today. It is one of the world's largest automotive manufacturing facilities.- Timed to coincide with the completed Rouge renovation and the complex's ninetieth anniversaryAbout the AuthorJoe Cabadas is an automotive journalist whose work regularly appears in several industry trade publications. He is the co-author of MBI Publishing Company's bestselling The American Auto Factory (ISBN 0-7603-1059-9) and lives in Dearborn, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joe Cabadas is an automotive journalist whose work regularly appears in several industry trade publications. He is the co-author of MBI Publishing Company's bestselling The American Auto Factory (ISBN 0-7603-1059-9) and lives in Dearborn, Michigan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks (October 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760317089
• ISBN-13: 978-0760317082
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great historical photography, a good general Ford history, December 30, 2004

By 

Robert Winland (Missouri City, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: River Rouge: Ford's Industrial Colossus (Hardcover)

The book chronicles the history of the River Rouge plant beginning over 80 years ago to the present. A highlight is the large number of historical photographs, showing buildings, machinery, and workers over the years. As written the book functions more as a general history of Ford with the Rouge as the backdrop, especially the first half of the book. The second half of the book, dealing with the 1960's forward, has more of a focus on the Rouge itself.

The author does particularly well with certain topics, including union organization activities of the 1930's-1940's and the opening of the new Dearborn Truck Plant. Also the author employs many one to two-page sidebars on specific subtopics, such as "Sailing Aboard the Ford Fleet", "Bomber Plant Captivates America", "Last Ford Train to Nowhere", and "Death of the Rotunda". Several of these subtopics cover obscure subject matter and I found them particularly interesting.

Other books do a better job with the history of Ford (for example Brinkley's "Wheels for the World"), and I was perhaps expecting more focus on the plant per se (how the machines function, workers' experiences). Still the book is a worthy addition to the collection of any Ford or industrial history fan.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Keep the pages in proper order !, February 9, 2005

By 

Ronald C. Hall (Portland ME) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: River Rouge: Ford's Industrial Colossus (Hardcover)

The history is excellent but the reading is difficult due to some pages not being in sequential order. Once you get the hang as to where the story continues, you're fine but it is frustrating. The photos are super some of which I have not seen before. Histoically sound. However, I did notice an error or two but certain they were clerical in nature. Overall a good buy for a Ford Nut.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Pictorial History, April 18, 2006

By 

Michael P. Kukielka "BORG" (Rochester Hills, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: River Rouge: Ford's Industrial Colossus (Hardcover)

My father is an employee at this facility so I purchased the book in order to get a sense of the history and environment he works in. After reviewing the book with him (a fascinating experience), it appears very little has changed around many parts of the facility. It also made me realize just how much isn't explained in the book so having an `expert' review the historical pictures is advantageous.

While many won't be able to identify with my personal connection to the factory; anybody interested in automotive or industrial history will find this book a fascinating look into a remarkable industrial colossus that has remained in operation for almost 90 years.

My only gripe with the book is that it does not provide a detailed overview of the facility. I would like to see a map or something that illustrates the functions of each building in the complex.