River Rouge (Hardcover)

by Joseph Cabadas (Author) "Henry Ford had long been a tinkerer, having grown up on his father William's farm in Springwells Township, where he had been known to dismantle..." (more)
Key Phrases: truck plant, stamping plant, steel division, Henry Ford, Ford Photomedia, Reuther Library (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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!

"Joseph Cabadas tells the story of the Rouge in a detailed, handsomely designed new coffee table book. River Rouge zeroes in on the most famous auto factory in history and myth, a symbol to the world of what the phrase Motor City really means. A former reporter for the News Herald Newspapers and auto reporter for U.S. Auto Scene and Used Car News, Cabadas has drawn on his knowledge of the industry and the resources of the Ford Motor Co. and Henry Ford Museum to tell a story that is as complex and rambling as the factory it celebrates. The suburb design by Chris Fayers and the scores of photographs, dating back to the beginnings of the Ford Motor Co., present a handsome setting for Cabadas’ story." - Observer and Eccentric, Hugh Gallagher

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 (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #464,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 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

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.

5 of 5 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)

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, July 4, 2008

By	Sheila K. Hollida - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I ordered this book as a gift for my husband after a trip to Michigan and Ford Museum. He really enjoyed it. Nice pictures.