Thanks to Barrel 12

I’ve often posted photos of ROROs and PCTCs, but here’s the old school.  Here’s a Ford ship loading Ford cars from the Chester PA plant.  MV Lake Benbow was one of the first six Ford-owned vessels transporting Ford products around the world.  Click here for her interesting history:  built 1918 for the US Naval Overseas Transport Service (NOTS), purchased by Ford in 1925, which operated it until 1937.  Given the automobiles awaiting loading, maybe 1935 Fords, this photo appears to have been taken near the end of its time as a Ford vessel.

The Chester plant made Fords from 1927 until 1958.  Click here for more photos and info on the Chester plant.  When that plant closed, operations moved to Mahwah NJ, where after some years, the same script was followed. 

Click here for Ford production location photos both vintage and abroad.

Ford was know to have tried to own all aspects of their operation, from the Fordlandia gambit to northern forests and mines, but other companies like US Steel, Bethlehem, fruit companies and petroleum companies did the same.   By the way, now that it’s summer BBQ season, do you know the connection between Ford and Kingsford charcoal?

 

Again, thanks to barrel for these photos.