The History of Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company and South Africa have a shared history spanning more than a century. As of the most well-known brands in the nation, Ford has seen an increase in yearly vehicle sales. Ford South Africa recorded a share of the market of 16.4% in 2016, which was a record high.

By providing a wide selection of reasonably priced Ford parts and supplies, Masterparts acknowledges the unique position that Ford holds in the nation. In this article, we begin with an examination of the world's fifth-largest automaker from a specifically South African viewpoint.

The First Owner of the Ford Vehicle

The first owner of a Ford vehicle outside of North America was a banker from Johannesburg named Arthur Youldon. He witnessed a Henry Ford motor exhibition while in New York in 1903. Youldon immediately placed an order for a four-seater Model A after falling in love with its roomy interior, three-gear gearbox, and two-cylinder internal combustion motor. It was only $750 and had a maximum speed of 45 kmph.

The truck was duly transported to Port Elizabeth before being transported by train to Johannesburg. Today's original vehicle is still on display at the Franschhoek Motor Museum.

First Ford Manufacturing Site in South Africa

Soon after the Model A made its way to South African soil, Frenchman Georges Chapart and Arkell & Douglas started acting as the region's Ford agents. Atkinson's Motor Garages was one of the first dealerships, and it eventually became a part of the enormous McCarthy Group. For Ford models, right-hand drive kits needed to be purchased from Canada since left-hand drives were the only ones that were produced on Ford assembly lines in the US.

Tax breaks encouraged the construction of the first Ford manufacturing site in South Africa in 1924.

Creation of South African Company Samcor

Ford Canada's South African affiliate amalgamated with Sigma, an Anglo-American automaker that built Mazda and Mitsubishi vehicles for the South African market, in 1985. The result of the merger was the creation of the South African Motor Company (Samcor), a business that sold vehicles, including the Mazda 323-based Mazda Laser and Ford Meteor.

Company’s Survival

Washington's penalties against the apartheid system caused Ford to sell its interest to Samcor and leave South Africa. However, it did grant Samcor a license to use the Ford name, assuring the company's survival.

The Growth Of Ford After Nelson Mandela’s Election

The Ford Motor came back after Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first president to be elected democratically. The Struandale Motor Plant in Port Elizabeth and the Silverton Assembly Line in Pretoria currently house hundreds of workers. The Silverton plant upgraded to a two-vehicle assembly line with a 110 000 unit capacity in 2016.

Ford Ranger Truck

There are assembly lines for both the Ford Ranger pickup truck and the Everest SUV.  the latest generation engine, with improved fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions, are produced at the Struandale Engine Plant. The Port Elizabeth factory produces 250 000 machined components annually.

The Maintenance of Top Performance of Ford Automobiles

Products range from parts of the body and electronic spares to all the parts needed to maintain the top performance of Ford automobiles. At Masterparts locations in the Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal, high-quality machined Ford parts, spares, and accessories are always in stock.

Popular Car in the Nation
One of the most popular car brands in the nation is Ford. In light of this, Masterparts maintains an extensive inventory of elevated Ford parts and accessories for all widely used Ford models, both old and new, on our streets.