By 1927, the Model T was too outdated for this new era. As Ford looked for a way to get back on the market, he laid off thousands of workers. But when Ford released the Model A in 1928 for manufacture, business came back to life. So when the stock market crashed in October 1929, the Ford Motor Company remained untouched. But by 1931, the Great Depression caught up with Ford and sales plummeted, Chevrolet cut into Ford's market, and production was forced to shut down production and send workers home. Ford, being a humanistic idealist knew that returning workers wouldn't work unless they had to, so he created the Service Department a group of supervisors who controlled the plant with fear. Ford made it through the Depression, showing business would continue under any conditions, including the impending war.
When World War II broke out in 1939, Ford was asked by the government to build the B-24 Liberator Bomber, a plane for the war. But in 1941, Ford suffered a stroke and the project was left mostly to his son Edsel. Liberator Bombers were supposed to be created at a rate of 1 per hour, but only 56 were built by 1942. Edsel, also suffering medical problems died in 1943, and Henry was once again in charge of Ford Motor Co. Ford, being a major part of the war effort, worried President Roosevelt and eventually stepped down to his grandson, but during the war, Ford was the nation's third largest defense contractor, significantly helping the nation produce the massive amounts of weapons and transportation for soldiers that made America win the war.
When World War II broke out in 1939, Ford was asked by the government to build the B-24 Liberator Bomber, a plane for the war. But in 1941, Ford suffered a stroke and the project was left mostly to his son Edsel. Liberator Bombers were supposed to be created at a rate of 1 per hour, but only 56 were built by 1942. Edsel, also suffering medical problems died in 1943, and Henry was once again in charge of Ford Motor Co. Ford, being a major part of the war effort, worried President Roosevelt and eventually stepped down to his grandson, but during the war, Ford was the nation's third largest defense contractor, significantly helping the nation produce the massive amounts of weapons and transportation for soldiers that made America win the war.