Henry Ford's Secret Weapon That Saved Britain — Ford Model F

The Fordson Model F, introduced in 1917, was Henry Ford's answer to World War One food shortages and became the first mass-produced, affordable tractor in history. Priced at just $230, it weighed 2,500 pounds, produced 20 horsepower, and used a revolutionary stressed-structure design that eliminated the need for a separate frame. The Fordson captured 75% of the American tractor market by the early 1920s, destroyed International Harvester's dominance, and forced dozens of competitors into bankruptcy or consolidation. Despite serious safety flaws and mediocre engineering, its low cost made it accessible to small farmers and accelerated the replacement of horses with machines. Over 750,000 units were sold globally between 1917 and 1928, fundamentally transforming agriculture, rural populations, and land use across North America, Europe, and beyond. Ford ended U.S. production in 1928 to focus on the Model A automobile, but manufacturing continued in Cork, Ireland, and later Dagenham, England, until 1964.

Sources:
Ford Motor Company Historical Archives
"Henry Ford and Grassroots America" by Reynold M. Wik
"The Fordson Tractor Story" by Stuart Gibbard
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History collections on agricultural mechanization
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers historical records
International Harvester Company annual reports (1917–1930)
British Ministry of Food wartime production records (1917–1918)
Agricultural census data, U.S. Department of Agriculture (1920–1960)

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