The Rouge (1960s)

The Rouge (1960s)
A more up-to-date look at Ford Motor Company's River Rouge Industrial Facility.
Help us get more films like this online! This film was digitized and uploaded by the A/V Geeks thanks to contributions to this project: www.avgeeks.com/wp2/avgeeks100...

[@peanutbutterisfu]

In my opinion the model T wasn’t the most amazing thing Henry Ford did, building the factory was. Many machines had to be invented, machines that did exist had to be built better to keep up with production, so many problems needed solutions and the biggest achievement keeping a business that big profitable. Im a small business owner so I know how numbers work with business. A business that big is very hard to keep profitable. Just one wrong decision could destroy a business. So many car businesses sublet a lot of work out to avoid many financial problems it’s just amazing Henry was able to keep such a massive business running.

[@tiltingatentropy1215]

The ingenuity that all had to come together and be coordinated in one place to manufacture complex machines without the aid of computers is amazing!

[@rickprusak9326]

There is a water tunnel that travels from the Ford Screen House, located on the Zug Island Canal in the nearby SW Detroit neighborhood of Delray. The tunnel travels under Dearborn Ave. to Fort St. Turning left unto Fort St. the tunnel heads toward Miller Rd. Turning right on Miller Rd, the tunnel heads right into the Ford Rouge Plant. So a lot of the water used to cool the steel, and factory machines in this video comes from the creek canal in Delray. Old man Henry drove a model A with the roof cut off through the water tunnel from the Ford Screen House, under Dearborn Ave. Fort St., and Miller Rd. Once Henry got to the Rouge Plant and the modified car safety removed- a telephone call to the screen house opened the flood gates to allow thousands of gallons of water to enter the Rouge. The same path Henry drove through minutes before.

[@asd36f]

One of the greatest examples of vertical integration in the history of manufacturing .

[@williambozynski1176]

They'd show this film in shop class at Fordson High School to remind alot of us where we were headed after graduation.

[@cuddzilla]

I spent 5 months last year working in their engine facility. An honor to work in a place with such a rich history. I LOVE Detroit!

[@americanaxetoolco2076]

My grand father started at the rouge in 1923 he was a tool room machine repairman in the rolling mill and my dad went there to Ford trade school in the 40’s..when my dad built car haulers we’d go there to test load trailers! The Rouge is nothing like it use to be!

[@MrShobar]

Back in the day, the Rouge plant was an excellent example of a fully-integrated manufacturing facility: Ore went in one end of the factory, and finished autos came out the other end.

[@Pyle81]

My dad was a machinery hauler, and I can remember riding in the truck with dad and occasionally going into the plant to deliver parts to many of the Ford plants in the mid 1970's. The main plant we visited was the Woodhaven Plant that was built in 1964 as a state of the art stamping plant in its day. I couldn't believe the size of the presses back then. And how quickly they filled a parts rack.

[@davidwelsford3189]

A good friend of mine - fellow gearhead, nostalgic for the better styling and charm of our bygone North American cars - sent me this link and I'm sure glad he did. What a treat to watch at every stage.

[@wayne-omi5091]

went on a school tour around 1968 WOW seeing the steel rolling red hot great day ended up working at Ford it was very hard work earn our money for sure.

[@duanespooner6649]

This is really truly amazing, dirt and rock in at one end and one of the most complicated machines of the age come out finished at the other end kudos to Mr. Ford and his thousands of very hard working staff. This was one of the most informative and entertaining movies I have seen. learned how auto glass windshields are made, how engines are assembled, auto body construction and more without any robots in sight.

[@Porsche996driver]

Amazing plant and vision by a guy named Henry Ford. That 30 minutes went by fast, great overview with lots of details like 3-layered safety glass and basic chem lessons!

[@stevendoan8236]

Visited this plant in the 8th grade in 1970 as a field trip, it was bigger than life! Thank you for the upload and GREAT memories!

[@OnerousEthic]

My grandfather, Robert E. Houston, was an senior manager for FMC from 1920-1965. He was number one at the River Rouge steelmill at some point…

[@jackkallemdjian3945]

a lot of exceptional engineering went into the plant just look at the tooling and the men behind them.

[@jacksutherland846]

Those people are amazing.

[@TheMotorhead51]

Back in 1962 me and my parents took a tour through this plant. and also visited The Henry Ford Museum and Green Field Village ,I was only ten years old at that time

[@MisterMikeTexas]

Self contained and self sufficient! I hear that most of the activities seen in this amazing facility are outsourced today. So sad!

[@Ofna211]

To organize the systems and get them up and running would of been a super headache. Ford must of been a crazy workaholic. All that engineering to shave seconds and pennies. Just amazing. Just amazing.