Rare photographs from the archives capture a special day in Ford's history, when workers at the company's Halewood plant joined celebrations marking the production of the 250 millionth Ford vehicle worldwide. The milestone was reached on Tuesday, October 8, 1996, with celebrations taking place at 45 other Ford factories around the globe.
Halewood's landmark moment
At Halewood, then chief Jerry Murphy joked that although Ford did not know exactly where the 250 millionth vehicle was being made, "we reckon it just might be here." By then, the Merseyside factory had already produced an impressive six million cars and vans.
The celebrations also saw the keys to an Escort rolling off the Halewood production line presented to Mike Garrett, managing director of Apex Car Rental, who was described at the time as Ford's "best customer."
Ford's global scale
The scale of Ford's operation was remarkable, as the company was producing around 20 vehicles every minute, having grown from its beginnings in 1903, when it employed just 10 people.
Ford spokesman Derek Stone said at the time that Halewood had a "major place in the Ford story," having produced cars and vans since 1936.
Archived memories
Three decades on, these photographs unearthed from the Mirrorpix archive offer a glimpse inside a landmark moment for the factory, and the workers who helped make Halewood such an important part of Ford's story. The images show familiar faces, places, and memories from the day.
