The land for the Dagenham plant was purchased in 1924 after the company sent Edward Grace out to scout a suitable location on the River Thames. In May of 1929, Edsel Ford sank a ceremonial spade at the dedication ceremony and construction began soon after. The plant was to include an assembly line, power station, foundry, coke ovens, gas plant, and private wharf.
The first vehicle, a Model AA truck, rolled off the assembly line in October of 1931 and production began at full capacity in the summer of 1932. The land owned by Ford also housed the Briggs Body Works factory which provided bodies, and the Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company which provided wheels. The Dagenham plant nearly doubled in 1936 with the addition of a rolling mill and spring making sections. Initially building Detroit engineered vehicles, Ford Ltd. pushed for English engineered cars to suit the needs of the British public. Over the years, the factory produced a range of vehicles including the Model AF, Popular, Prefect, Anglia, Consul, Zodiac, and Cortina as well as commercial vehicles, trucks, and Fordson tractors.
During World War II, Dagenham produced for war building ambulances, trucks, Bren Carriers, and V-8 engines among other things. They also built food vans to help feed the people of war-torn England, as well as factory and dock workers. In 1941, Edsel and Henry Ford donated back 50% of the dividend owed them by Ford Ltd. so Dagenham could produce food vans. With this donation and the donations of other Ford entities in the Empire, Dagenham built and outfitted 450 vans that year, serving over 6,000,000 meals to those in need due to bombings and food shortages. World War II also saw the camouflaging of the entire plant to keep it better hidden from bombers and the hiring of the first women factory workers at Dagenham.
After WWII, Dagenham faced post-war taxes, export ratios, production restrictions, and material shortages as well as poor sales due to gasoline shortages. They were able to prosper through the introduction of new models as well offering diesel models, and were able to buy out the Kelsey-Hayes and Briggs facilities to expand further. In 1954 they added a new Paint, Trim, and Assembly building and modernized other buildings on site. During the 1960s, Dagenham moved to decentralize some of its operations including Engineering, Styling, Commercial vehicles, Tractor production, Transmissions, and prototype work.
In the early 2000s falling sales led to job cuts, and in 2002 Dagenham ceased vehicle production. 2012 saw the closing of the Stamping Plant, but engine production continues at the plant.
[images: 00.1334.260 Aerial View of Ford Motor Company. Factory, Dagenham, Essex, England, 1946; P.O.503 Edsel Ford at Ground Breaking for New Ford Plant in Dagenham, 1929; Acc. 1790_17 Dagenham Food Van]
Bibliography
Archival
Acc. 1790 Ford Motor Company, Ltd. collection
box 9 Dagenham Regional History, 1973
box 11 Tour Groups at Dagenham, circa 1950-1965
Dagenham Plant
Application for Excise License, 1936-1963 (2 folders)
Site Plans, 1923-1963 (2 folders)
Dr. A. Kucher Speech, 1960
Emergency Food Vans Program Planning, 1941-1942
box 16 Dagenham Plant
Dagenham Regional History, 1973
Groundbreaking, October 1929 (2 folders)
box 17 Dagenham Plant
Production Milestones, 1929-1981 (2 folders)
Plant and Regional History, 1935-1979 (3 folders)
box 18 General Plant Promotions, circa 1930-1980
box 19 The Story of Ford of Dagenham, circa 1961
Production Milestone Promotions
250,000th British-built Model-T Cross Country Promotional Campaign, 1925
Various, 1931-1980
box 20 Pencil Sketch, Dagenham Plant, 1942
box 31 Photographs; England; Aerial Photographs, circa 1961 (2 albums)
box 32 Photographs; Dagenham; New Foundry Construction, 1954-1957 (5 albums)
box 33-41 Photographs; Dagenham; Plant Construction, 1929-1938 (47 albums)
box 47 Photographs; England; Aerial Photos, Various Plants, circa 1938-1956
Photographs; Dagenham
Blast Furnace, 1955-1961
Coke Ovens, 1950-1952
Drainage Ditch Reconstruction, 1961
Export Storage Compound, 1957-1961 (4 folders)
F Building, 1950-1953 (3 folders)
Heat Treatment Building, 1961
Miscellaneous Construction Projects, 1940-1962 (3 folders)
box 48 Photographs; Dagenham
New Forge, 1958-1959 (8 folders)
New Foundry, 1954-1958 (21 folders)
box 49 Photographs; Dagenham
New Light Structure, 1960 (2 folders)
Paint, Trim, and Assembly Building Construction, 1967
Plant Renovation, 1950-1952
box 54 Scrapbooks; Bombing Damage to Dagenham Plant, circa 1942-1943
box 56 Dagenham Regional History, 1973
box 61 England; Aerial Photographs, 1951
Acc. 951 Ford Motor Company Non-Serial Publications Collection
box 7 Dagenham Engine Plant: Aiming for Excellence, 1989
Dagenham: Home of Ford of Britain
Dagenham Visit, c.1960
box 10 Facts about Ford Works (Dagenham), 1949
box 15 The Ford Industrial Estate at Dagenham
box 17 Ford Motor Company, Limited: Dagenham, England 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953
Ford of Dagenham
box 30 Main Dealer Agreement, FMC, Ltd., Dagenham, 1960
box 32 The New Ford Works at Dagenham, c.1929
box 50 A Tour through Ford Works Dagenham, Essex
box 53 Welcome: Ford Motor Company, Ltd. Dagenham, c.1956
Welcome to Dagenham Engine Plant, April, 1966
Welcome to the Hub of a World on Wheels
Acc. 285 Henry Ford Office papers
box 1314 Dagenham, England, 1931
box 1592 Dagenham, England, 1933-1934
box 1766 England (Dagenham - London), 1935
box 1906 England - Dagenham, London, 1936
box 2025 England, Dagenham, London, 1937
box 2141 Dagenham, London, 1938
box 2286 England - Dagenham and London, 1939-1940
box 2958 Dagenham re: Statue of Henry Ford, 1947-1949
Acc.1 Fair Lane papers
box 173 Souvenir booklet "Dagenham Plant, England," distributed at Ford International
Conference, Detroit, 1948
box 188 Unveiling of statue of Henry Ford at Dagenham, England, Commemorative
Booklet, October 14, 1948
Acc. 6 Edsel B Ford Office papers
box 71 KA-KR (includes King George Hospital correspondence with Sir Percival Perry,
references to Dagenham Hospital)
box 213 Dagenham, 1932
box 218 Dagenham, 1933
box 223 Dagenham, 1934
box 231 Dagenham, 1936
box 234 Dagenham, 1937
box 248 Dagenham, 1940
box 285 Dagenham, 1932
box 289 Dagenham (includes correspondence and some financial statements, schedule A,
balance sheets), 1933
box 293 Dagenham, 1934
box 296 Dagenham, 1935
box 298 Dagenham, 1936
box 301 Dagenham, 1937
box 302 Dagenham, 1938
box 304 Dagenham, 1939
box 306 Dagenham, 1940
box 307 Dagenham, 1941
box 308 Dagenham, 1942
D (includes Dagenham), 1943
Acc. 38 Charles Sorensen papers
box 1 England; Dagenham, 1929
box 2 England; Dagenham, 1930
box 5 England; Dagenham, 1931
box 8 England; Dagenham, 1932
box 13 England; Dagenham, 1933
box 19 Annual General Manager's Meeting Minutes, volume 2; Dagenham, 1934
box 25 Annual General Meetings, volume 2; Dagenham, 1935
box 26 England; Dagenham (3 folders), 1935
box 29 Annual General Meetings; Dagenham, 1936
box 31 England; Dagenham, 1936
box 35 Annual General Meetings; Dagenham, 1937
Acc. 46 Ford Motor Company executive correspondence records
box 51 Dagenham, 1938
box 73 Dagenham, 1939
box 128 Dagenham, 1940
box 182 Dagenham, 1941
box 223 Dagenham, 1942
box 258 Dagenham, 1943
box 287 Dagenham, 1944
box 299 Dagenham, 1945
box 309 Dagenham, 1946
Acc. 390 A. M. Wibel Office papers subseries
box 6 Dagenham Blast Furnace Plant, undated
box 84 1[a]. Dagenham, 1929-1931 (re: plant startup)
Acc. 572 Nevins and Hill research, original documents and notes series
box 18 No.11.15 (includes: New Ford Plant at Dagenham, Essex, Dagenham Production
and Sales Reports, 1932)
Acc. 507 Manufacturing and Assembly Department records series
box 14 155-162 (includes Dagenham), 1946
box 30 2-15 (includes air-conditioning, allotments for associates, analysis of mailing,
automobile exports, bibliographies, blueprints: Dagenham), 1947
box 38 84-112A (job analysis, job evaluation, KD export schedule, KD trim unit list,
Kirksite dies, layout: Dagenham), 1947
box 41 137-140 (includes miscellaneous: Dagenham), 1947
box 43 150-182 (includes multi-post stamp affixer, negative rake turning, New Model
Cowl front ends, 1947-1948: Dagenham), 1947
box 50 257-269 (includes shot peening, sketches, skids: 1948 miscellaneous, specifications:
Dagenham), 1947
box 53 286-290 (includes welding equipment: Dagenham), 1947
box 60 Dagenham: General, 1946-1948 (3 folders)
box 61 Dagenham
Executive, 1936-1941 (2 folders)
Office of Lord Perry and Sir Stanford Cooper General Letters, 1946
Overseas Circular Letters, 1946
Ball and Roller Bearings
General, 1947
Timken Roller Bearings
Batteries
Engineering Details
Paint
Pig Iron production Reports, 1947
Local Purchasing in South America for Dagenham
Tractor, 1946
Visitors, 1947
box 85 Time Study Sheets: Dagenham, 1945-1949
box 95 R. I. Roberge; Reports on Cologne, Asnieres and Dagenham, 1937-1938
box 99 Branch Correspondence; Dagenham, 1935, 1937-1938, Appointment of Main
Dealers, Visit of
Acc. 1942 International Division Purchasing Office Records
box 2 International Division Overview, 1958 (4 folders) (photographs, organization
charts, and histories, includes Dagenham)
Acc. 713 Correspondence subseries, International Division
box 5 Dagenham Telephone Directory, April 1938
Correspondence; Dagenham, 1945-1947
box 6 Correspondence; Dagenham, 1948-1950
Minutes of Manager's Conference, London, April 9-12, 1948
Survey of British Motor Vehicle Industry, 1948
box 12 "Market research survey-sales estimates of Dagenham products."
Acc. 1940 Reconsolidation of Foreign Operations records
box 4-5 Guernsey Project (includes Dagenham), 1946-1950
Acc. 157 C. L. Martindale/Otto H. Husen files subsubseries
box 6 Correspondence; Ford Motor Company Ltd., Dagenham, England, 1936
Dagenham, Schedule A, 1936
box 15 Correspondence; Dagenham, Schedule "A", 1937
box 22 Correspondence; Dagenham, Costs, Schedule A, 1938
box 172 Cost Statements; Dagenham, Ford Motor Co., Dagenham, England, 1935
box 201 Foreign Plant Costs and Statistics; Dagenham 1928-1949
box 203 Matford-Cost Comparisons, Rouge, Dagenham, Cologne, 1936-1937
box 228 Schedule of Costs, Dagenham, 1939
Schedule "A" Cost and Sale Price Statistics, Dagenham, 1939
box 264 Dagenham Cost Accounting Data 1935-36
box 269 Coke Oven and Blast Furnace Cost Forms; Rouge and Dagenham cost comparison
Dagenham
Comparison associated companies assembly hour costs - 1936
Comparison associated companies facilities statistics - 1937
Photographs of damage to machines received from us
Acc. 220 Elmer A. Eberle records subseries. Finance Staff.
box 95 Controllers Office; Dagenham costs, 1936-37
box 96 Controllers Office; Dagenham data
Acc. 685 J. W. Whitmore papers. Traffic Division.
box 2 Dagenham, England, visit, 1934, 1936
Acc. 378 Public Relations Research Library subject files subseries
box 46 Ford I, Henry, Memorials Dagenham England Statue, 1948-1949
Acc. 630 Foreign Branch Publicity subseries
box 1 England, Dagenham, Plant Layout, 1945
Acc. 708 Bank Account Statements subsubseries
box 17-18 Dagenham, England (Ford Motor Co. Ltd) 1933-1944
Acc. 1932 Ford of England Commemorative Scrapbooks
includes 1 bound scrapbook: Mr. Henry Ford II Commemorates 50 years of Production
at Dagenham, Essex, October 1981
Small Accessions
Acc. 225 Ford Motor Company Ltd. Branch Operations records, 1948-1953 (pamphlets
and correspondence)
Acc. 696 Renovated Assembly Plants photographs series
box 13 Dagenham, London, England
box 14 London, England - Dagenham Plant
box 15 Visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Ford Motor Company, Dagenham, England,
December 6, 1951 (photograph album)
Acc. 1660 Photographic Vertical File
box 19 Assembly Line Methods; Automobiles; England-Dagenham
box 21 Assembly Line Methods; Tractors; England-Dagenham
box 79 Ford, Edsel; Dedications; Ford Motor Company-England-Dagenham
box 124 Ford Motor Company; Buildings; England-Dagenham (Aerial views and
panoramas, Construction, Exteriors, Interiors)
Acc. 833 General Photographs
box 2 Europe-England-Dagenham through France-Bordeaux (3a)
Acc. 00.1334.311.0 Dagenham Plant England Photographs Album
Acc. 11 Henry Ford II European Trip collection
box 3 Photographs; Great Britain (scrapbook including portrait photo of Henry Ford II)
Ford News
See: Ford Assembly Plant (Dagenham. ENG)
Ford, Edsel Bryant: Ford Assembly Plant (Dagenham. Eng.)
Fordson Plant (Dagenham, ENG)
Audio-Visual
64.167.764.4 - Motion Picture - "Ford Gala for Workers at Dagenham Plant"
Oral Histories
65_ 71 Theodore F. Gehle
Acc. 1001 Norman St John-Stevas interviews
box 1 Interviews of Ford Ltd. executives, 1952-1953
Vertical File
Ford Motor Company-Plants-Europe-England & Ireland
Books, Periodicals, and Secondary
Ford at Dagenham: the rise and fall of Detroit in Europe. David Burgess Wise
REF 338.476292 F699 B955 2001
The Ford standing salt : a jubilee gift to Ford Motor Company U.S.A. from Ford Motor
Company Limited, Dagenham, England, 1903-1955. Ford Motor Company Limited
(Dagenham, England). Reginald H Hill; C.J. Vander Limited (Firm) [1953?]
739.23 F699 1953
Paint, trim and assembly: the story of Ford's new Paint, Trim and Assembly Building. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
338.7 F699 1959
Ford model Y: Henry's car for Europe. S. Roberts (Sam)
629.222 F699 R646 2001
American business abroad: Ford on six continents. Mira Wilkins Frank Ernest Hill
338.476292 F699 W685 2011
Annual report. 1929-1949. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Annual report and accounts. 1950-1984. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Cars (England). Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Export News from Dagenham. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Farm (Dagenham, England). Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Ford Bulletin. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Ford Cars. Ford Motor Company Ltd
Ford Family (England). Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Ford Times (England). Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Ford Works News. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Powertalk. Ford Motor Company Ltd.
Targets. Ford Motor Company Ltd.