The automobile changed the face of America and the Ford Motor Company played one of the largest roles in this change.  After being founded in 1903, Ford would go on to help the automobile grow from a novelty in the early 20th century to a necessity 50 years later.

On this day, March 16th, in 1958, the Ford Motor Company produced its 50 millionth vehicle, averaging about a million cars produced every year since the company was founded.  The 50th million milestone was quite the accomplishment for the automaker and marked the company’s tremendous growth since introducing the Model T at the beginning of the century.   The  vehicle that happen to be recognized as the 50 millionth was the popular 1958 model of the Ford Thunderbird.

The commercial accomplishments of Ford Motor Company would continue for the next few decades and production would increase as demands for automobiles became greater.  Ford remained one of the undisputed leaders in the American automotive industry until encountering large financial losses during the early 2000s.