Ford

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Ford had a varied history in aviation, producing the highly successful Tri-Motor airliner before the DC-3, but also the ill-fated Flivver "everyman's plane" which Charles Lindbergh called "the worst aircraft" he ever flew.
  • Following the Flivver's failure, Ford ceased light plane production, but later contributed significantly to aviation by building thousands of B-24 bombers during WWII.
  • The company's diverse manufacturing background includes both notable aviation projects and its renowned automotive production, such as the Super Deluxe car.
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The best airliner in the world before the Douglas DC-3 took over, the Ford Tri-Motor, was built Ford Tough. Another foray into aviation wasn’t as successful. The Flivver was a single-seat “everyman’s plane,” and first flew in the late 1920s. Charles Lindbergh flew and called it “the worst aircraft” he ever flew. Soon after the Flivver disaster, Ford stopped producing it and other light planes, too. It’s plane building, however, didn’t stop there. The company built thousands of B-24 bombers during WWII. Oh, yeah, the company has built a few cars, too, including this gorgeous Super Deluxe, which it built throughout the ’40s.

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