Michigan’s Auto Industry During World War II

Ford Motor Company

• Built the giant Willow Run plant in Dearborn in order to produce B-24 Liberator bombers on a assembly line that was a mile long.

• By May of 1942, the first bomber rolled off the assembly line.

• Several hundred B-24 bombers were built a month, at the rate of one plane per hour.

By the end of the war Fordhad built: 86,865 aircraft,57,851 airplane engines,thousands of generators,and 4,291 military gliders.

Jeeps, tanks, armored cars, and engines for robot bombs Were produced for the war by Ford.

Ford also had plants in Great Britain and

Canada that joined the production efforts of the United States.

These plants produced canteens, four-wheel-drive trucks, grenades and bombs

By the end of the war, Ford had produced more than a million fighting vehicles for Allies

Chrysler’s Role in the War In 1940, the Defense Commission

negotiated with Chrysler to build a $16

million plant to manufacture tanks.

Chrysler in turn would receive a 4% commission for building the factory

and an additional 4% for building tanks.

Lend –Lease Act of 1941 Increased Chrysler’s role in the war. Caused for increased production of

M-3 tanks, marine tractors, tugs, command cars, ambulances and weapons carriers.

M-3 tanks

Chrysler also built: Martin B-26 bombers Anti- aircraft guns Landing gear for airplanes

General Motors Supported the Allies with more goods

than any other country. By 1942, GM’s production was 100%

for the Allies war efforts. Providing airplanes, trucks and tanks.