Ford Of Britain 100: Image Of The Week - 20/52

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – May 18, 2011: To celebrate the centenary of Ford of Britain in 2011 the company is exploring its photo archive to reveal rarely seen images.

Ford's unique relationship with Britain and its society will be illustrated each week by specially selected pictures.

The saying "the more things change the more they stay the same" may have been written before Henry Ford was born but it could easily apply to the moving assembly lines he pioneered. Modern technology has improved safety, increased efficiency and reduced costs but the principles of the line workers' jobs remain largely unchanged.

This week's image shows Ford Prefect production during the mid-1950s. Although labour intensive, each operator had an allocated space and time in which to complete each task. Great care was taken to ensure no damage occurred to the moving vehicle with every operator wearing appropriate clothing.

Half a century later the product has become more complex but the principle remains the same. Engine production at Ford Bridgend may be on a moving assembly line but operators are working to tolerances higher than ever before. Air filtration systems and environmental monitoring ensures that even the smallest dust particles do not interfere with the smooth running of Ford's latest powertrains, such as the fuel-efficient, low emission EcoBoost range.