Ford's Chicago Assembly just turned 100. Here are the models it made

The Model T was Ford’s first model and one of the world’s first mass-produced vehicles when it was launched in 1908 from the company’s Highland Park Plant in Michigan. The “Tin Lizzie” usually sold for between $260 and $850, or between $8,149 and $26,644 in modern-day dollars. The Model T was built at the Chicago Assembly Plant after it opened its doors in 1924, and the car was discontinued in 1927. With 15 million units sold, the Model T was the world’s best-selling car until 1972, when the Volkswagen Beetle overtook it.

The Ford Model A was planned as “the next big thing” for the Detroit automaker after the “Tin Lizzie” was retired. Not only was the Model A a lower and sleeker improvement on the Model T — it also had a more powerful engine and could move at 65 miles per hour. Plus, it was the first to carry Ford’s iconic blue oval logo. The Model A would be produced in Chicago and other factories from 1927 through 1931, and the vehicle would be discontinued in 1932.

The Ford DeLuxe was made in Chicago between 1941 and 1942 and again between 1946 and 1948; by necessity and government order, Ford had devoted most of its resources towards supporting the U.S. in World War 2 during that gap period. The DeLuxe was offered in a wide range of body styles and with a more economical engine than Ford’s previous models. The model — and its sister, the Ford Super DeLuxe — would be featured in several movies, including Back to the Future Part II, The Karate Kid, and 1978's Grease.

Like many other companies, Ford was pulled into the Second World War after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Alongside Chrysler and General Motors, Ford was enlisted to help support the Allied Powers fight against the Nazis. In doing so, Ford produced B-24 bombers, jeeps, trucks, and airplane engines. In Chicago, the company made the M8 light armored car (pictured above in 2004 with war veterans) and the T-26 Command Car, designated M20 by the U.S. Army.

The Ford Custom was the first full-size model developed by the automaker after the Second World War. It was also the first released after company founder Henry Ford and his son and former company president Edsel Ford died. The Custom would be produced at the Chicago Assembly Complex from 1948 through 1951.

The Ford Country Squire was a series of station wagons produced by Ford between 1950 and 1991. In its first few generations, it was based on the Ford Custom DeLuxe before going through several design changes over the next few decades. The Country Squire was mostly identical to another model, the Ford Country Sedan, except for its woodgrain siding.

The Ford Country Sedan was another station wagon built by the automaker after World War 2. It could carry up to nine passengers and had plain body sides, unlike the Ford Country Squire. The Country Sedan was built from 1952 until 1974.

The Ford Crestline was a short-lived full-sized car made between 1952 and 1954 to replace the DeLuxe and Custom. It was the top trim level of Ford’s 1952 range, above the Mainline and the Customline, and offered in three body styles.

Although the Ford F-100 pickup truck was introduced in 1948, it wouldn’t be made in Chicago until its second generation was launched with the 1953 model year. The remodeled F-100 — nicknamed the “Effies” for their more elegant appearance —was a major improvement on the first generation and would stick around until 1956; it’s also featured in onetime late night television host Jay Leno’s garage. The F-100 would continue to be produced in Chicago through 1964, about halfway through its fourth generation.

The Ford Fairlane was introduced in 1955 to succeed the Crestline; its name comes from Henry Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan, estate: Fair Lane. The full-size model debuted in six versions — two-door and four-door sedans and hardtops, a two-door convertible, and a station wagon — with its signature “Fairlane stripe.” The Fairlane was repackaged as a mid-size car between 1962 and 1970.

Like the Fairlane, Ford’s Galaxie wouldn’t come to Chicago until after it had been on the road for some time. The full-size car — named as a marketing ploy to take advantage of interest in the Space Race — debuted in 1959 as the top trim level of the Fairlane 500. It wasn’t until the Galaxie’s fourth generation that it was made in Chicago.

The Mercury Marquis was introduced as a full-size sedan in the late 1960s and would serve as the basis for the Mercury Grand Marquis, also produced in Chicago. After three generations, in 1983, the Marquis became a mid-size sedan, and it was discontinued in the 1986 model year. Ford introduced the Grand Marquis as a sub-model of the Marquis in 1975 before it was spun off into a stand-alone model in 1983. The Grand Marquis became one of Mercury’s best-selling models and was discontinued in 2011.

The Ford Elite was shipped out in 1974 as the Gran Torino Elite, the top-of-the-line variant of the Torino series of mid-size cars. The luxury car was later renamed the Elite for its last two years of production, 1975 and 1976, as part of Ford’s restructuring for the 1977 model year.

When introduced in 1968, the Ford Torino was designed as an upscaled variation of the Ford Fairlane. It was named after the city of Turin in Italy, which had been nicknamed the “Italian Detroit.” The Torino would only be produced in Chicago at the end of its lifespan, in 1976.

Ford’s Thunderbird — or the T-Bird — was launched in 1955 and was sold by the company until 1997, before a brief revival in the early 2000s. The luxury car was sold across 11 generations, although it was only produced in Chicago during its seventh and eighth generations (1977-1981).

The Granada was introduced as a compact sedan in its first generation before it was reinvented as a mid-size car in the early 1980s. More than 2 million units would be produced for the U.S. market before the model was discontinued in 1982. In 1983, the Granada took on the Ford LTD nameplate and was replaced by the Ford Taurus three years later.

The Ford-owned Mercury Cougar was sold from 1967 through 2002 across eight generations, beating out all but the Grand Marquis in longevity. It was also the highest-selling Mercury vehicle, with over 2.9 million made. Ford Granada-based models of the Cougar were made in Chicago between 1981 and 1982.

The Ford Taurus mid-size car was made in Chicago since its first generation in 1986 until it was discontinued in 2006. The model is Ford’s fifth-best seller and was the best-selling car nameplate between 1992 and 1996 before Toyota Motor’s Camry dethroned it.

The Ford Five Hundred was introduced alongside the Ford Fusion in 2004 to replace the Taurus, although it would be phased out of production by 2007. The Five Hundred was Ford’s first full-size model with front-wheel drive and the first time since the Model A that no V8 engine was offered. The Mercury Montego was the brand’s counterpart to the Ford Five Hundred and was also produced in Chicago.

The Ford Freestyle crossover SUV, based on the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, was sold between 2005 and 2009. It was billed as a successor to the Ford Taurus and, in 2008, revised and rebranded as the Ford Taurus X.

The Lincoln MKS was a full-sized luxury sedan made by Ford’s Lincoln subdivision in 2008 and was the second to adopt the “MK” naming scheme. The sedan was met with middling reviews before it was discontinued in 2016 and replaced with the Lincoln Continental.

The Ford Explorer is one of three vehicles made by the modern-day Chicago Assembly Complex. The SUV has been made in Illinois since 2011, when it entered its fifth generation. The 2025 model year Explorer is equipped with a host of new high-tech features — including an improved infotainment system — and the BlueCruise advanced driver assistance system.

The Police Interceptor Utility vehicle is one of three models currently made at the Chicago Assembly Complex. The Interceptor is a variation of the Ford Explorer, also made in Chicago, and (CAP), sold directly to police departments; the latest generation Interceptor is Ford’s first hybrid model developed for police use.

The Lincoln Aviator is a three-row luxury SUV that shares a platform with the Ford Explorer. Alongside the Police Interceptor Utility and Ford Explorer, it’s one of three models currently built at the Chicago Assembly Complex. The 2025 model year Aviator was unveiled last month and comes equipped with Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free technology for the first time.