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Overview

Designed to produce Ford's Model A vehicle (the replacement for the venerable Model T), the Ford Assembly Plant in Long Beach opened on 04/21/1930 and manufactured cars until closing late in the first quarter of 1959. Ford automobile production operations were consolidated at the new Pico Rivera assembly facility, opened in 1956. This Long Beach plant was torn down in 1990-1991.

Building History

The Library of Congress Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) said of this plant: "Ford Motor Company built the Long Beach Assembly Plant during 1929-1930 as one of six contemporaneous assembly plants constructed in the United States. The overall purpose of these plants was to expand production of Ford's Model A, which replaced the Model T in 1927. Albert Kahn, the architect for the Long Beach Assembly Plant, also designed the other five Ford Assembly Plants. The Long Beach Assembly Plant was the only plant outside of Michigan to have a Pressed Steel Department as an integral part of the manufacturing and assembly process. Kahn's architectural design incorporated an enormous articulated structure that retained aesthetic qualities, yet permitted functional use of space." (See See Library of congress, Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), Ford Motor Company Long Beach Assembly Plant, 700 Henry Ford Avenue, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA, accessed 11/14/2017.

Building Notes

Ralph W. Settles was the plant manager in Long Beach in 12/1958. (See Lynn Rogers, Automotive Hightlights," Los Angeles Times, 12/14/1958, p. A22.)

Demolition

This Albert Kahn-designed Ford plant was torn down about 31 years after the company suspended operations here.

PCAD id: 16606