Wednesday 20th August 1941

Ford produced its last British private car until after the war. During World War II, the Dagenham plant turned out 360,000 vehicles and a new factory in Trafford Park, Manchester, that Ford opened at the request of the British government built 34,000 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines under license engines for the RAF. The Luftwaffe apparently bombed the factory a few days after it opened in May 1941, but it appears the plant was able to continue building engines because it was designed in two separate sections to minimize the effects of a bombing.