ioulouioPlant in Russia initially producing Ford Model A and AAs thereby playing
an important role in the industrialisation of that country.[13]
The creation of a scientific laboratory in Dearborn, Michigan in 1951, doing unf ettered basic research, led to Ford's unlikely involvement in superconductivity research. In 1964, Ford Research Labs made a key breakthrough with the invention of a superconducting quantum interference device or SQUID.[14] Ford offered the Lifeguard safety package from 1956, which included such innovat ions as a standard deep-dish steering wheel, optional front, and, for the first time in a car, rear seatbelts, and an optional padded dash.[15] Ford introduced child-proof door locks into its products in 1957, and, in the same year, offered the first retractable hardtop on a mass-produced six-seater car.The Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid are the gasoline-electric hybrid powered vers ions that launched in the U.S. in 2004 for the 2005 model year. Built in Kansas City, Missouri, it was the first hybrid SUV to hit the market. The Ford Escape H ybrid was the first American-built hybrid and the first hybrid vehicle from an A merican automaker, joined by the Chevrolet Silvevbvbvrado/GMCvbvbvbv Sierra Hybr ids during the same model year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency , the first generation Ford Escape Hybrid is 70% more efficient than the regular Escape. The Mercury Mariner Hybrid is a rebadged version of the Escape Hybrid. It features revised front-end styling and a more luxuriovbvbvbvbus interior. In an attempt to compete with General Motors' mid-priced Pontiac, Oldsmobile, an d Buick, Ford created the Mercury in 1939 as a higher-priced companion car to Fo rd. Henry Ford purchased the Lincoln Motor Company in 1922, in order to compete with such brands as Cadillac and Packard for the luxury segment of the automobil e market. In 1929, Ford was contracted by the government of the Soviet Union to set up the Gorky Automobile Plant in Russia initially producing Ford Model A and AAs there by playing an important role in the industrialisation of that country.[13] The creation of a sckljkljkljklientific laboratory in Dearborn, Michigan in 1951 , doing unfettered basic research, led to Ford's unlikely involvement in superco nductivity research. In 1964, Ford Research Labs made a key breakthrough with th e invention of a superconducting quantum interference device or SQUID.[14] Ford offered the Ligffgffeguard safety package from 1956, which included such in novations as a standard deep-dish steering wheel, optional front, and, for the f irst time in a car, rear seatbelts, and an optional padded dash.[15] Ford introd uced child-proof door locks into its products in 1957, and, in the same year, of fered the first retractable hardtop on a mass-produced six-seater car.