The Ford River Rouge complex, also called the Ford Rouge Center, the Rouge complex, River Rouge, or The Rouge, is a car factory owned by Ford Motor Company. It is located in Dearborn, Michigan, United States, along the River Rouge, before it meets the Detroit River at Zug Island. The complex was completed in 1928 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1978.

Site and buildings

In 1915, Henry Ford bought the land where the Rouge complex is now located. He originally planned to build a bird sanctuary, but later changed his plans after the Ford Motor Company was asked by the federal government to build warships. The first building on the site, called "Building B," was constructed to meet this request.

The Rouge complex covers an area 1.5 miles wide (2.4 km) and 1 mile long (1.6 km). It includes 93 buildings and nearly 16 million square feet (1.5 km²) of factory space. The complex has its own docks along the Rouge River, 100 miles (160 km) of railroad tracks, an electricity plant, and an integrated steel mill. These features allowed the Rouge to transform raw materials into finished vehicles within one location, an example of vertical-integration production.

Some buildings at the Rouge were designed by architect Albert Kahn. For example, the glass plant built in 1925 replaced Ford’s glass production site in Highland Park, Pittsburgh. The glass plant is 760 feet long and 240 feet wide, with large glass panels on its walls. Kahn also designed the tire plant, completed on January 30, 1938. This building is 802 feet long and 240 feet wide, and it has a butterfly roof and large glass panels.

In the second quarter of 1932, with the support of Edsel Ford, Mexican artist Diego Rivera was invited to study the Rouge. His observations led to the creation of the Detroit Industry Murals, which are displayed at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Charlie Chaplin visited the Rouge in 1936 to research his film Modern Times.

From 1924 to 1980, the Ford Company offered free tours of the Rouge by bus. At its peak, the tours welcomed about a million visitors each year. Tours were restarted in 2004 in partnership with The Henry Ford Museum, featuring multimedia presentations and views of the assembly line. In 2017, the Rouge welcomed 148,000 visitors.

The Rouge once had a power plant to supply energy to the facility. On February 1, 1999, the power plant exploded, killing six workers and seriously injuring fourteen others. The explosion was believed to result from Ford’s failure to follow safety regulations. Ford was fined $1.5 million, but no criminal charges were filed. Bronze plaques were placed to honor the six workers who died. In 2024, the abandoned power plant was explored by The Proper People, an urban exploration YouTube channel.

The Rouge campus also includes Rouge Steel, which Ford sold to another company in 1989. The mill is now owned by Cleveland-Cliffs.

On May 10, 2004, Ford closed the Dearborn Assembly Plant, which was originally Building B and had operated since 1918. The final car produced was a red 2004 Mustang GT convertible, driven off the line by Fred Galicki, a 21-year Ford employee.

In September 2020, Ford announced the construction of the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, costing $700 million. This facility produces the Ford F-150 Lightning, an electric vehicle. On May 18, 2021, then-president Joe Biden visited the plant, drove an F-150 Lightning, and supported electric vehicles during a speech.

In 1999, architect William McDonough partnered with Ford to redesign the Rouge River facility, which had been in use for 85 years. The roof of the Dearborn truck assembly plant, covering 1.1 million square feet (100,000 m²), was covered with over 10 acres (4.0 ha) of sedum, a low-growing plant. The sedum helps collect and clean rainwater and reduces the building’s internal temperature, saving energy.

This roof is part of an $18 million rainwater treatment system that collects and cleans rainwater each year. This system saved Ford from needing a $50 million mechanical treatment facility.

Production history

The plant first made Eagle-class patrol crafts for the United States Navy. These crafts were never used during World War I. Making warships led to making the River Rouge wider, which allowed lake freighters to pass through. From 1921 to 1927, Ford made tractors at the plant. After being closed for five months, the plant started making the Model A. Most parts for the Model T were made at the plant, while the cars themselves were built in Highland Park.

During World War II, the Rouge complex made jeeps, aircraft engines, aircraft parts, tires, tubes, and armor plates.

The Rouge made most parts for Ford vehicles, beginning with the Model T. Many vehicles were put together into "knock-down kits" and sent by railroad to other assembly locations across the United States. These kits were then assembled locally using supplies available in those areas.

Over four decades, the Rouge produced many different Mustang models. It was one of only three places where Ford made the Mustang. The other locations were Metuchen Assembly in Edison, New Jersey, and San Jose Assembly in Milpitas, California.

In 2019, Ford celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Rouge Plant’s opening by making the Mustang Shelby GT500 for the 2020 Ford Motor Show. With 700 horsepower, it is the most powerful street-legal car. At the time of its centennial, the Rouge was the oldest automobile plant still in operation.

As of 2019, the Rouge produced F-150s. By 2022, it was also making F-150 Lightnings.

Employment and unionization

At its highest point, the Rouge employed up to 100,000 workers. In March 1932, after many workers were laid off, 4,000 to 5,000 former employees of the Rouge went without food and marched to protest. This event became known as the Ford Hunger March. On May 26, 1937, members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) planned to distribute leaflets, which led to an attack by Ford. This event is known as the Battle of the Overpass. The UAW was officially recognized by the Rouge on June 20, 1941, through a contract. By 1947, the union at the Rouge was led by James E. Jackson, a leader from the Communist Party USA. In 1949, a group within the union formed to support African American workers, who were about 25% of the workforce. Their requests were not accepted because they were accused of being associated with communism. By 1960, 65% of the workers at the plant were African American, and 3.5% were skilled workers. In September 2024, workers in the tool and die department at the Rouge went on strike due to disagreements over a contract.

Architectural influence

The Rouge complex influenced the design of Renault's 1920 Île Seguin factory, GAZ's 1930s factory in the Soviet Union, Volkswagen's 1938 Wolfsburg factory in Germany, FIAT's 1939 Mirafiori factory in Italy, and Hyundai's later factory complex in Ulsan, South Korea, which began construction in the late 1960s. Some buildings at Rouge were designed by architect Albert Kahn, and the site was named a National Historic Landmark in 1978 because of its important role in American industry and its historic architecture.

During the early years of the Soviet Union's industrial growth, Ford helped build an automobile production complex in Nizhny Novgorod. This project was influenced by the design of the River Rouge complex.

Former products made

• Eagle-class patrol craft (1918–1919)
• Fordson tractor (1921–1928)
• Ford Model T (1920s; parts)
• Ford Model A (1927–1932)
• Ford Model B (1932–1934)
• Ford Model 48 (1935–1936)
• 1937 Ford (1937–1940)
• 1941 Ford (1941–1942, 1946–1949)
• 1949 Ford (1949–1951)
• 1952 Ford (1952–1954)
• Ford Fairlane (1955–1961)
• Ford Thunderbird (1955–1957)
• Ford Mustang (1964–2004)
• Ford F-150 Lightning (2022–2025)
• Mercury Capri (1979–1986)
• Mercury Cougar (1966–1973)