What was the name of Ford Motor Company’s first factory outside North America?

Ford Motor Company’s first factory outside North America was the Manchester plant in England. The Trafford Park facility began assembling Ford vehicles in 1911 and marked the company’s first overseas factory operation.

Ford had already established sales and distribution activity in Britain before opening the plant. Trafford Park, near Manchester, was an important industrial location with transport links and a large manufacturing workforce. Early production involved assembling vehicles from imported components rather than manufacturing every part locally.

The Manchester facility was later followed by larger and more influential Ford operations, especially the Dagenham plant, which opened in 1931. Dagenham became a major center for vehicle and engine production and is often mistaken for Ford’s first British factory. Ford also established operations in Ireland, Germany, and other European countries, but the Manchester plant came first outside North America.