Ford Aerospace


Ford Aerospace was the aerospace and defense division of Ford Motor Company. It was based in Newport Beach, Orange County, California, and was active from 1956 through 1990, when it was sold to the Loral Corporation.

History

The company was established in 1956. It was renamed to Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation in 1976, and then to Ford Aerospace Corporation in 1988.
The Engineering and Research Center campus was located on Jamboree Road at Ford Road, overlooking the Santa Catalina Strait of the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach. The facility's master plan and main buildings were designed by Modernist architect William Pereira in 1958. Operation was moved to Newport Beach in 1960.
In the 1960s and 1970s, business enjoyed rapid growth because of the success of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and Chaparral surface-to-air missile programs. In the 1970s, the Pave Tack bomb-targeting system became a significant contributor to revenue.
The company included: Space Systems Division and the Western Development Labs in Palo Alto, California with Aeronutronic at the Newport Beach site.

Company timeline

A partial company timeline includes: