Ford created the Heritage Vault (https://fordheritagevault.com) for fans, journalists and car enthusiasts, making it easy to discover the company’s rich heritage from anywhere in the world. The searchable artifacts are downloadable for personal use, free of charge, for the first time as part of the American auto industry’s most comprehensive online database.
The Ford Heritage Vault contains more
than 5,000 curated photographs and product brochures from Ford and
Lincoln vehicles, spanning from the company’s founding in 1903 to its
centennial in 2003. Ford will grow the Heritage Vault over time, drawing
from its archives.
The materials available in the online
collection were carefully curated over the past two years by Ford’s
archives team. Many of the high-resolution images showcase the design
and functionality of Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Others are memorable
images that bring Ford’s heritage to life for fans and car enthusiasts,
while also educating newcomers to the Blue Oval.
One set of brochures serves as a time capsule for the 1970s and ’80s. The series was created to market specific vehicle design packages to younger consumers and shows beach outings, racing and skydiving, accentuated with vivid oranges, browns and yellows.
Ford worked with graduate students from Wayne State University’s library and information science program in Detroit, as well as Ford employees and retirees, to pilot the Heritage Vault in advance of its launch. The collection appealed to both casual browsers and dedicated automotive enthusiasts, who reported a better appreciation for Ford and its heritage after using the site.
Ford Heritage Vault has been created with accessibility features that translate photos, charts and graphs and other pre-digital assets for compatibility with assistive technology now used by blind and visually impaired site visitors, such as screen readers, to interpret websites. Heritage Vault users can request remediated versions of additional brochures as needed.
