Ford Motor Company. International Division. Treasurer's Office.

Prior to World War II, Ford Motor Company's international organization operated primarily in Windsor Canada, Dagenham England, and Dearborn Michigan. The Canadian and English companies operated independently, each with separate subsidiaries in countries around the world. In Europe, the complicated tax structures of various countries led to the formation of a series of stock holding companies used to mitigate tax payments to Ford Motor Company. The complex system of subsidiaries owning controlling interests in other subsidiaries became untenable on the eve of World War II. After the war, Henry Ford II made a tour of Ford's European operations to get a first hand understanding of the company's situation. In order to address the financial and administrative challenges of the post-war world economy, Ford initiated a reorganization of the corporation including the foreign operations. Beginning in 1948, Ford began negotiating with the Canadian, English, and French Ford companies to purchase and consolidate all Ford operations worldwide in Dearborn, Michigan.