The Ford company was established in Great Britain in October 1910. In order to promote the company's desire to be seen as a company building cars for the British market using locally sources parts put together by local employees, the Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was established in 1911. At the same time the company moved from London to a new factory at Trafford Park, Manchester.

The success of the company continued and as a result larger premises were required, the company chose a site in Dagenham on the banks of the River Thames and eventually the new plant was opened there in 1931. The Trafford Park factory continued to operate whilst Dagenham was being built and as a shadow factory, during the Second World War, building Merlin engines until 1946, when production was stopped and the factory was sold.