The Essex-based Ford factory, which was first made famous in 1968 when British female workers went on strike for equal pay, has now produced a record 40 million engines at that facility. The 2010 film, ‘Made In Dagenham’ dramatises the events of the 1968 strikes.

Long before the drama of the 1960’s strikes, however, Ford’s Dagenham plant had made its first engine as far back as 1931. Very few European factories can claim to have a pre-war history. Ford has been producing engines at that self-same Dagenham plant for 81 years ever since.

Dagenham is widely recognised as Ford’s worldwide hot spot for new diesel engines and technology. More than a third of all Fords around the world are being powered by Dagenham diesel engines. It also produces more than 50% of all of the company’s diesel engines globally.

The plant has built engines for the Focus, Escort, Cortina, Granada, Capri, as well as other engines for one time Ford stable mates: Jaguar, Mazda and Volvo. Most notably, Dagenham and another factory in Wales, produces the award winning EcoBoost petrol engines as well. They build two million of these engines a year.

In 2003, an additional plant was opened at Dagenham. A special wind-powered Diesel Centre that was the result of a £325 million investment. The low CO2 emission facility accounts for over half of the site’s annual production, with more than 2 500 diesel engines made every day.

Although Ford’s European operations have been hard hit by the latest economic downturn, positive news like 40 million engines produced over 81 years can only help morale. Congrats to Ford.