THE HISTORY OF THE FORD BUILDING  

Written by Mick Cader, Probus Wellington Central, November 2021

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Many visitors to Courtenay Place may not be familiar with the Ford Building. It sits squarely in their view at 89 Courtenay Place and the width of the intersection with Taranaki Street provides plenty of space to stand back for a good look at it.

However, the front view is now a glass curtain wall while the Ford insignia is only visible from the back of the building as it butts onto York St.

It recently underwent earthquake-strengthening and conversion to the Oaks Wellington Hotel; but it has a curious and interesting past history.

Coach-building and steam

Prior to the current building, the space at 89 Courtenay Place was occupied from 1859 as a coach-building factory until 1881 when it was expanded to three stories as Rouse & Hurrell’s Empire Steam and Carriage Works which it formed a limited liability company in partnership with Edward Petherick in 1902. The company signed an agency deal with Ford in 1908 and became the Colonial Motor Company Ltd (CMC).

The current nine-storey building was erected at an estimated cost of £50,000 and completed in 1922 – it was the tallest in Wellington at that time.

Cars in a box

The surprising aspect is that it was a vertical vehicle assembly plant, or “flatted factory” - with vehicles parts arriving in boxes on the top floor and cars being driven out fully assembled at the bottom. Such “flatted” factories are common overseas and were designed to save space where land prices are high. It was built back from the street behind an earlier three storey building which was demolished in 1990 as it was designated as an earthquake risk. The main building was strengthened and upgraded in 1986.

The front facade in Courtenay Place has been modified several times over the years including the addition of the glass curtain wall, but the southern aspect fronting York St retains most of the original design and look of the building.

Ford established a vehicle assembly plant at Seaview in 1936 and CMC concentrated on the retail side of the motor vehicle business.

More information is available at: Wellington City Council

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Thanks to Mick Calder (Sanctum Apartments newsletter editor) and Wellington City Council for sharing this story.