Benson Ford (1924 ship)

Benson Ford was a lake freighter built for hauling raw material to Ford Motor Company's River Rouge manufacturing plant in Dearborn, Michigan. She was named for Benson Ford Sr., grandson of Henry Ford.

Design and construction
Benson Ford was constructed in 1924 at Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse, Michigan, for the Ford Motor Company, as one of two “state-of-the-art” bulk carriers that were ordered by Henry Ford  to transport raw materials such as coal and iron ore, the other ship was MV Henry Ford II, which was built by the American Shipbuilding Company in Lorain, Ohio. Rather than being powered by coal fired steam propulsion engines like most ships of the day were, the two Ford ships were had 3000 horsepower Sun Doxford diesel propulsion engines and electrically powered systems. They also had luxurious passenger accommodations for Henry Ford and his guests.

In order to be an efficient carrier in the ore and coal trades, Benson Ford was constructed with large box holds.