Henry Ford III Is Rising to Top of Dynasty in Deep Trouble (1)

When Wall Street analysts call Ford Motor Co.’s investor relations department these days, they’re likely to be greeted by Henry Ford himself.

It’s not the founder, of course, and it’s not a recording of him either. It’s Henry Ford III, the patriarch’s great-great grandson, who at age 39 has been thrust into the crucial role of liaison between the faltering automaker and its anxious investors.

Alexandra Ford English and Henry Ford III

Source: Ford Motor Co.

The III’s ascent -- along with that of his cousin, the 32-year-old Alexandra Ford English, just named to the board of electric-truck maker Rivian Automotive Inc. -- marks a coming ...