were turned out at a still astonishing rate of one per hour; the previous production rate was one per day. He was knighted by the king of Denmark and made a member of the Order of the Dannebrog for his accomplishments. During his career, he was noted for his brilliance in organization and his hard-driving personality, and also for insensitivity to others and an explosive temper. Sorensen's memoirs intended to show how the Ford industrial empire was kept intact and his hard struggle to bring Henry Ford II to the direction of its destinies. After leaving the Navy, a 24-year-old Henry Ford II joined company management as a vice-president on December 15, 1943. Sorensen, who had mentored the young Ford, was not offered a major role by him. He requested retirement in December 1943, to be effective January 1, 1944, as previously agreed with the elder Ford in 1941. His retirement was effective on March 13, 1944. He then accepted a position as president of automaker Willys-Overland, presiding over the transition from wartime production back to civilian-market production. Sorensen effectively retired after clashes with the board but retained a title and salary as vice-chairman from 1946 until full retirement in 1950. Willys became Kaiser Jeep and was later acquired by American Motors Corporation (AMC). AMC was later bought out by Chrysler. Sorensen retired in Florida and US Virgin Islands. He had extensive land holdings in Cuba (which were seized by the new government after the Cuban revolution). He died on August 28, 1968, at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. He is buried in Miami Beach, Florida. He was preceded in death by his first wife Helen (née Mitchell) Sorensen and son Clifford Sorensen. References Sources Bryan, Ford R. (1993). Henry's Lieutenants. . Sorensen, Charles M. (great grandson). Ohno, Taiichi (1988), Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production, Productivity Press, . External links 1881 births 1968 deaths American automotive pioneers Danish emigrants to the United States Ford executives Foundrymen Patternmakers (industrial)