NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - In June of 1903 Henry Ford and a group of investors founded the Ford Motor Co. Just a few weeks earlier, David Dunbar Buick, a Scottish immigrant and owner of a successful plumbing supply business, founded the Buick Motor Company.

For some reason, few people today have ever heard of David Dunbar Buick. The name Henry Ford, on the other hand, has become so connected to the history of the automobile many people mistakenly believe he invented the machine.

As Ford Motor Co (F: Research, Estimates). celebrates its 100th birthday, we decided to look back at some of the cars that have shaped the history of that company in both positive and negative ways. Some of Ford's cars, such as the Model T, have had undeniable impact on the nation.

At a time when most cars cost $5,000 -- a figure only the wealthy could afford -- Ford's Model T, introduced in 1908, was available for just $850. With the introduction of mass production techniques, that price dropped by half during the life of that model. Through the introduction of the Model T, Ford was largely responsible for making cars commonplace in America.

Other cars, such as the Edsel, did not add luster to the Ford brand. The Edsel, a Ford Motor Co. brand introduced in the 1950s, was an enormous marketing failure that cost the company millions. Some cars, including the Pinto and Explorer sport/utility vehicle, brought expensive and embarrassing litigation for alleged safety-related defects.