A city and industrial complex were born here at almost the same time. In the 1950s, Ford Motor Company chose the Wixom Road site for a new automobile assembly plant. It had unique advantages, including nearby railroad tracks to use for shipping parts and vehicle products. And just south of the site a new 22-mile-long segment of freeway was being built, offering easier access for trucks and people. Wixom, a crossroads in Novi Township, claimed its identity and in the same year — 1957 — Wixom became a city, the freeway opened, and the huge Ford plant began operations. Initially, the City of Wixom collected 85% of its taxes from the Ford Wixom Assembly Plant.