Originally built by Ford Motor Works in 1941 to replace their old factory on Anson Road, it was the first motor-car assembly plant in Southeast Asia. Completed just four months before 15 February 1942, it became the site for the signing of the unconditional surrender of the British Forces to the Japanese Army in the Ford Board Room. Lieutenant-General A.E. Percival had walked along Bukit Timah with a white flag to his historic meeting with Lieutenant-General Yamashita.
Located 13.5 km up Bukit Timah Road, all movements along the long stretch of road could then be easily monitored from the Ford Factory, resulting in the Japanese making the factory their military headquarters and a service depot for Japanese military vehicles. It was also a place where Japanese soldiers tortured prisoners of war. After the war, car assembly work resumed until 1980 when it was bought and renamed the Hong Leong Industries Building in 1983.
In 1997, the back of the factory was demolished to make way for a condominium while the front portion was announced to be gazetted as a national monument. However it was left unattended until 2006 when the factory was restored as the Memories at Old Ford Factory, a World War Two Interpretative Centre which showcases the events leading up to the British surrender and life during the Japanese Occupation. Some of the highlights include the board room which replicates the surrender negotiations and the WWII food garden which showcases the food crops grown during the Occupation to alleviate the extreme food shortages. The factory was officially gazetted as a national monument in 2006 and is run by the National Heritage Board.