Cristina Vettore Austin, who became commonly known as Cristina Ford or Mrs. Henry Ford II, was the second wife of former president, chairman, and chief executive officer of the Ford Motor Company Henry Ford II. She was an Italian-born socialite who, while married to Henry Ford II, was described by LIFE magazine as a “highly effective ambassadress for the Ford Motor Company”. In 1969, the Women’s Wear Daily called her “the complete Italian”. In 1973, Cristina Ford was listed on the International Hall of Fame of the International Best Dressed List.[1] She is a friend of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, the wife of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.[2]
Cristina Vettore Austin, an Italian divorcee and physical fitness devotee, met Henry Ford II in 1960 during a party at Maxim’s in Paris, France.[3] After eleven years of marriage, 58-year old Henry Ford II and 47 year-old Cristina Ford ended the marriage in 1976.[2] In 1988, Cristina Ford filed a suit against Henry Ford II’s estate seeking an alimony claim worth US$5 million.[4]