Rumormill: Ford converting North American factories to make European cars
For reasons that everyone is aware of, American carmakers have been shutting down and idling plants that make trucks and SUVs. According to AutoSavant, however, Ford is not going to simply shutter plants, it is going to retool some of them to build its Euro-market cars for the American market.
If this is true, we're so giddy we don't even want to paraphrase it, so we'll just quote directly: "Our sources at Ford say that Mr. Mulally has already made the decision to convert at least three truck/SUV production facilities in North America as soon as possible to produce Ford models currently sold in Europe.... The timeline Mulally prefers, according to insiders, is 'yesterday'."
The reasoning is ostensibly that with the American market going to more frugal cars, it's time for Ford to start spending the money to provide them -- even though cash is tight right now. What might make the leap across the water? The Euro Focus, the Focus Coupe, and the C-Max (pictured) are candidates. The Mondeo is, supposedly, not. But it's a start, hey? It only took spiraling gas prices and plummeting truck sales to get us what we have been begging for. If we had known, we'd have done it sooner. Thanks for the tip, Daniel!
[Source: AutoSavant]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Dustin 8:25PM (6/15/2008)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
welcome to the paradigm shift from everything touting a "Made in China" tag to having a "Made in America" tag. With the anemic dollar, we are now cheap labor?!
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Frank 8:33PM (6/15/2008)
wholy crap it is about damn time they started bringing over Euro cars to the US, bring over the RWD performance cars from Australia and they will KILL the competition in N. America.
Rene Curry 9:07PM (6/15/2008)
Dustin,
I agree. However, for this to really work, we must also export. GM, Ford, & Chrysler need to get more aggressive with an export model.
Ohso Clutch 8:55PM (6/15/2008)
Tis a good time to be a ford guy.
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Yar 8:59PM (6/15/2008)
It's never a good time to be a Ford guy, not since '73.
The Luigiian 9:22PM (6/15/2008)
@Yar:
Because GM's doing so much better?
Brian 10:02PM (6/15/2008)
I'm not a Ford guy myself but I really like their Euro stuff. I am just as excited about it as you are. The problem is that if all the plants were to shut down tommorow and here come shipment after shipment of euro spec Fords heading to dealers I still don't think people will buy them. Why? because people still think American Company=Big SUV and crappy small cars that guzzle gas. The consumers in this market are all buying things that are trendy. So its sad that people think that when you want a fuel efficient little car that you have to buy a Honda/Toyota. I mean because they think thats just what your supposed to do right? GM makes a competive product to match all of Toyotas line up, but people just dont buy them. Its not that their bad. Its just so hard to change peoples opinions about American cars no matter how many awards they win. I'm a big american car guy. I would hate to see Ford or GM fall over something like that. I love the Euro Fords and I do hope this will help them though.
Torrent 10:51PM (6/15/2008)
While you're at it Ford:
Bring over the Mondeo and label it a damn Mercury
Ax the fugly Mountaineer and replace it with the Kuga in the US
Get the Euro Ranger and give it the Mazda B series name for USA
Bring over the euro focus and label it the frickin focus
Kill the Ranger, bring back the F100 and make it appealing.
Everyone's happy for the 2010 Model Year. YAY! *Balloons* *confetti* *Beer*
tj 12:25AM (6/16/2008)
Enough with this bringing Fords over and labeling them Mercurys. How about we leave Mercury with the Mercury Milan and replace the Fusion with the Euro Ford Mondeo. Keep Fords Fords everywhere, and if we're going to have a lesser-Ford in the USA, call it Mercury.
john riley 8:49AM (6/16/2008)
Re torrent:
You mean like the Merkur?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkur
Times change. Maybe it would go now, but they need to consider why it did not work before.
Torrent 2:26PM (6/16/2008)
Hey, Guy above Me: Yeah I like Mercury because I know they have potential, but just doesn't have good designs. This is the only case that I will support badge engineering.
TriShield 8:59PM (6/15/2008)
Don't forget back in the 1990s Ford tooled plants here to build the Focus and Mondeo (called Contour here), both Ford of Europe cars. History is repeating itself. GM is also tooling their US plants to build the redesigned Opel Astra, Opel Zafira and Insignia here.
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Noidor 9:10PM (6/15/2008)
Okay have they been going on carspyshots and here to read my constant comments how Ford needs universal design language to build its imgae worldwide? Give me an advisory role at Ford or any other automaker.
I've been saying this for past 3 years! But benefits to this are obvious. I think wider appeal right now is key and I think we'll see some people not buying Golfs, Cobalts, etc etc but buying Foci instead. If they bring Mondeo then I see 3er owners dumping lower spec 3 series and buying the Mondeo instead.
Point is Ford NA needs to get away from its image of a budget/rental car maker image asap. Dull styling does not make the car appeal to everyone. Tacky, cheesy styling with heavy use of chrome will not work out either.
It all really comes to down same brand identity worldwide...and that identity must come with class and style which a common man can afford.
Note to GM...find a way to dump GMC!
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Chris 9:14PM (6/15/2008)
As long as gas prices remain above $3/gallon, there is no turning back to large trucks as the dominant vehicle type in america. This is the difference between today and the mid 90s when Ford built the Contour. If this is indeed a permanent shift in consumer tastes, look for a global lineup for n america and europe, which will bring huge efficiencies for GM and Ford (who have a lot to gain by producing the same models on both continents and taking advantage on who has the cheaper currency.).
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DKB_SATX 9:13PM (6/15/2008)
As has been harped to death on these web pages, the Mondeo could be the last chance for Mercury if they ever bring it here... assuming Americans will never take the European attitude about Fords (that they can compete with some higher-end marques.) It would be more expensive than the Fusion but not any bigger, and Americans have a really hard time understanding "more money same size." "More content more competent" is apparently too hard, that's why we have Lexus, Acura and Infiniti to carry higher-end products for their parent companies.
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Jimesq 9:15PM (6/15/2008)
There are a number of models fit to bring over right now, but seems to me that the S-Max, Ka, Kuga, the Asian Market Ranger, Transit Connect. The Euro Focus would be great, but the current one is selling like gangbusters suprisingly.
Basically, anything that is B-segment, Light trucks that get reasonable economy, mini utiliites and small vehicles with large interiors like Transit Connect and SMax.
I think the compact pickup truck segment and MPVs are about to take off, all we need is some decent players. Look at Mazda5 sales, last year they couldnt give them away, now they cannot keep them in stock and are taking deposits, sales are up 50% year over year with absolutely no advertising.
Stands to reason that if they bring over the Euro Focus, that they would probably build all the variants that are currently based on that platform. I am interested to see what we can expect. Its about time.
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The Luigiian 9:18PM (6/15/2008)
Ford Ranger. Euro-spec. 4 cyl turbodiesel. NOW.
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SPG 9:21PM (6/15/2008)
For quite a long time now many people commenting on Autoblog have been chanting "bring Euro Fords to North America". Now that it's being announced I'm not seeing the response I thought I would.
I'm very pleased to see the cars that are coming here.
As Jonothon wrote in his post "It's a start". A good start.
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Jordan 9:24PM (6/15/2008)
If the timeline is yesterday what the hell has he done since October 2006 when he joined Ford?
Dont get me wrong its never too late to do the right thing but I wish he busted some butts in 2006 so we would have S-Max, Transit, Fiesta, and Ka next month as 2009s.
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The Luigiian 9:27PM (6/15/2008)
Oh come on. It takes a long time to make decisions like this.
Frankly, I'm glad to hear all this. They say the new Ranger won't be out till 2012, I'd like to see one next year, no matter what the powertrain/fuel economy. And now there's a chance I could see exactly that. This news makes my day.
I hope it isn't just a rumor though.