Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Next Ford Focus to be built exclusively in Europe?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/02/next-ford-focus-to-be-built-exclusively-in-europe/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/02/next-ford-focus-to-be-built-exclusively-in-europe/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/02/next-ford-focus-to-be-built-exclusively-in-europe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


2009 Ford Iosis Max concept - click above for high-res gallery

Since it first came to the market in 2000, Ford's Focus has been consistently lauded for its crisp "European handling," and thanks to a Ford of Europe press release yesterday, that bromide sounded like it was about to become truer than ever. The release in question announced that the next all-new Focus is to be sourced from a single location - the Blue Oval's Saarlouis Plant in Germany. Quite understandably, that proclamation caused a bit of consternation here in the States, with some news outlets reporting that North American Focus models will also originate from the German facility. Not so.

Autoblog spoke with Lincoln, Mercury communications manager Mark Schirmer this morning (despite his title, Schirmer has been tasked with preparing for the U.S. launch of the 2010 car) and he has re-confirmed that all North American Focus models will originate from a freshly renovated Wayne Assembly Plant in Michigan (something that Ford officials initially promised back in May).

The intention of FoE's confusingly worded statement was to note that Saarlouis is to be the single point of origin for all European Focus models. In addition to Saarlouis and Wayne, Ford will also likely produce the next Focus at a plant somewhere in Asia, but a location announcement has not yet been made.


Gallery: Ford iosis MAX Concept

Next Ford Focus to be built exclusively in Europe? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blue OvalBlueOvalFocusFocus CoupeFocus hatchbackFocus SedanFocusCoupeFocusHatchbackFocusSedanFordFord FocusFordFocusSaarlouiswayneWayne Assembly plantWayne MIWayneAssemblyPlantWayneMiThu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford investing $75M to switch Michigan Truck plant from trucks to cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/26/ford-investing-75m-to-switch-michigan-truck-plant-from-trucks-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/26/ford-investing-75m-to-switch-michigan-truck-plant-from-trucks-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/26/ford-investing-75m-to-switch-michigan-truck-plant-from-trucks-t/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


click above to view more high-res shots of the Euro-Focus

News flash: small cars like the Ford Focus are selling beyond expectations (ours anyway) while trucks and SUVs are sitting on dealer lots much longer than auto manufacturers would like. For this reason, Ford is moving as quickly as possible to switch a few of its truck plants into car plants, including its Michigan Truck plant where behemoth SUVs like the Expedition and Navigator were being built. The switchover is going to cost the automaker since these are not flexible manufacturing facilities, with the first bit of retooling ringing the registers to the tune of $75 million bucks -- and that's just for a new bodyshop. The total cost to retool the plant will be in the hundreds of millions. As they say, it takes money to make money. While the plant is being refurbished, workers will be shuffled to the nearby Wayne plant to build even more Focuses. The best bit of news, though, is that Ford will finally be building its small cars from Europe at its converted truck plant, the ones we've all been asking for since the Euro-Focus got a new platform and we didn't. Not that we're still sour or anything...

Gallery: 2008 Euro Ford Focus


[Source: The Detroit News]

Ford investing $75M to switch Michigan Truck plant from trucks to cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>euro focuseuro fordeuro ford focuseuro fordsEuroFocusEuroFordEuroFordFocusEuroFordseuropean fordeuropean ford focuseuropean fordsEuropeanFordEuropeanFordFocusEuropeanFordsford focusFordFocusmichigan truckMichiganTruckwayne assembly plantwayne plantWayneAssemblyPlantWaynePlantTue, 26 Aug 2008 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[No surprise here: Expedition, Navigator production stopped for nine weeks]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/17/no-surprise-here-expedition-navigator-production-stopped-for-n/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/17/no-surprise-here-expedition-navigator-production-stopped-for-n/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/17/no-surprise-here-expedition-navigator-production-stopped-for-n/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click on the above image to see our Ford Expedition gallery

May was apparently a tough month for Ford's big SUVs. With consumer demand understandably cold for the gargantuan utes and their hard-to-swallow 12 mpg city ratings, Lincoln Navigator sales slid 37 percent while Ford Expedition sales were down 43 percent. As a result, Ford Motor Company has announced that its Wayne, Michigan, plant that assembles these vehicles will close down for nine weeks starting on Monday. While the plant sits idle, Ford will increase production of its passenger cars to better meet market demand for smaller and much more fuel efficient vehicles. Like we didn't see this coming...

Gallery: 2007 Ford Expedition EL


Gallery: 2008 Lincoln Navigator


[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

No surprise here: Expedition, Navigator production stopped for nine weeks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Close assemblyCloseAssemblyford expeditionFordExpeditionlincoln navigatorLincolnNavigatorProductionshut downShutDownStoppagewayne assembly plantWayneAssemblyPlantTue, 17 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EST