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REPORT: Ford and Mazda may develop vehicles separately going forward

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Mazda, Rumormill

For the last umpteen years (since about 1979, to be exact), Ford has owned a significant share of Japanese automaker Mazda, growing in 1997 to a 33.4-percent controlling stake. As such, the two automakers have historically shared a significant amount of resources and product architectures - a system that has helped both companies remain competitive in the increasingly tough automotive market.

At present, the Ford Fiesta, European Focus and Fusion sedan all borrow unseen bits and pieces from Mazda platforms, and the Japanese automaker offers its own versions of the Ford's compact and midsize crossovers.

Lately, though, it seems Ford and Mazda have been seeing less and less of each other. About a year ago, Ford sold off 20 percent of its stake in the Japanese company, and while it's likely the two automakers will continue to enjoy cooperation in some capacity, Bloomberg is reporting that product sharing may very well be diminished moving forward. Drat. And to think, for all these years, we've apparently been wasting our time holding out hope for a Ford-badged fixed-head coupe based on Mazda's ever-delightful MX-5 Miata.

[Source: Bloomberg]

REPORT: Ford and Mazda may develop vehicles separately going forward originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford sells 20% of its stake in Mazda

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Mazda

Well, we have to say we saw this coming. Ford has officially sold off approximately 20% of its stake in Mazda. The sale reduces Ford's share from a controlling 33.4% interest to just over 13% and puts about $540 million into the Dearborn coffers, based on a sale price figured at Mazda's closing value Tuesday. The cash infusion will certainly help Ford's bottom line in these rough economic times, and the fact that the shares are being sold back to Mazda (7 percent) and to about 20 of its strategic partners means that Ford's remaining stake will still give it significant leverage in their partnership. Even with just 13%, Ford will remain Mazda's largest shareholder and will keep its seat on the Mazda Board of Directors. The two companies say that this will not effect Mazda's operations and that Ford and Mazda will continue their nearly 30-year history of cooperation. According to the official statement, which can be found in its entirety after the jump, Ford and Mazda will continue their ongoing joint ventures and will continue to share platforms and powertrains.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford sells 20% of its stake in Mazda

Ford sells 20% of its stake in Mazda originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford may be considering sale of Mazda stake

Alex Nunez — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:08:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Mazda, Earnings/Financials, Rumormill

The financial peril that currently faces the U.S. domestic automakers is no secret, and according to Wall Street Journal report published yesterday, Ford is mulling over the possibility of unloading at least part of its controlling stake in Mazda to raise cash. Japanese media, via the AP, said that Ford would likely keep some interests in the Japanese automaker after such a move -- no surprise when you consider how closely tied Ford and Madza are right now in terms of shared technology. The Oval's third-quarter numbers are expected to be pretty ugly, and the Journal's source said that the potential sale of its Mazda holdings is one of many moves reportedly under consideration as Dearborn looks for ways to add to its cash on hand. For its part, Mazda denies that any decision has been made (a non-denial, really -- no outlets reported that a deal had yet been completed) and Ford weighed in with a to-be-expected "no comment." As they say, to be continued...

[Sources: The Wall Street Journal, AP]

Ford may be considering sale of Mazda stake originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analysts: Ford could sell Mazda to raise capital

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Mazda, Earnings/Financials

Ford's 33.9-percent stake in Mazda, enough to give the Blue Oval control of the Japanese automaker, could come up for grabs if Ford is not able to turn its dire financial position around in short order, according to BusinessWeek. Such a move would likely cause major headaches at both automakers, as the two jointly develop many of their products and combine research and development costs between themselves. In fact, many of Ford's best and most important cars in the U.S. are built atop Mazda's midsize sedan platform. What's more, the cash infusion of Mazda's sale would only net Ford around $2.5 billion, barely more than what the automaker received for its stake in Jaguar and Land Rover. That amount would only allow Ford to stretch a little while longer without returning to profitability. In other words, it would hardly be worth the trouble and is therefore, we're hoping, rather unlikely.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Analysts: Ford could sell Mazda to raise capital originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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