What I know about Ford finally made public

[vztrt]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/122340/f...rowth-by-2015/

Ford targets 50 percent global growth by 2015
By Tim Beissmann | June 8th, 2011

Ford Motor Company has ambitions to increase global sales by 50 percent within the next four years.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally told CNBC in the US that his company is targeting “nearly eight million” sales by 2015. Last year, the Detroit-based manufacturer sold 5.3 million vehicles around the world.

Ford has set its sights on significant growth in Africa and Asia, and in particular China, a region where it is currently behind the eight ball.

According to USA today, Ford has sold 230,068 vehicles in China this year, well behind key rival General Motors, which has sold 1.08 million vehicles in the rapidly expanding market.

India will also be a key focus, as the developing automotive market is expected to rise to the third largest sector for new vehicles within a decade.

Currently 15 percent of Ford Motor Co.’s sales are in Asia and Africa, and Ford plans to increase this to 30 percent by 2020.

Mr Mulally said the Australian-engineered Ford Figo, as well as the Fiesta and Focus, would become the core models in those markets.

The Ford boss said 55 percent of the company’s global sales will be small cars in the near future, and insisted cost cutting and economies of scale would help “grow profitability”, rather than sacrifice profit for growth.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...608-1frvd.html

Ford plans 50% production jump by 2015
June 8, 2011 - 8:11AM



Ford says it will kick up production by 50 per cent by 2015, while quickly reducing debt to regain a quality credit rating within the next year.

Chief financial officer Lewis Booth said he expected the still-recovering industry to produce 95-100 million vehicles by around 2015, compared to 74 million last year.

Ford expects to be producing eight million of those vehicles, up from 5.3 million today, as it targets sales growth and a bigger market share in places like Asia.

"I think we expect our business to grow pro-actively around the world," added Booth.
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The company expects Asian markets to account for up one third of its total sales by 2015.

Booth said Ford was also focused on restoring its credit rating to borrow more cheaply and to pay a dividend as it recovers from one of the most devastating downturns to hit the US car industry.

Speaking on the US car giant's annual investor day, Booth said Ford also hoped to ease through contract talks with the United Auto Workers Union which begin in July. Ford's current contract with the UAW expires in mid-September.

"We're expecting to get through the negotiations with the UAW with a good tone," he said.

Ford managed to get its books in order ahead of the 2008 financial crash and was able to survive the worst economic downturn in decades without resorting to government help.

Rivals General Motors and Chrysler had to turn to the government for bailouts.

But Ford still bears the legacy of a heavy debt burden, which peaked at more than $US33 billion.

It said it plans to cut its debt from its core automotive operations from $US16.6 billion at the end of the first quarter to $US10 billion, though it did not give a time frame.

It said it had already paid down $US800 million in revolving credit, and would repay during the current second quarter $US2.3 billion more in loans.

That should cut costs for the company and allow it to gain better terms for borrowing, according to Booth.

The firm expects that will bring it an "investment grade" rating on its debt "in the near-term," and be able to resume paying dividends to shareholders.

"Maintaining adequate cash to support and grow the business and reducing our debt are essential steps we are taking to achieve and solidify a world-class balance sheet," said Booth.

Standard & Poor's now rates Ford three notches below investment grade and both Fitch and Moody's, the other two major ratings agencies, have Ford pegged at two notches below.

All three have placed a "positive" outlook - showing they expect improvement - on their ratings for the company.

"We've already seen our spread improve so we are getting some of the benefits of a low investment grade rating," Booth said.

Booth also said Ford has set some aggressive growth targets in its forward looking plans for the next half-decade.

But the prospect of rapid growth, a dividend payment and cheaper financing did little to excite investors.

The company's shares traded up 0.29 per cent on Tuesday.

AFP

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/22/n...evance-notice/

Report: Nearly 35,000 Ford workers sign pay grievance notice

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Jun 22nd 2011 at 11:01AM

The United Auto Workers are working with Ford to address a grievance signed by nearly 35,000 hourly workers. The employees are upset that merit pay and 401(k) matches were reinstated for salary workers in 2010, but they weren't for their hourly counterparts. The Detroit Free Press reports that members of the UAW would like to have the issue resolved before national labor talks kick off next month, but leaders within the organization have said that the dispute only needs to be taken care of by the time the new labor contract is put before members for a vote.

The union points out that its Ford workers haven't had a pay increase since 2003. The automaker, meanwhile, contends that its wages are $8 an hour higher than foreign-owned plants in the States. Ford recently paid out profit-sharing checks that averaged $5,000 last year, but the UAW maintains that those checks aren't the same as a permanent merit-pay increase.
[Source: Detroit Free Press | Images: Copyright 2011 Zach Bowman / AOL]

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/13/s...ord-quality-l/

Study: Strategic Vision disses J.D. Power, crowns VW and Ford quality leaders

by John Neff (RSS feed) on Jul 13th 2011 at 3:32PM

Quality studies can be funny things in the auto business. It's not unusual to have one completely contradict another, which can result in an automaker that was panned as a loser in one study claiming to be a leader based on another. That's exactly what Volkswagen and Ford get to do thanks to Strategic Vision's 2011 Total Quality Index.

Back in June, J.D. Power released its annual Initial Quality report, which ranks vehicles and their brands based on how many problems are reported per 100 vehicles. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Volkswagen ranked near the bottom as per usual, but Ford was also smacked down from 5th to 23rd place thanks to owner complaints about the automaker's complex SYNC/MyFordTouch technologies and Powershift dual-clutch gearbox issues.

Well J.D. Power, Strategic Vision thinks your definition of "quality" is terrible, and they believe that their Total Quality Index, which they say measures not just individual problems, but also the "total positive experience created for the owner/driver," is the way to go.

On those grounds, Volkswagen was rated the best full-line automaker in Strategic Vision's 2011 Total Quality study, which surveys 37,069 buyers who bought 2011 models late last year. Owners rated Design and Exterior Styling as the most impressive things about their VWs.

Ford, meanwhile, which suffered so harshly at the hands of J.D. Power's problem-counting study, comes up roses here, tying for second place with Honda and Nissan. Strategic Vision does say that Ford owners reported more problems than the industry average, but its designs and brand strength helped it overcome those issues to create an overall positive experience for owners.

Follow the jump for Strategic Vision's full report, which also shows the best-ranked vehicles in each segment – including surprisingly positive results for Chrysler, Jaguar and Land Rover.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/15/f...ositions-in-l/

Ford receives nearly 17,000 applications for open positions in Louisville

By John Neff
Jul 15th 2011 6:31PM

Here's a measure of how bad the economy is. Ford is getting ready to start assembling the upcoming all-new Escape at its Louisville Assembly Plant after having built the Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer there since 1990 (see the last one ever made in the mob of people above). To that end, the company recently began accepting applications for 1,800 open positions to shore up the 1,100-strong workforce already there. According to reports, nearly 17,000 people showed up to apply – 16,837 souls to be exact.

Unfortunately, most of those people don't have much of a shot at becoming part of the Blue Oval family. According to USA Today, the open spots will first go to Ford workers laid off at the Louisville plant since production of the Explorer was moved to Chicago, then to workers laid off at other Ford plants around the country. If there are any spots left after that, Ford will hold a lottery to determine who gets to move on for consideration, but even then, current Ford workers can refer friends and family as potential applicants, making the lottery pool that much larger.

What do they get if they make it to the factory floor? $15.51/hour, which is the lower second-tier wage that's now being offered to new workers, a concession the United Auto Workers granted Ford in its last contract negotiations.

News Source: DriveOn - USA Today

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/s...-after-mulall/

Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally
By Paul Eisenstein
Jul 22nd 2011 5:59PM

There was a time when some folks in Detroit were convinced Lee Iacocca's last name was really an acronym for: I Am Chairman of Chrysler Corp. Always. Indeed, it took a shove from an increasingly frustrated board to finally get Lido to name his successor.

If anything, those on the Ford Motor Co. board of directors are putting CEO Alan Mulally in a bear hug, Chairman Bill Ford suggesting he'd keep the chief executive firmly planted in his office at Glass House until he was 80. For his part, the still-boyish former Boeing executive has said on more than one occasion that despite turning 65, he's not rushing to leave as long as he's having "fun." But as his fifth anniversary in Dearborn approaches it is no surprise that there's plenty of speculation about who might eventually replace Mullaly, if not when.

In decades past, Ford was land of the long knives, where power trumped all, and doing away with your rivals was only slightly less bloody than when the Borgias ruled in Rome. Mulally has made much of instilling a sort of "greater-good" mindset and one of the reasons for the maker's recent success has been that the highly political nature has been toned down a number of notches. Nonetheless, insiders say the jockeying for position has already begun.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/26/f...erly-earnings/

Ford, Chrysler report quarterly earnings
By Jeff Glucker
Jul 26th 2011 1:00PM

As we continue to pull the daily sheets from our Word of the Day calendar and accountants are busy counting the days of their fiscal calendars, the pencil pushers at Ford and Chrysler can rest easy for a moment because they just finished compiling the numbers for the second quarter.

Ford earned a net income of $2.4 billion in Q2, which is actually $201 million less than it had raked in by this time last year. The net income was affected by a reduction in staff, various dealership actions, pension settlements in Belgium and the move to eliminate the Mercury brand. The automaker enters the rest of the year with $32.2 billion in liquid assets, which will come in handy as Ford looks to expand its market share around the globe.

Chrysler as gone in a different direction than Ford for the second quarter of 2011. Compared to Q2 last year, the automaker is up 30 percent with net income of $13.7 billion. Chrysler's numbers should continue to grow as it releases new or redesigned models, and has paid off major debts owed to the United States and Canadian governments.

[Gobes32]

Seen in the final numbers that Asia Pacific came in at a million dollar profit. I wonder who the dead wood was in those numbers, I hope it wasn't Ford Oz........

[Bossxr8]

There's a pretty good chance it was. With all the down days they would be bleeding red ink.

[phillyc]

9 consecutive quarters of profits. Well done Ford!

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

There's a pretty good chance it was. With all the down days they would be bleeding red ink.

I think you may be right.

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

There's a pretty good chance it was. With all the down days they would be bleeding red ink.

Weren't Ford Au in the black last year?

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

Weren't Ford Au in the black last year?

Correct, and probably early this year maybe? But since then you would really have to wonder with the bad sales record.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

Weren't Ford Au in the black last year?

Yes, but only because the first 3 quarters were good, by the time the 4th quarter rolled around it had hit the fan, and sales have slumped ever since.

Basically ever since E Gas production stopped.

[kpcart]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Yes, but only because the first 3 quarters were good, by the time the 4th quarter rolled around it had hit the fan, and sales have slumped ever since.

Basically ever since E Gas production stopped.

is that because of fleet sales? do you think lpi will help?

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by kpcart

is that because of fleet sales? do you think lpi will help?

The majority of Falcons the fleets buy are LPG. When the wagon was on sale 90% of fleet wagon sales were LPG.

LPi will definately help reverse the Falcons sales slide, the percentage of drop off in Falcon sales pretty much matches what they lost in LPG fleet sales, so in theory this should bring the numbers back up, although production has been lowered so it won't return to where it was previously.

They lost 400 or so wagon sales a month too which can't be replaced, unless the fleets buy diesel Territorys instead, which is an option to them if they don't want a Mondeo wagon.

Now the excess stock has just about been cleared out, LPi is out and the update isn't far away, I think both Falcon and Territory will be supply limited, Territory is already. Supposedly a 3 month waiting list already. They are being very conservative with their build numbers so as not to build more than they need.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...727-1i022.html

Ford, Mercedes rake in the cash
Barry Park
July 27, 2011 - 6:31PM

Half-year results show a strong start for the car-making industry.

A burgeoning US market has helped Ford posted a $US2.4 billion ($A2.2 billion) second-quarter profit, pushing its earnings for the year so far to more than $4.9 billion.

However, while its US-based business showed the biggest growth for the world's second-largest car maker, the key Asia Pacific Africa region — which includes Ford's Australian operations — pegged only a $US1 million profit — down from $US113 million for the same quarter last year — due in part to ''higher costs, which include investments Ford is making to grow across the markets in the region, as well as unfavorable product-line and market mix''.

First-half earnings for the region are also well down, totalling only $34 million compared with $136 million for the first half last year.
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Vehicle production in the region totalled 224,000 units, with Ford anticipating that third-quarter production will rise to 230,000 units over the next three months. Of that number, Ford Australia has contributed about 9000 Falcon large cars and 5000 Territory soft-roaders so far this year.

According to Ford, the car maker ''continues to expect second half results will be lower than first half''.

''This reflects increasing commodities and structural costs, as well as seasonal factors that tend to favor the first half,'' it says.

The profit figure, down $US201 million on the same quarter last year, included one-off payments including a pension plan for Belgian employees and a reduction of another $US2.6 billion in debt for the quarter.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/08/l...o-within-ford/

Lincoln gets its own design team and studio within Ford
By Jeff Glucker RSS feed
Aug 8th 2011 5:58PM

Ford has big plans for Lincoln. The luxury brand from Dearborn has been producing solid machinery as of late, but its vehicles often seem to get lost in the shuffle. The cars look too much like their Ford-branded siblings, and that means a major injection of new style is in order, and quick. That's just what Ford has in mind, and Lincoln will now have its own in-house design studio working right alongside the product development team.

Our friends at Autoline Daily got a sneak peak of the future styling and, while they can't reveal anything yet, say that Lincoln is moving into a design space of its own. The automaker will utilize fresh styling alongside Lincoln-specific interiors and powertrains. Autoline says that the new engine and transmission options will also result in huge jumps in fuel economy. New styling, upgraded interiors and more efficient vehicles? Sounds like a smart plan, and it shows that Ford understands that Lincoln needs help.

It's also worth noting that Ford recently announced a $1 billion investment into the improvement of the Lincoln brand. It seems we'll have Lincolns to get excited about in as little as three to four years.

News Source: Autoline Daily

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/08/l...o-within-ford/

And they poached aussie Max Wolff from GM, one of Mike Simcoes top protege's.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

And they poached aussie Max Wolff from GM, one of Mike Simcoes top protege's.

Yeah, i remember reading that. Well, at least he will be very familiar with Falcons!

[janddbone]

Good to hear, I am one person who is hoping they get it right...

[Falc'man]

But Lincoln is dead - GM Ceo said so (not that he would have a clue about anything).

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/11/f...ransformation/

Ford discloses more details on Lincoln's transformation
By John McElroy RSS feed
Aug 11th 2011 4:58PM

The Ford Motor Company is finally marshaling the resources and money to transform Lincoln into a true luxury brand again. While the company is guarded in discussing the full details of its plan, it's divulging enough for now to let the world know that this is going to be a serious effort. And the early signs are encouraging.

The linchpin to this turnaround will be daring new products and significantly upgraded dealerships. And the key to accomplishing that is a new organizational structure for Lincoln. Up through the 1950s, Lincoln was a stand-alone "house" with its own headquarters, designers, engineers and assembly. The new organization will not recreate that original "house" concept, but it's a big step in the right direction.

Lincoln says it will not abandon its traditional customers, but it must attract a new generation of buyers, people with a different psychographic mindset than those who have been buying Town Cars for the last quarter century. Yet, while it may not abandon those buyers, saying they'll suffer from benign neglect may not be too far off the mark.

Of course, other luxury brands are not sitting still, and new entrants like the Hyundai Equus are getting into the game. Everyday that goes by only makes Lincoln's comeback all the more difficult. Even so, the Ford Motor Company has formidable resources and here's how it plans to put them to work.

As already reported by Autoblog, Lincoln is getting its own design studio within Ford's Product Development Center in Dearborn, Michigan. It's also getting its own dedicated design staff, headed up by Max Wolff, who was head-hunted away from Cadillac where he ran exterior design. Wolff joins a growing cadre of Lincoln executives who bring extensive overseas experience to their new assignment. This crucial development can not be over emphasized, especially the "international experience" part of it.

In recent times Ford has used a matrix organization to run Lincoln. Designers, engineers and managers would be brought in on an as-needed basis, then would transition back into the Blue Oval mothership to work on other products and projects. No one was truly in charge of Lincoln and the lack of leadership and accountability easily explains the brand's malaise. Now the brand will be run by a core team of executives whose careers will be inextricably linked to Lincoln's success - or lack thereof.

Lincoln will continue to build its products off corporate platforms, but we're going to see significant differentiation from Ford-branded vehicles. The real sin in platform sharing typically comes from financially-focused management that tries to take cost savings too far. They'll force program managers to use common body side apertures, common doors, and common greenhouse structures, even on cars sold under different brand names. So even if the headlamps, tail lights and ornamentation are different, the silhouettes look the same and that low-cost "differentiation" fails to fool discerning customers. Ford says it's now willing to spend real money on hard tooling that will provide noticeably different exteriors with unique sheetmetal and greenhouses. I've seen the new MKZ and the change is stunning to behold.

Inside, Lincolns will use push-button transmissions across the line-up, eliminating the gear shift lever on the console. That gives designers more freedom to change the console and instrument panel to separate them from Fords, which will continue to use gearshift levers. Under the hood, Lincolns will have unique powertrain variants from their Ford counterparts, though in some cases that variation may only be a few more gears in the transmission.

Just as Ford has done, Lincoln will focus far more on fuel economy than it has in the past. The 2.0 liter Eco-boost engine will find its way into some surprising applications and you can expect startling improvements in fuel economy. Market research shows that automakers with superior fuel economy also benefit from improved public perceptions on quality and brand image.

The company is also in the process of slashing the number of dealers it has in the U.S. It's already cut hundreds of them and over one hundred more will get the heave-ho. The goal is to pare the list down to 325 dealers, about the same number that Mercedes-Benz has in the U.S. Then, Lincoln wants them to invest in new facilities, following an inviting design theme that it has selected. The new dealerships will look a lot like the inside of an upscale boutique hotel, replete with amenities like reading rooms and coffee bars that cater to an upscale clientele.

Lincoln is also boring in on a sub-set of luxury buyers, a cohort it describes as progressive, open-minded and willing to consider new brands. These buyers are somewhat younger, somewhat wealthier and found more on the coasts than Lincoln's current customers. They represent about 25% of all luxury buyers and are the fastest growing cohort in the segment. Since Lincoln currently captures about 8% of all luxury-brand buyers, they potentially represent a much bigger customer base.

The plan is to transform Lincoln into a true luxury brand, one that can legitimately go toe-to-toe with Mercedes, BMW and Lexus. Then, if they achieve that, the idea is to expand into markets outside of the U.S.

The plan sounds solid and the first steps look good, but I wonder whether the Ford Motor Company has the stick-to-it-ness to see this come to fruition. Lincoln's turn-around will not come overnight, and American corporations are not admired for their long-term patience. No, not even Ford. Even so, the company has a legitimate shot at reviving a brand that can trace its heritage back to the earliest days of the industry. Now let's see if they can do it.

[Bossxr8]

If they truely want to take on Mercedes and BMW, using front wheel drive biased AWD platforms and ecoboost 4 and 6's just won't cut it.

They need a genuine performance RWD V8.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

If they truely want to take on Mercedes and BMW, using front wheel drive biased AWD platforms and ecoboost 4 and 6's just won't cut it.

They need a genuine performance RWD V8.

Wonder if a $40M factory engineered and Head Office approved Coyote based supercharged V8 might be a suitable powerplant?!

[Bossxr8]

Hell yes it would be.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/01/f...rgaining-tool/

Ford UAW workers approve strike authorization as bargaining tool
By Chris Shunk RSS feed
Sep 1st 2011 8:58AM

We haven't heard much concerning the contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and Detroit automakers, but that's probably by design. The UAW is looking to expand, and it probably wouldn't hurt organized labor's chances to do so if these talks went smoothly. Still, what would negotiations be without the threat of a strike?

The Detroit Free Press reports that at least four Ford UAW locals have overwhelmingly voted to authorize leadership to call a strike. The move, which is considered to be routine, comes only two weeks before the contracts with General Motors, Ford and Chrysler run out on September 14. The UAW has asked all local units to hold strike authorization votes by Friday.

News Source: The Detroit Free Press

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/06/u...-isnt-reached/

UAW "leans toward" striking Ford if deal isn't reached
By Jonathon Ramsey RSS feed
Sep 6th 2011 11:30AM

The United Auto Workers are currently negotiating new labor contracts with The Detroit Three. Due to bankruptcy restrictions, UAW members working at General Motors and Chrysler and can't go on strike. Ford, on the other hand, didn't get a no-strike clause since it didn't go through the bankruptcy process. That means the UAW can walk off Blue Oval production lines if it chooses to do so, and it is already threatening to do just that if it doesn't get the agreement it wants when the current contract expires on September 14.

The Detroit News report on the matter is reminiscent of sports press reportage on the former NFL and current NBA lockouts: haves and have-nots, short memories, separate legal actions, and phrases like "they don't believe Ford's claims of poverty."

A couple of days ago, it was reported that preliminary voting was heavily in favor of a strike, and that wasn't a fluke: strike authorization is running at 97 percent – well above usual. But some UAW workers feel that the plants that are doing well, like the Dearborn Truck plant making the F-150 pickup, is a case of "The fat-cat plants want more," while plants that want more work are content for now to let Ford get healthier before asking for more.

A strike authorization from Bob King and company does not necessarily mean that there will be a strike if an amicable conclusion can't be reached, but it does give the UAW more ammunition than it has with GM and Chrysler.

News Source: The Detroit News

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/23/f...m-fatal-crash/

Ford victorious in requesting legal reversal of $43M fatal crash judgment
By Jeff Glucker RSS feed
Sep 23rd 2011 1:32PM

In 2003, a Lincoln Town Car driven by John and Dora Jablonski burst into flames when it was hit from behind, the fire taking the life of John and severely burned Dora. The accident turned into a court case, which resulted in a $43 million judgment against Ford Motor Company. Now, however, that judgment has just been reversed.

Ford asserted that the design of the 1993 Town Car in question had nothing to do with the accident, and, in fact, met or exceeded all industry standards set at the time. The automaker points out that this was an unfortunate accident in which a distracted driver slammed into the Town Car at 60 miles per hour, and that the company should not be liable. After this new theory was argued, a jury agreed, and the initial judgment was reversed in favor of Ford.

News Source: Business Week

[vztrt]

Ford invests more in China

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...257918001ADBF1

Importance of Asia-Pacific underscored by Ford’s latest Chinese investment

27 September 2011

By MARTON PETTENDY

FORD has underlined the importance of the Asia Pacific region to its global expansion plans by breaking ground on a new transmission plant in China this week, just days after General Motors signed a deal to co-develop an electric car with its Chinese joint-venture partner.

While GM, China’s biggest foreign car-maker, is the latest manufacturer to jump-start EV development in the world’s largest motor market, Ford’s Chinese plans are no less ambitious, with CEO Alan Mulally announcing the Blue Oval’s first transmission factory in China would supply 15 new models to be launched there by 2015.

Mr Mulally was joined by Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA) president Joe Hinrichs and Ford China CEO and chairman of the decade-old Changan Ford Mazda Automotive (CFMA) joint-venture Xu Liu Ping to open the $US350 million gearbox plant in Chongqing.

The new factory is claimed to bring Ford’s total joint-venture investment in China to $US3.5 billion and Ford’s total investment in Asia Pacific and Africa to $US5 billion.

“China and Asia are incredible engines of growth,” said Mr Mulally, who is visiting China and Thailand this week to review Ford’s aggressive expansion in the Asia Pacific and Africa region, and to participate in Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan’s annual international advisory committee meeting.

“This new transmission plant, our first in China, will help power the launch of 15 new vehicles in China by 2015,” said Mr Hinrichs.

“As part of our aggressive growth, we’re shifting into high gear. With the seven new plants we’re building in Asia Pacific and Africa, including four in China, Ford’s capacity in APA will be 2.3 million units by mid-decade.”

Since Ford and Changan Motors broke ground for their joint-venture 10 years ago in the central-China municipality, CFMA – which also has assembly plants in Chongqing and Nanjing, and an engine plant in Nanjing – has built and sold more than 1.3 million Ford brand vehicles, including Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo and S-Max.

Ford is currently building a new $US490 million assembly plant in Chongqing, which will produce the new Focus for China from 2012, plus a $US500 million engine plant in Chongqing.

Along with its commercial vehicle partner Jiangling Motors Corporation, which is 30 per cent Ford-owned, the company is also building an additional $US300 million assembly plant in Nanchang, where Ford and JMC-branded vehicles are already produced.

Ford and Mazda also jointly produce the new Australian-designed Ranger and BT-50 utility in Thailand, where Ford is building a fourth Focus factory to supply Asia Pacific markets including Australia from 2012.

Ford says it will bring more than 50 new vehicles and powertrains to the Asia Pacific region by mid-decade, including 15 new vehicles for China, as part of its plan to increase its global sales from 5.3 million in 2010 to eight million by 2015. Up to 70 per cent of that growth is expected to come from the Asia Pacific region.