2012 Ford Focus Produciton Begins
Ford Europe officially started the production of the 2012 Focus at their Saarlouis Assembly Plant in Germany.
The new gen Focus is the most anticipated version of the popular car and will be produced in three body styles – four-door, five-door and wagon, Production of the high-performance ST model will be added in early 2012. Since its introduction in 1998 more than ten million units of the Focus have been sold globally.
The German plant will be producing cars for the European market, but for other markets there will be other production lines in Russia, China and Thailand during the next two years.
Focus manufacturing will be expanded further in mid-2011 when Ford’s plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, begins building both four-door and five-door derivatives of the all-new model.Production in the Asia Pacific region will begin in 2012, when new Ford plants come on-line in Chongqing, China and Rayong, Thailand.
“This is an important day for Ford, the Saarland and for Germany,” said Ken Macfarlane, vice-president of Manufacturing, Ford of Europe. “Saarlouis is proud to have been the lead plant for Ford Focus production in Europe since the first model was launched in 1998. Throughout that time, its skilled and dedicated workforce has worked hard to ensure that the plant is recognized throughout the industry for its manufacturing efficiency and quality.”With more than 6,500 employees and over ?3 billion invested in the facility’s ongoing development and continuous modernization, Ford’s Saarlouis Assembly Plant is among the leading vehicle production sites in the European automotive industry. The plant is capable of manufacturing up to 1,850 vehicles a day in three shifts. It currently produces both Ford Focus and Ford Kuga model lines.
