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FORD MOTOR CO.'S RECENTLY ANNOUNCED US$300 million plan to upgrade its gearbox plant in Bordeaux may be the last major foreign investment in France for some time. Deterred by the […]

Ford Motor Co. recently inaugurated a $40-milllion technology center in Yokohama, Japan, as part of its move to sell $300 million worth of auto parts by the year 2000. The company, which sells CD radio players to Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Corp., says that the country's keiretsu system still remains an obstacle for US auto parts suppliers. According to Delco Electronics Corp., however, there does not seem to be any barrier to penetrating the Japanese market. Delco, a subsidiary of General Motors Corp, recently opened a sales and marketing office in Tokyo, Japan.

Ford Motor Co. intends to push through with its expansion plans in China despite the looming threat of a Sino-US trade war. The company plans to establish three additional automobile parts production facilities in China. In addition, Ford will push through with a joint research venture to develop vehicles that will run on alternative fuels. Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines is considering cancelling a $2-billion aircraft order from Boeing Co. if a Sino-US trade war ensues.

Ford is joining scores of other companies returning to South Africa now that apartheid has been vanquished. Ford agrees to acquire 45% equity in South African Motor Corp. Ltd. (Samcor) [...]

Ford Motor Co. is set to sign a set of component deals that should give the company a foothold in the fast-growing Chinese market. The deals, which are expected to be finalized by the end of the summer of 1994, will involve automotive glass and plastic parts, among others. The announcement of Ford's planned joint ventures in China was made by its chairman Alex Trotman during his trip to the country.

Ford Motor Chmn. Alex Trotman was in China in Sep. 1994 to lay the foundation for auto parts ventures and possibly an assembly plant deal in 1995. Trotman's 10-day visit was spent visiting plants and lobbying for Ford's proposed projects. He went to Beijing, Changchun and Shanghai, where the company operates two auto parts ventures and where it plans to build a factory for minivans and sedans.

Konen Suzuki knows what it's like to enter a foreign market where your brand is not greatly appreciated: He guided Toyota Motor Corp.'s drive to established a major U.S. presence [...]

Ford Motor Co. Automotive Operations head James O'Connor has assured Ford dealers in Mexico that they will continue to enjoy significant growth in 1995. O'Connor allayed the dealers' fear that Ford is losing its grip of the Mexican automobile market to other US-based car makers by showing them the company's 1995 product line. He also expressed optimism that Mexico's political climate wll become more conducive to business after the presidential elections on Aug. 23, 1994.

Ford Motor Co. has disbanded its Asia-Pacific Automotive Operations in Tokyo and its Latin American Automotive Operations in Dearborn, MI, as part of the company's global consolidation efforts. Ford has also established two new Dearborn-based offices to supervise overseas market planning and product development. The dissolution of the two overseas operations is designed to provide more autonomy to the sales and marketing groups in each country.

Ford Motor Co. is conducting a study on a corporate strategy for reentering the South African market. Ford Chmn. Alex Trotman stated that South African operations is no longer a question of 'if' but rather of 'when' and 'how.' Ford withdrew from South Africa in 1988 due to widespread apartheid. However, since the installation of a new, predominantly black government, Ford has been reviewing the potential of a renewed South African market.

General Motors Corp. (GM), Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. are re-establishing their presence in Thailand's burgeoning automobile market after a 20-year absence. GM has established a joint venture firm for the production of small Opel cars in Thailand and imports passenger cars from its European and Australian subsidiaries into the country. Ford has announced plans to sell its Korean-built car Aspire in Thailand while Chrysler recently signed a contract to produce Jeep Cherokees and Wranglers in the country, whose automobile market is currently dominated by Japan-made cars.

Ford Motor Co. has reported plans of a major realignment of its businesses in a move to streamline its international operations. The plan calls for a grouping of vital business units, including product development, manufacturing, supply and sales. Ford expects the plan to generate savings of as much as $3 billion annually. Vehicle Program Centers will be set up by the firm for its US, UK and German operations.

Ford Motor Co. is pushing for closer scientific and economic ties with China through the Ford China Research and Development Fund. The fund has chosen 25 research proposals, which will each receive $10,000 in grants annually for three years. Ford also has plans to form a joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. in plastic automotive parts.

The Thai government is providing American automobile manufacturers with the necessary assistance to enable the marketing of vehicles in this Southeast Asian country. Continuing Thai government support has convinced General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler Ltd to reestablish sales offices in this Asian country. Cuts made by the Thai government in vehicle importation tax structure are expected to put American auto manufacturers on equal footing with their Japanese rivals.

Ford Motor Co (Ford) is currently putting the company's distinctive blue oval in place of the Autorama name in their Japanese dealer outlets. Ford co-owns the Autorama network with Mazda Motor Corp. Although Autorama sells Ford-brand vehicles exclusively, most of them are actually Japanese-built Mazda cars sold under the Ford badge. The largely symbolic move is seen as part of Ford's aggressive strategy to capture a larger share of the Japanese market.

FORD says that it is to build a technical centre near Tokyo to strengthen its ability to sell more American-made components to the Japanese automotive industry. The facility represents an [...]

The Ford Motor Company has invested $50 million in a new facility in Plonsk, Poland which will produce seat trim covers for Ford and other car makers. due to start production in late 1994. First year of operation will see the manufacture of 600,000 sets of covers for Ford Escort and Ford Orion vehicles, and output will double in autumn 1995 when the plant starts to produce seat covers for the Ford Fiesta. The plant is predicted to generate revenue of around $60 million in first year of production.

Ford Motor Co. will build a new $50 million technical center in Japan with technical activities being led by a Japanese executive. Scheduled for completion in mid-1995 near Tokyo, it [...]

There was a time in Chrysler's history when then-Chairman Lynn Townsend decided Chrysler had to have a major worldwide presence if it was to survive as a viable automotive manufacturer. [...]

FORD says that it has opened a components office in Beijing as part of a move to source more parts from lower-cost [...]

FORD has said that its European operations are likely to revert to losses this year as vehicle production is reduced to cut stock levels in the face of declining demand. [...]

Ford Motor Co is targeting Southeast Asia as a region with good growth potential in the 1990s. Ford estimates that Asia will account for 12 million vehicle sales annually and an 8% yearly growth rate. The automaker also plans to increase its market share in Japan from 1% in 1992 to 5% by 2000. Ford is involved in numerous joint ventures in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Ford's joint venture companies include Lio Ho Motor Company Ltd, Associated Motor Industries Malaysia Sdn Bhd and AutoAlliance International Inc., Take a glimpse into W. Wayne Booker's crystal ball and you'll find out that Ford Motor Co. is looking to Southeast Asia for future growth potential. This region, which includes [...]

AMERICAN vehicle manufacturer Ford, which has seen its car sales in Japan suffer a sharp decline over the past year, is understood to be considering handling its own import operation [...]