Tag Archives: ford Europe

Hands-Free Driving Ford Mustangs Now in Spain

Posted on 6 October 2023 by Ken Zino

BlueCruise uses Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), which can automatically keep pace with traffic within legal speed limits  down to a complete stop. Hands-free mode allows drivers on approved Blue Zone sections of motorways to drive with their hands off the steering wheel if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead. Before transitioning to hands-free driving, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm that lane markings are visible, that the driver has their eyes on the road and that other conditions are appropriate. Continue reading →

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Ford Debuts All-New Mondeo in China, Not Europe

Posted on 23 April 2013 by Ken Zino

Ford’s long-standing flagship car, the Mondeo, debuted its latest major revision in China at the Shanghai Motor show instead of its European home market. Ford Europe has pushed back the introduction of the 2015 model to save money as its losses grow to a projected $2 billion this year. In China, the Mondeo is one of 15 vehicles the company has promised to bring to the country by 2015. Continue reading →

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Ford Minivan Rebirth as European Galaxy Tests Stateside?

Posted on 2 January 2013 by Ken Zino

While the minivan market is shrinking, Ford Motor in Dearborn is apparently testing a European Galaxy minivan for possible U.S. consumption as these Jim Dunne spy shots reveal. Ford has been out of the minivan market since the Freestar, previously Windstar, lapsed into well deserved oblivion in 2007 as the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan, as well as the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey mom-mobiles made it a mere footnote in sales results. Continue reading →

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EU Car Sales Continue to Evaporate in October – Off -5%

Posted on 19 November 2012 by Ken Zino

The economic decline of the European Union continued in October as sales of new passenger cars contracted by 5% to 959,412 compared to October of 2011. It was the thirteenth straight month of sales declines across the economically embattled Eurozone as the trade bloc comprised of 27 bickering nations is unable to move out of the economic doldrums. Continue reading →

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Ford to Shut Genk as part of latest European Turnaround Plan

Posted on 24 October 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company today announced it will close the Genk industrial complex as part of a trimming of its Europe manufacturing facilities under its latest European turnaround plan to return the cash hemorrhaging subsidiary to profitability. Continue reading →

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EU Cars Sales Drop 9% in August as Eurozone Crisis Continues

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

The crisis in the Eurozone continued unabated as new car sales dropped 9% in August year-over-year after declining by 7.8% in July. As a result, in the 27 countries that comprise the EU, sales dropped to 688,000 vehicles. Year-to-date sales are down to 8.3 million units, the lowest in decades and the fifth straight year of sales declines. Continue reading →

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Ford outlines its latest European Turnaround Plan to Dealers, Workers

Posted on 7 September 2012 by Ken Zino

At a meeting with 2,500 dealers and employees in Amsterdam last night, senior Ford Motor executives outlined the latest European turnaround plan for its loss-making Western European operations. Continue reading →

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Ford EU July Sales off 12%, Lowest Since 1995. Lags Industry

Posted on 16 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company sales in its traditional 19 European markets decreased in July to 83,100 vehicles, -12.3% lower than July 2011 in an industry with heavy discounting that was off 7.6% overall. Year-to-date, Ford sales were 700,200 units, down 11% during the same period last year compared to an industry decline of 7%. Both results were the lowest sales for Ford in the EU since 1995 as the Eurozone crisis continues unabated. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Q2 Profit Plummets $1.4 Billion as Europe, South American and Asia Continue to Hurt Earnings and Shareholders

Posted on 27 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] posted its 12th consecutive quarterly pre-tax operating profit this week based almost entirely on North American results. Weak to frankly disastrous performances in Ford’s global operations saw Q2 income drop to $1 billion, or 26 cents per share, a decrease of $1.4 billion from Q2 2011. Continue reading →

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EU Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicles Sales Down Again

Posted on 17 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Thus far the European auto industry has done little to reduce its capacity, which is now widely discordant with constantly falling demand. GM is planning to close its Opel Zafira plant in Bochum, Germany after the run-out of the current Zafira in 2015, but that is not enough to return Opel to profitability after decades of losses totaling hundreds of billions dollars. Opel employs 20,800 people across Germany and more than 40,000 across Europe. The head of GM Europe was ousted earlier this month over the continuing losses and the lack of progress. Continue reading →

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Milestones – 40 Million Ford Engines Produced at Dagenham

Posted on 11 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Production at Dagenham for Ford vehicles accounts for about 70% of Dagenham’s output, with the balance of more than 270,000 engines for Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Volvo. Ford is in the process of phasing out its successful 12-year joint venture with Peugeot since PSA is now the process of establishing a global alliance with General Motors. All of these companies are hemorrhaging billions of dollars – or euros in Europe as the Eurozone crisis deepens. The British pound is helping Ford somewhat, but losses are projected to quadruple in Europe for the balance of 2012. Ford Europe lost $149 million in Q1, a -$449 million swing compared to 2011. Continue reading →

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Ford of Europe Names Gunnar Herrmann V.P. of Quality

Posted on 3 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford of Europe has named Gunnar Herrmann, vice president of quality. Herrmann, 52, will be responsible for all aspects of quality at Ford of Europe, effective 1 September. Herrmann, a no nonsense, but affable engineer, also joins Ford of Europe’s management board and Ford of Germany’s supervisory board. Continue reading →

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Automakers Protest EU Korean FTA Deal is One Sided

Posted on 28 June 2012 by Ken Zino

European automakers are protesting that EU-South Korea FTA one year later has resulted in massive increases for Korean exports of passenger cars, yet only relatively modest gains for the EU auto industry. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) took the opportunity of the first anniversary of the Korean FTA coming on 1 July to draw attention to what it called an “unbalanced situation.” Continue reading →

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Ford Europe Sales Down 10% in April. UK and Eastern EU Up

Posted on 15 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Like other automakers, Ford is struggling with the contractionist policies of governments in Germany and Brussels, as voter unrest grows with the Depression level economic conditions. Both in April and year-to-date light vehicle sales in the EU are off almost 8%, the fifth straight year of declines. Continue reading →

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Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroën to Drop JV on Diesel Engines

Posted on 5 April 2012 by Ken Zino

PSA Peugeot Citroën and Ford said today that the companies have decided to independently develop and manufacture their larger diesel engines displacing more than 2-liters starting in 2015. The announcement, likely the result of the PSA and General Motors JV announced in February, ends a 12-year business relationship. Continue reading →

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