Ford Motor Company of SA has secured a major fully built-up vehicle export programme and will, on September 1, make an announcement it says “will significantly affect” the future of the Pretoria-based company. But which model has Ford earmarked for the export market?
Ford Motor Company of SA has secured a major fully built-up (FBU) vehicle export programme and will, on September 1, make an announcement that “will significantly affect” the future of the Pretoria-based company. But which model has been earmarked for the export market?
It is understood that the programme involves a new vehicle platform not yet launched globally. According to , one model that was a strong candidate for export was the next-generation Ford Focus, but there have also been suggestions that there will be a new model produced in SA from one of the brands in the Ford stable, which includes Volvo and Mazda.
The ‘paper said the investment at the company’s Silverton plant would be at least R1 billion. Deborah Coleman, FMCSA’s chief executive and group managing director, confirmed on several occasions last year that the company was bidding for such a project and the company already has a FBU vehicle export programme. In July last year it started shipping Land Rover Freelanders to Australia and Land Rover Defenders to Angola.
Coleman told that the programme would be “small volume and experimental”.
“We’ve also sent letters to the Ford Motor Company’s brand managers and asked them to consider FMCSA for a high-volume export programme.
“We’ve received a favourable response from them and are involved in further discussions and investigations. We’re looking for a [high-volume export] programme where there is a capacity need in the short term,” she added.
FMCSA recently completed a R280-million project to refurbish the paint shop at its Silverton plant and “ensure the paint applied to all vehicles in its model lineup was of world-class quality”.
