Ford To Retool Truck Plant For Small Cars

WAYNE, Mich. (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. says it will spend $75 million to retool part of its Michigan Truck factory in Wayne so it can make small car bodies.

The automaker says the move is part of its plan to convert some truck factories to make smaller vehicles.

Michigan Truck's 1,000 workers who now make Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs will be sent to the nearby Wayne Assembly Plant. Ford plans to add a third shift there to make more Focus small cars.

The move will begin in November, when Ford starts moving the equipment to build the big SUVs to the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.

That will clear space for Michigan Truck's body shop to be retooled to make Focus bodies. Michigan Truck will be converted entirely to a car plant in 2010.

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Ford retooling truck plant 8/26/2008 1:40:00 PM Good idea! I like that they are reusing their facilities to make smaller cars that the market needs. They should be looking at electric smaller cars that we are surely going to need in the not so distant future.
CNG Cars 8/26/2008 2:20:00 PM It would be great if Ford also use this plant for CNG cars, we can supply our home refueling appliance for it and WE WILL GIVE THE FIRST 10 FOR FREE AT CONTRIBUTION OF OUR CLIMATE
ReTool for Profit--Hit that Moving Market Target!! 8/26/2008 3:58:00 PM Ford! Why not Anticipate the (future) market by being Pro-Active, instead of Reactive (to what will likely be Over by production time)?? Make mini Sexy Trucks, tiny Sexy Cars (MG,Tato, Miata style, etc), or ???
How about Hapeville? 8/26/2008 3:59:00 PM Hey, they should reopen Hapeville, Georgia's plant and manufature small cars/hybrids there!
Small cars ? Small trucks ? Who chooses ? 9/9/2008 11:01:00 PM I love Ford . My first car was a used 1970 Maverick that I enjoyed for a number of years . I sold it to my best friend and after a few up grades he still has it as well . What I need now is a small truck . I like the shape of the early Toyata trucks and the later more rounded Chevy s-10 . Will Ford ever make another Ranger or another small truck ? I need one .

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