Ford Germany

Ford-Werke GmbH
GmbH
IndustrieAutomotive
Foondit18 August 1925
FoonderHenry Ford
HeidquartersNiehl, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalie, Germany
Nummer o locations
Twa manufacturin facilities
Key fowk
Stephen Odell
(Chairman) Bernhard Mattes
(CEO)
ProductsAutomobiles
AwnerFord Motor Company
Nummer o employees
28,842 (2009)
ParentFord Deutschland Holding GmbH
WabsteidFord.de

Ford-Werke GmbH[1] is a German caur manufacturer heidquairtered in Niehl, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalie an a subsidiar o Ford of Europe, whilk in turn is a subsidiar o Ford Motor Company.

Ford Motor Co. AG

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The earliest presence o the Ford Company in Germany wis a pairts operation set up in Hamburg in 1912. It wisnae till 1925 that an assembly plant wis construck in Berlin whaur Model T trucks wis made frae importit pairts. Caurs follaed in 1926.[2]

In 1931, production flittit tae a new plant in Cologne on a site made available bi the mayor o the ceety, Konrad Adenauer[2] an the vehicles' eikin proportion wis made in Germany raither than inbrocht. The first caur aff the new production line wis the Model A jynt in 1932 bi the Model B.

Sma caur manufacture startit in 1933 wi the Ford Köln, a year efter its Breetish launch as the Model Y, but it didnae hae the same impact in Germany as it did in Breetain as it wis unnercut in price bi the sma Opel.

The Ford Rheinland wis a unique model for the German mercat made bi fittin a 3285 cc ingine intae a Model B V-8 chassis but maist products continued tae be Detroit designs albeit wi local names. The Eifel wis the German version o the 10 hp sauld in Breetain as the Model C an this wis jynt in 1939 bi the first o the lang runnin Taunus range.

Ford-Werke AG

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The company wis re-organised in 1939 an chynged its name tae Ford-Werke.[2] Wi the ootbreak o war, caur production conteenad at first wi the Taunus bein made till 1942 but increasingly military production teuk ower, buildin trucks an airmed personnel carriers for the German airmed forces. Maist notably wis the V3000 V-8 truck series. In spite o the hivy bombin o Cologne, the factory got aff relatively lichtlie an efter the war production cud restert in Mey 1945 wi truck manufacture, the US govrenment haein peyed $1.1 million in consideration o bombin damage.[2] Caur makin restartit in late 1948 wi the Taunus. Henry Ford II veesitit the factory in 1948 durin his veesit tae Germany whan he wis considerin a purchase o Volkswagen, wi whilk he, at the hinner end, didnae proceed.[2]

In 1952, a new Taunus kythed an this haed muckle in common wi the Breetish Ford producks an wis a great success enablin record production feegurs tae be reakit. The company wis nou bein run bi Ehrhart Vitger an he spent time recruitin new dealers tae replace thaim lost in East Germany but the company conteenad tae rank third in sales in Germany ahint VW an Opel.[2]

The launch o the Ford Escort in 1968 merkit the end o unique models in European kintras an follaed the creation o Ford of Europe in 1967 frae the assets o the Breetish an German operations but the corporate entities continue.

References

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  1. ↑ http://www.ford.de/UeberFord/RechtlicheHinweise
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Georgano, N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London. ISBN 1-57958-293-1. Cite has empty unkent parameter: |coauthors= (help)