Ford launches Focus production at Wayne, Mich., plant

Ford Motor Company employees at Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant on October 15 celebrated the production launch of the all-new 2008 Ford Focus.

Arriving in dealership showrooms this fall, Focus is better all around – offering buyers in the largest U.S. market segment a small car that’s fun to drive, fuel efficient and packed with clever features. Focus is the showplace for a number of industry- and segment-exclusive technologies from Ford, including the in-car communications system SYNC and the segment’s first factory-installed color-configurable ambient lighting system.

Ford Motor Company president and CEO Alan Mulally thanked plant employees for their part in building the company’s new small car.

“The most important thing we can do at Ford Motor Company is create the products that people really want and value,” Mulally said. “The team at Wayne Assembly is helping Ford address the demand for small, well-equipped cars as they build the new Ford Focus with an unwavering focus on quality and craftsmanship.”

Mark Fields, president, The Americas, said Focus puts the company in a stronger position to take on the small car market, the largest vehicle segment in the U.S. market.

“Small is big: Last year was a record for small car sales, and the industry will see another record-breaking sales year for this segment in 2007,” Fields told Wayne employees. “Focus remains an important car for Ford and comes at the right time for a growing number of customers who crave fuel efficiency, great driving dynamics and innovative technology that makes their time on the road more enjoyable.”

Ford invested $130 million in Wayne Stamping and Assembly for new tooling and equipment to build the all-new two-door coupe and the four-door sedan Focus models.

Upgrades include new robotics, more precise welding guns for improved exterior fit and finish and the addition of 130 new direct-current electric hand tools to ensure more ergonomically friendly and error-proof assembly. Vision cameras also have been installed to measure the dimensional integrity of every Focus built on the line and a new rough road track includes more varied surfaces to ensure each assembled unit adheres to strict noise-vibration-handling (NVH) targets.

These measures, along with other material and design changes, make the 2008 Focus the quietest Focus ever built, beating a number of the segment’s top contenders in internal road tests measuring interior quietness.

“Everyone who works here understands the importance of small cars in the Ford Motor Company line-up,” said Dale Wishnousky, plant manager, Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant. “The Wayne team is proud to be building the vehicle that will help strengthen Ford’s position in the small-car market.”

Focus also delivers in terms of fuel economy, yet it offers more power and a better package than other vehicles in its segment. The 2008 Focus has a 4 percent fuel economy improvement, tallying up to 35 mpg as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The 2008 Focus is available in a first-ever coupe model as well as a four-door sedan.