Ford of Britain celebrated its 100th birthday this week, marking 100 years of vehicle manufacturing in the UK.
Recognising a centenary landmark in the UK, Ford UK has this week confirmed its commitment to a country which has made it the market leader in car sales for 34 consecutive years and the commercial vehicle sales leader for 45.
Ford’s UK automotive industry leadership is broader than pure sales. In the UK, Ford directly employs over 15,000 people, many in highly skilled roles developing and building high-technology, fuel-efficient, low CO2 engines. The Ford plants at Bridgend in South Wales and Dagenham in East London have the combined capacity to assemble two million engines annually and one in three Ford cars globally is powered by a UK engine. A further 100,000 jobs are supported through the Ford supplier chain and dealer network.
Ford is investing £1.5 billion in low carbon engineering and manufacturing that will help underpin the UK’s manufacturing and export-based economic recovery.
Ford of Britain chairman, Joe Greenwell, said: “Ford of Britain has been in the fabric of the nation for over a hundred years. We have a proud heritage and a bright future. Ford of Britain is a major pillar of Ford’s global strategy and the new Ford Focus, centrepiece of the centenary, features advanced powertrains developed and produced in the UK.”
