Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

It is a brand new Focus and it has a little sales history of its own.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Aug 31, 2012

2012 Ford Focus (loaded Titanium trim on the cliffs overlooking Malibu shown) - $14,200 to start with $2K currently on the hood and a 28/38 mpgUS rating with the 6-speed AT.

Why in the world would Ford release a PR at 01:30 AM CST? Because they can ;)

According to Ford, its Focus is the best-selling car model in the world through the first half of 2012. A new Focus built in Thailand marks milestone as 350 millionth vehicle produced by the Ford Motor Company in its illustrious 109-year history.

Customers around the world are benefiting from One Ford plan, which is creating the industry's freshest lineup with a full family of vehicles offering leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value. Unfortunately the One Ford plan means we receive European based B and C-segment offerings that are quite literally a class-below their competitors in terms of size in some cases.

Case in point is the 2012/2013 Ford Focus with a 90 and 13 cu. ft. of passenger and cargo volume respectively. This compares favorably to the supposedly smaller B-Segment 2012/2013 Hyundai Accent also providing 90 and 14 cu. ft. of passenger and cargo volume respectively.

On the pricing front, a brand new loaded 2013 Ford Focus Titanium with all the bells and whistles not including the accessories can set you back $28,895 USD. You can buy a lot of D-Segment car including hybrids from just about anyone else for that kind of scratch.

350,000,000th vehicle

Ford announced that it is not only celebrating the company's 350 millionth vehicle was a Ford Focus, it is also saying the Focus is the world's best-selling car through the first half of 2012.


The Focus in question was manufactured at the company’s new manufacturing facility in Rayong, Thailand, a few hours ride southeast from Bangkok. Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) plant opened in May to produce the new Focus, which also is built in four other countries. FTM represents the latest in Ford's global manufacturing capabilities, with new stamping presses, flexible body shops and robotic capabilities that enable it to produce up to six different vehicles simultaneously.

In addition to the manufacturing milestone, for the first six months of this year, Focus became the best-selling single car nameplate in the world, based on global data from IHS Automotive.

While the F-Series continues to take the monthly sales crown in North America with Canadian and US sales totaling approximately 450,000 for the year, it’s the Focus worldwide that is kicking @$$ and taking names. According to IHS Automotive, the Ford Focus sold 489,616 units in the first half of this year besting its nearest competitor, the aging Toyota Corolla (462,187 sold) by over 27,000 units!

As an update, 2012 Focus sales to date are not even close to the Corolla is it has experienced sales of over 722,000 vehicles worldwide through July trouncing the Focus and every other vehicle in the C-segment. Ford probably meant Europe by its lonesome but failed to disclose this little fact???

A Little Ford History

Since the company was founded in 1903, Ford has led the industry any number of times with innovations such as the mass produced Ford Model T which provided affordable mobility to the masses for the first time.

Another tidbit form the Ford archives, its 50 millionth vehicle was built in 1959, a Ford Galaxie.

In the five decades since, Ford has produced more than 300 million additional vehicles.

By next year, Ford will build more than 85 percent of vehicle volume off nine core platforms. Also, in the next four years, Ford plans to have the freshest global vehicle lineup – with the entire product portfolio expected to be upgraded at least one time.

Asia Pacific

The last bastion of growth left in the world is Asia Pacific and Ford's One Ford plan is ramping up to serve demand.

Ford is investing heavily and expanding aggressively to meet the needs of consumers there, who are expected to generate 60 percent of the industry's future growth through 2020. Ford's key investments and growth initiatives in Asia Pacific Africa include:

Launching nine new plants – six in China, two in India and one in Thailand – with the capacity to produce 2.9 million vehicles by mid-decade is just a start…

An American history is now a global one. And let us hope Ford can continue to innovate and bring class leading vehicles including the F-series, C-MAX and Fusion for the US while producing Focus’, Fiesta’s and B-MAXs in great quantities to meet overseas demand.

Re: Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

Hi All:

As an update from Toyota's Midwest regional rep Curt McAllister, 2012 Focus sales to date are not anywhere near the top. The Corolla has experienced sales of over 722,000 vehicles worldwide through July trouncing the Focus and every other vehicle in the C-segment offering available. Ford probably meant Europe by its lonesome but failed to disclose this fact?

Wayne

Re: Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

Hi All:

I may have been wrong even after the Toyota PR rep sent me the above notice...

According to LMC's latest Data, the Focus is/will be the number one nameplate in the world with approximately 1-million sold worldwide. Here in the US it bounces in and out of the Top 10 every few months but worldwide, Ford's got a hit on its hands. Meaning its sales will dethrone the venerable Toyota Corolla as the world’s most popular car.

The Corolla is forecasted to reach sales of approximately 966,000 in 2012 by the same group. It is amazing that this 10-year old design even with the two redesigns in between has stayed near the top of the charts for so long. It really is that bad by comparison to anything in the C-segment ranks today.

Wayne

Re: Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

Will Ferrell has made a lot of REALLY bad movies and yet people still buy tickets to them.

Re: Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

Hi Edwin:

Good point :)

Wayne

Re: Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

There is a guy I work with who swears by the Crapolla, er I mean, Corolla. He had an 8 yr old one and his wife has a 4 yr old one. He says he will never by another type of car.

Another couple, young no kids yet, just moved in down the street and they have matching Corolla's, both probably ~2-3 years old.

Re: Ford’s 350,000,000th Car Produced
 

I did pay for and drive a 2003 Corolla that I took delivery of in September 2002. I selected the car based on the numbers ; MPG,HP,$$$. All the numbers said YES. It was the most basic model (CE?) and had 5MT , A/C , CD player , and not much else. Zero options. I had driven earlier rental Corollas with the same engine and I knew that part was good. In the first week , I noticed some design flaws but none that were fatal. I drove that car on many trips from the Chicago area to Eastern Kentucky , 1000+ miles round trip. In those days , I wanted to get the trip over with quickly and sometimes I just needed to be a taxi for someone else and get back the same day. So , I drove at speeds of 70-75 MPH. Yes, I admit it. But even at those speeds ( with minimal A/C use) the car would yield 42 MPG . The pre-08 EPA numbers were 32/40 city/highway. Tires were probably at placard pressure. It was a bulletproof workhorse of a car. Yes , the interior was poorly designed and not-at-all attractive , but I wasn't then (or now) too concerned with those things.
Unfortunately, I paid cash for it and put the car in my girl-friend's name. When we broke up two years later, she assumed the car was hers and there wasn't too much I could do about it. If I had been able to keep it , I would still be driving it today.
Would I buy the Corolla today ? Not likely. But I believe Toyota is not going to rest on their laurels much longer and will offer a worthy replacement.