Ford has something new to celebrate, the its 350 millionth vehicle produced – a Ford Focus, which is also the world’s best-selling car for the first half of 2012.
Ford has something new to celebrate, the its 350 millionth vehicle produced – a Ford Focus, which is also the world’s best-selling car for the first half of 2012. Ford is celebrating the production milestone at its newest global manufacturing facility located in Rayong, Thailand, approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Bangkok.
“Producing 350 million vehicles is equivalent to producing one vehicle every 10 seconds for our 109-year history. If placed end to end, the vehicles would stretch to the moon and back – twice,” said John Fleming, Ford executive vice president of global manufacturing. “Producing this vehicle in Thailand also is significant. It underscores the power of our One Ford plan to deliver profitable growth with great products built in ultra-flexible and efficient facilities everywhere around the world.”
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, beating out its nearest competitor, the Toyota Corolla. The Ford Focus sold 489,616 units in the first half of this year, while the Toyota Corolla, sold 462,187 units.
“Embracing its performance, value, versatility and fuel economy, the Focus is attracting many new customers to the Ford brand for the very first time, particularly in Asia where we are growing every day,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president for global marketing, sales and service. “The Focus is a winner on so many levels because it successfully provides customers with what they want most – a safe, smart, fuel-efficient, good-looking, fun-to-drive, affordable car.”