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Ford investing $2.5 billion in two new plants in Mexico

Automobile production keeps ramping up in Mexico. Last week alone, Toyota announced a new plant it's building south of the border, and news broke that Hyundai is looking into the same. Now Ford has announced a multi-billion-dollar initiative that will see it building two new facilities in Mexico, as well. Though neither will be a final assembly plant, both promise to break new ground for the automotive industry in Mexico – at least as far as Ford is concerned. The first is a new engine facility to be built at Ford's existing plant in Chihuahua. The fruit of a $1.1-billion investment will see the Blue Oval produce new gasoline engines for use in North America, South America and Asia-Pacific, creating 1,300 new jobs in the process. Ford will also be investing another $200 million to expand its inline-four and diesel engine production lines at the same plant. The move will create another 500 new jobs and make Ford's Chihuahua engine plant the largest in Mexico, according to the company's press release. Ford has also announced the building of its first transmission facility in Mexico, to be constructed within Getrag's plant in Irapuato in the state of Guanajuato. The $1.2-billion investment will create 2,000 new jobs and be charged with exporting two new automatic transmissions to markets around the world. The announcement comes on the 90th anniversary of Ford's presence in Mexico, dating back to 1925. Currently the company produces the Fiesta, Fusion and Lincoln MKZ in Mexico, as well as numerous Duratec and diesel engines. Related Video: FORD ANNOUNCES $2.5 BILLION USD INVESTMENT FOR NEW ENGINE, TRANSMISSION PLANTS IN MEXICO - Ford is investing $2.5 billion USD in new engine and transmission plants in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Guanajuato, respectively - Approximately 3,800 direct jobs will be generated through three projects – a new engine plant in Chihuahua, expansion of Ford's I-4 and diesel engine lines in Chihuahua and a new transmission plant – Ford's first in Mexico – in Guanajuato - The investment is part of the company's One Ford plan, which emphasizes global competitiveness. The news comes as Ford celebrates its 90thyear in Mexico Further building its lineup of increasingly fuel-efficient engines and transmissions, Ford today announced a $2.5 billion investment in two new facilities building a new generation of engines and transmissions in the states of Chihuahua and Guanjuato, respectively.

What's in a trademark? Sometimes, the next iconic car name

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a treasure trove for auto enthusiasts, especially those who double as conspiracy theorists.
Why has Toyota applied to trademark "Supra," the name of one of its legendary sports cars, even though it hasn't sold one in the United States in 16 years? Why would General Motors continue to register "Chevelle" long after one of the most famous American muscle cars hit the end of the road? And what could Chrysler possibly do with the rights to "313," the area code for Detroit?

GM, Ford, Honda winners in 'Car Wars' study as industry growth continues

General Motors' plans to aggressively refresh its product lineup will pay off in the next four years with strong market share and sales, according to an influential report released Tuesday. Ford, Honda, and FCA are all poised to show similar gains as the auto industry is expected to remain healthy through the rest of the decade. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch study, called Car Wars, analyzes automakers' future product plans for the next four model years. By 2020, 88 percent of GM's sales will come from newly launched products, which puts it slightly ahead of Ford's 86-percent estimate. Honda (85 percent) and FCA (84 percent) follow. The industry average is 81 percent. Toyota checks in just below the industry average at 79 percent, with Nissan trailing at 76 percent. Car Wars' premise is: automakers that continually launch new products are in a better position to grow sales and market share, while companies that roll out lightly updated models are vulnerable to shifting consumer tastes. Though Detroit and Honda grade out well in the study, many major automakers are clumped together, which means large market-share swings are less likely in the coming years. Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicts the industry will top out with 20 million sales in 2018 and then taper off, perhaps as much as 30 percent by 2026. Not surprisingly, trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers will be the key battlefield in the next few years, Car Wars says. FCA will launch a critical salvo in 2018 with a new Ram 1500, followed by new generations of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra in 2019, and then Ford's F-150 for 2020, according to the study. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy said the GM trucks could be pulled ahead even earlier to 2018, prompting Ford to respond. "This focus on crossovers and trucks is a great thing for the industry," Murphy said. Cars Wars looks at Korean (76 percent replacement rate) and European companies more vaguely (70 percent), but argues their slower product cadence and lineups with fewer trucks puts them in weaker positions than their competitors through 2020. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Silverado View 11 Photos Image Credit: Chevrolet Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Honda Nissan Toyota study FCA