Fiesta Agent 33

• The newly transformed Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant (CSAP) in Mexico reopens and begins producing the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta
• The plant will produce two versions of this new vehicle, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, for Ford customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico
• Ford transformed its Cuautitlán facility from a truck-producing plant, creating 2,000 direct jobs and at least 6,000 indirect jobs. As part of its ONE Ford plan, the company has been leveraging its global strengths and shifting production to more fuel-efficient small cars customers value
• On sale this summer, the Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, projected best-in-class fuel economy and a number of features and technologies not found on competitive vehicles this size

CUAUTITLAN IZCALLI, MEXICO, May 11, 2010 – Ford Motor Company today celebrates the start of production of the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta at its Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant (CSAP), which has been transformed from a truck plant to a car plant producing the all-new Fiesta for North American customers.

The start of Fiesta production at Cuautitlán marks another milestone in the ONE Ford plan to deliver even more products people really want while better leveraging the company’s global product and manufacturing strengths.

“Our investment in Cuautitlán brings ‘ONE Ford’ global vehicles to life in North America and allows more customers to experience even more of our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of Canada, Mexico and South America operations and Global Marketing. “Small cars are the fastest-growing product segment around the world, and Ford is answering the call with fun-to-drive new cars such as Fiesta, Fusion and the new Focus that is coming soon.”

Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and the Governor of State of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto joined the Cuautitlan event to celebrate the start of production for the Fiesta, which starts arriving in North American dealerships this summer and is already a strong seller in Europe and Asia.

Eduardo Serrano Berry, President and CEO of Ford in Mexico, expressed his pride on the transformation of Ford’s plant in Cuautitlán, now one of the most advanced flexible manufacturing complexes in the world.

“This year, as Ford of Mexico celebrates 85 years of uninterrupted operations in our country, we feel honored for the trust the corporation has placed in our manufacturing capabilities,” he said. “Ford of Mexico has a great team and a strong track record for producing high-quality vehicles, and we are eager to deliver outstanding new cars for an entire continent of customers.”

New Fiesta: Above the rest
The all-new Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, fuel-efficient engine, high-quality materials and a number of features and technologies not found on competitive vehicles.

Fun to drive, the new Fiesta has a 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine that delivers 120 horsepower. This engine can be mated with either a five-speed manual transmission or Ford’s new advanced PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission, which is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy of 40 mpg highway.

Designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics.

The new Fiesta is built off Ford’s global small car platform. By 2014, this vehicle platform will deliver up to 1.6 million global vehicles annually, including up to five separate vehicle lines and eight top hats.

Fiesta’s global track record
The Ford Fiesta was first introduced in Europe in 1976. Since then, it has become synonymous with outstanding driving performance, design and value.

In the U.S. and Canada, the Fiesta arrived as a 1978 model, equipped with a Kent OHV I-4 of 1.6 liter engine – the biggest engine offered in European markets.

The Fiesta went on sale in Mexico in 1998, selling more than 294,000 units.

Worldwide, Fiesta has sold more than 12 million units in the last 30 years.

The new Fiesta is off to a fast start, selling 750,000 units in its first 18 months on the market in Europe and Asia. The new car also has received a number of awards, including:

* A prestigious ‘red dot’ design award for international product design
o 28 leading designers and design experts from 19 countries called Fiesta one of the most stylish cars in the world, labeling its design “innovative and dynamic.”
o The award showcases the fact that Fiesta delivers style, together with outstanding quality that consumers desire.
o The red dot design awards, one of the world’s largest design recognition programs, are presented annually by Germany’s Essen-based Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen.
* 2009 Car of the Year – The Sun Motors
* 2009 Croatian Car of the Year – Croatian Car Association
* 2009 Hellenic Car of the Year – Journalists from Autobild, Drive Autocar
* Woman’s Car 2009 – Hachette Filipacchi Editorial Group
* 2008 Scottish Car of the Year – Association of Scottish Motoring Writers
* The Best of the 2008 Geneva Show – Most Significant – Autoweek
* Top Gear, Car, Car & Driver and 4 Wheels
* 2008 Croatian Car of the Year – Croatian Car Association
* 2008 Best Supermini – What Car? magazine

Cuautitlán: A tradition of manufacturing
Since 2008, Ford has invested $3 billion in its Mexican operations – including a diesel engine plant in Chihuahua, a new transmission plant in Guanajuato (a joint venture with Getrag) that will product the Fiesta’s new automatic transmission as well as the transformation and expansion at the Cuautitlán Plant.

Opened in November 1964, Ford’s Cuautitlán Plant now has become one of the world’s most advanced flexible manufacturing complexes.

Ford expanded the Cuautitlán plant by 25,800 m2, building in five new lines of high-productivity presses, 270 robots and in-line measuring systems, adjustable ergonomic platforms in the upholstery area and new paint facilities that are more efficient and environmentally friendly.

“All the major subassemblies of the body and final assembly will be completed in the plant,”said Eduardo Villegas, General Manager of CSAP. “This helps ensure a quality build and even greater productivity.”

Fiesta production at the site has created 2,000 direct jobs and at least 6,000 indirect jobs.

The Cuautitlán plant has produced more than 2.2 million vehicles during its 45-year history, including some iconic products. These include the Ford Mustang, LTD, Crown Victoria, Thunderbird, Taurus, Contour, Mercury Grand Marquis, Contour, Mystique and a variety of light- and medium-duty F-Series trucks.

For more information about the Ford Fiesta, please visit: http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Fiesta_Timeline.pdf |

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 176,000 employees and about 80 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

About Ford Mexico
Ford of Mexico began operations in 1925 and currently employs more than 5,800 people in manufacturing facilities that include the Stamping and Assembly Plant of Hermosillo; Engines I and Engines II of Chihuahua; the Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant as well as in its headquarters located in Mexico City. In Mexico, Ford produces the Ford Fusion, the Mercury Milan, the Lincoln MKZ as well as the hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. Its strategy of manufacturing also integrates the assembly and production of the Duratec I-4 (2.0- and 2.5-liter) engine as well as the PowerStroke Diesel 6.7-liter V-8 engine. The brands that integrate into Mexico’s group include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until completing its process of selling, Volvo.

Photos from the Ford Fiesta Club Mexico

Six million Fiestas built by Ford in Cologne: Two generations of Fiesta meet in front of Cologne's Cathedral in Germany - The first generation Fiesta, built in 1976, and a current model Fiesta.

COLOGNE, May 4, 2010 – The Ford Fiesta, Europe’s top-selling car in the first quarter of 2010*, set another record today at the Ford Niehl Assembly Plant in Cologne, Germany.

The 6 millionth German-built Fiesta, a three-door Vision Blue Sport edition, with a 1.6 litre Ti -VCT engine (120 PS), destined for a German customer, rolled off the production line today – 31 years after the first one was produced here in October 1979. To date, seven generations of the Ford Fiesta have been built in Cologne in 1989 and the Niehl facility became “lead plant” for Fiesta production in Europe.

Since Fiesta production began in Europe in 1976, the ever-popular car has sold over 13 million units in total and has been built in four Ford European manufacturing plants, including Cologne. The first car was built in Valencia, Spain in 1976, where – as with Niehl – the latest-generation Ford Fiesta continues to be built. From 1976 until 2002, the Fiesta was also built at Ford’s Dagenham plant in the United Kingdom, and at the Saarlouis plant in Germany between 1976 and 1980.

Over the years, thanks to increased production efficiency, more Fiestas have been built faster and to even higher quality levels at Niehl. Ford continues to be considered by industry experts to be one of the most efficient carmakers in Europe.

It took ten years to reach the first million units production milestone of the Fiesta; the second millionth Fiesta rolled off the assembly line in less than half the time; the time between the fifth and sixth millionth Fiestas was just over three years.

Around 4,300 employees are currently producing 1,885 Ford Fiesta and Ford Fusion models daily in a flexible three-shift-system at the Niehl site. In 2009, the plant manufactured 406,200 cars in total – 350,500 Fiestas and 55,700 Fusions. About 80 per cent of the plant’s total vehicle production is exported.

“The Fiesta’s success speaks for itself. Its innovative design combined with state-of-the-art technology continues to be a great hit with customers,” said Ken Macfarlane, vice president, manufacturing, Ford of Europe. “To achieve six million units of production is a great milestone for Niehl, and one that everyone at the plant should be justly proud of achieving. This is not just a success for Ford, but also for Cologne, North Rhine Westphalia and Germany.”

Niehl production of the latest-generation Fiesta started in August 2008. Only 18 months after its debut, more than 750,000 customers have purchased the new Fiesta around the world, with more than 670,000 cars being sold in Europe.

The Niehl Assembly Plant also played a key role in an initiative to introduce the new Fiesta to consumers in North America. Under its “Fiesta Movement” programme, Ford selected 100 customers to drive the new Fiesta and then relate their experiences through social networking sites such as Facebook, FlickR and YouTube. A fleet of 100 five-door Fiestas for the programme was built at the German plant and exported to North America in March 2009.

The Fiesta will begin to arrive in dealer showrooms in North America during the second quarter of 2010.

Ford also will launch its global Fiesta in key Asian Pacific markets during 2010. Aside from Niehl and Valencia in Europe, the Fiesta also is built in Nanjing, China and Rayong, Thailand. The Ford Cuautitlàn Plant in Mexico will celebrate its first production Fiesta model in the coming weeks.