Ford Motor Argentina

Ford Motor Argentina is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Buenos Aires in 1913.[1] Its first products were Model Ts assembled from complete knock down (CKD) kits provided by Ford Motor Company in 1917.[2] Nevertheless, Ford Motor Argentina is best known in more recent times for producing the Ford Focus and, previously, the Argentine version of the Ford Falcon,[3] originally a U.S. model introduced in Argentina in 1961, but adapted to the Argentine market.

Ford Motor Argentina
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1913 (1913)
FounderHenry Ford
HeadquartersGeneral Pacheco, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Key people
Jorge Di Nucci (Manager Institutional Affairs)
Productscurrently: Ford Ranger
Number of employees
2,123
ParentFord Motor Co.
Websiteford.com.ar

In South America, Ford's primary operations are in Brazil, Argentina and Ford Andina.[4] (Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador) Ford employs over 18,000 people and operates seven assembly or other plants in the region.[5]

History
1915 Ford advertisement published in La Prensa

In 1913, Ford entered the Argentine market, and in 1917, Buenos Aires became home to the first assembly operation of Ford products in Latin America, in 1922 a stamping and assembly factory was inaugurated in La Boca. At that time the products were marketed through a net composed of 285 dealers. The administrative staff and the personnel of paid workers came to 400. Later, and due to the rising demand the plant was enlarged, coming its staff to 1,500 people.[6]

The first Ford assembly plant in La Boca, c. 1921

In 1939, with the Second World War outbreak, the importation of vehicles and components is closed. The production was restricted to finishing the units with the available material, but the increasing lack of basic supplies for the production forced to stop the activity. During this time, Ford manufactured batteries and it attended its clients with the sale of spare parts and car accessories made in local repair shops. Later, this would give rise to the beginning of the Argentinean auto part industry. The first Ford trucks were imported to Argentina in 1930.[7]

In 1957 Ford Motor Argentina activities restarted in its La Boca facilities with the first commercial vehicles of the "F" line pick ups produced. This manufacturing plant originally opened in 1925 for the production of the Ford Model T. In 1962 the "F" line pick ups began to be produced at the Pacheco Assembly Plant. The former Ford Motor Argentina S.A. was incorporated in 1959.

In 1987, Autolatina Argentina was formed by the merger of Ford Motor Argentina and Volkswagen Argentina. Each brand maintained their own corporate image, the marketing and sales structures, as well as independent dealerships and service shops. All other departments were consolidated, allowing significant cost cutting, but also cutting the workforce almost in half. Sales figures and profitability were disappointing and the joint venture was dissolved in 1994, and on 1 January 1995, Ford Argentina S.A. was reestablished. Under the Autolatina separation plans, Ford became sole owner of the Pacheco plant, which was modified to incorporate the production of the Escort car and Ranger pick-ups. (Volkswagen acquired the existing truck plant and converted it for car assembly.)

President Carlos Menem driving a Escort model in October 1996, during the ceremony in which the model was released in Argentina

In December 1996, all Ford Argentina plants and the Customer Assistance Division obtained ISO 9002 certification and in April 1999, Pacheco Assembly Plant obtained ISO 14001 certification.

In August 2000 the production of the Ford Focus started in Pacheco Plant, and the Focus was honored as the "Car of the Year" in Argentina by two different councils of journalists.

In 2000, Ford held 14.9% of the market share, ranking second in the market. Market participation was 13.4% in cars and 18.9% in trucks; where Ford maintains leadership, production volume was 56.300 units. Ford ranked first among automotive manufacturers regarding exports.

In 2007, Ford has 12.8% market share, ranking third after Peugeot-Citroën [PCA] (28.5%) and General Motors (20.5%) with a production volume of over 64.000 units.[8]

In 2018, two former executives were convicted over kidnapping and torture of company workers during the Argentinian dictatorship in 1976–1983. The men were sentenced to 10 and 12 years.[9]

Timeline
  • 1913: Ford entered the Argentine market, first Latin-Americans branch and the second one in the world after United Kingdom.
  • 1917: The importation of dismantled cars to be assembled in Buenos Aires begins.
  • 1925: The first Latin-American Ford plant is inaugurated with the production of the model "T".
  • 1927: 100,000 Model T's produced in La Boca plant.
  • 1928: The "A" model, is launched.
  • 1932: Ford V8 is launched and assembled until 1942
  • 1945–1947: Ford began assembly after the war.
  • 1957: F-Series Pickup Truck assembled in La Boca plant.
  • 1961: F-600 truck and B-600 bus chassis are produced.
  • 1961: Production of the Ford Falcon began at the Boca site.
  • 1962: Pacheco Assembly and Stamping Plant are started.
  • 1962–1991: Falcon manufactured and sold in Argentina.
  • 1962: F-Series Truck manufactured in Pacheco plant.
  • 1965: Henry Ford Technical School established.
  • 1967: Ford purchased Metcon Foundry and Transax Transmission plants.
  • 1969–1981: Ford Fairlane manufactured and sold in Argentina.
  • 1974: Ford Taunus is launched.
  • 1977–1984: Ford attained market leadership in total vehicles, peaked at 38% in 1982.
  • 1979: Ford Falcon becomes Argentina's top selling car with 28,522 units sold, accomplishment repeated six times.
  • 1982: Truck Assembly plant inaugurated.
  • 1982: 1,000,000 units delivered with Ford Taunus / Ford leads with a 38% market penetration.
  • 1984: Ford Sierra is launched.
  • 1987: Ford and Volkswagen formed Autolatina Joint Venture. / Ford Escort is launched.
  • 1991: Ford Falcon ends production after a record 30-year run, 490,000+ produced.
  • 1994–1995: All Ford Argentina facilities achieve Q1.
  • 1994: Ford Orion is launched.
  • 1975–1995: Ford has been market leader in trucks for 20 consecutive years.
  • 1995: Autolatina Joint Venture dissolved. / Truck Plant and Transax transferred to Volkswagen.
  • 1996: Ford Argentina S.A. reestablished. / ISO9002 certification achieved. / Ford Ranger production started.
  • 1997: Ford elected "The Brand of the Century" in Argentina. / Ford leads in exports.
  • 1998: 2,000,000 units delivered.
  • 1999: Ford Argentina facilities achieved ISO 14001. Focus sales start.
  • 2000: Focus local production started. / Focus elected "The car of the Year" in Argentina. / Ford began selling Mazda products in Argentina as a separate brand.
  • 2001: Ford starts to sell Volvo and Land Rover products in Argentina as separate brands.
  • 2007: Ford invests US$156.5m in Pacheco facility[10]
  • 2010: Ford Focus 2, Ford Sigma, Ford Kuga, New Ford Ecosport and Fiesta are launched.

Models

The list includes Ford models assembled / manufactured / marketed in Argentina, in chronological order:

Cars / SUVs

Trucks / commercial

Cars

Trucks / commercial

See also

Notes
  1. The line added an hybrid model in 2020.[16]
  2. Updated to the T6 (sixth generation), released in 2020.[19]
  3. Furgón and minibus versions.
  4. Assembled only (1917–25); fully manufactured (1925–28)
  5. Assembled only (1962–63); from 1963 that year, the Falcon became the first Ford 4-door sedan fully produced in Argentina.[21][22]
  6. Imported from Germany.
  7. Asian version produced from Mazda, imported from Japan.
  8. Originally imported from Spain, one year later Argentina began to import Fiesta manufactured in Brazil.[24][25][26]
  9. Only chassis produced.
  10. The first Ford truck of Argentina, in 1959 only assembled in the plant of La Boca, and then fully manufactured (starting in 1961) in General Pacheco.[27]
  11. Included models C195E, C1517, C1722, C1932, C2632. Trucks were imported from Brazil.[7]

References
  1. Historia de Ford en Argentina on AutoHistoria
  2. 1932 Ford T on Journey America (archived, 10 Aug 2014)
  3. Historia del Ford Falcon on TodoFalcon website
  4. Ford Automotive Operations – Latin America (archived, 17 June 2001)
  5. Sustainability Report 2006-07 on Ford.com (archived, 9 Feb 2008)
  6. Los primeros años on Ford Argentina, 21 Aug 2020
  7. Después de casi 90 años, Ford dejará de vender camiones en Argentina y Sudamérica, Clarín, 19 Feb 2019
  8. Argentina on BuyUSA (archived, 3 Nov 2008)
  9. Argentina: two ex-Ford executives convicted in torture case, The Guardian, 2018.
  10. Argentina: Ford to invest US$156.5m in Pacheco facility at Automotive World.com (archived, Oct 11, 2007)
  11. Ford Mondeo: una historia que empezó antes del Mondeo by Hernando Calaza on Auto Cosmos, 29 Jan 2020
  12. Ford: la historia de la revolución automotriz, De Motores
  13. La historia del Ford K en Argentina, Parabrisas, 9 Mar 2016
  14. Así probábabmos al EcoSport, Parabrisas, 7 Jun 2020
  15. Lanzamiento: Ford Kuga, Autoblog, 20 Dec 2016
  16. Lanzamiento: Ford Kuga Hybrid on Autoblog, 16 June 2020
  17. LA LEYENDA QUE CAMBIÓ MÁS QUE UNA FORMA DE CONDUCIR, EL FORD MUSTANG, Ford Argentina, 18 Apr 2020
  18. Lanzamiento: Ford Territory, Autoblog, 7 Aug 2020
  19. Ford presentó la nueva Ranger, Parabrisas, 25 Jun 2019
  20. Lanzamiento: Ford F-150 Raptor on Autoblog, 8 Jan 2020
  21. A 57 años del primer Falcon "nacional" by Dylan Bucchianeri on Parabrisas, 15 Jul 2020
  22. Así probábamos al primer Falcon, Parabrisas, 15 May 2019
  23. Ford Granada at Archivo de Autos, 10 Dec 2012
  24. LA HISTORIA DEL FORD FIESTA: LOS PRIMEROS 35 AÑOS on Motorweb Argentina, 1 Aug 2011
  25. Se despiden el Ford Fiesta y Focus de la Argentina ¿quién los reemplaza?, Cuyo Motor, 20 Feb 2019
  26. El Ford Fiesta cumple cuarenta, Parabrisas, 9 Sep 2016
  27. La pick up más vendida del mundo: sus 10 hitos en 45 años de historia Infobae, 10 Jul 2020
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