World-class, flexible manufacturing facility will serve as small car production hub for ASEAN region, South Africa, Australia & New Zealand
New production expected to create up to 8,000 direct and indirect jobs
Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation today announced plans to invest more than US$500 million in a new, highly-flexible small passenger car plant at AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) – the successful joint-venture of the two global automotive leaders. Senior executives from Ford and Mazda made the announcement at a press conference in Bangkok.
The new, flexible small car plant will utilize the same automated systems and processes, and state-of-the-art auto manufacturing technologies as the Changan Ford Mazda plant that was launched last month in Nanjing, China.
AAT will begin manufacturing Ford and Mazda’s respective small cars in 2009, which will compete in what the auto industry refers to as the ‘B-car’ category. AAT will also be able to accommodate a more diversified range of products in the future, with simultaneous production of different passenger cars that extend up through the mid-size segment.
