I thought Ford’s ‘One Ford’ philosophy meant that all cars they sold around the world had to be the same, in order to streamline the operation, and cut costs.
However, perhaps that was partially meant to stand for the attempt to open new grounds and sell one Ford to buyers in the Middle East and Africa too, because they have just announced the introduction of 17 new models in the two regions, within the next 24 months.
The idea is to start seeing them as one single “business unit,” which will apply for all of the 47 markets it stands to encompass. The models they plan to launch are not all new, but they are foreign to the area and include names like the Fusion sedan and the EcoSport mini-SUV, as well as vehicles from the Lincoln range.
Stephen Odell, Ford’s Euro president said “The Middle East and Africa is poised to become one of the next big automotive growth markets and we want to be there for these customers with great new cars and trucks,” making it clear that “Ford and Lincoln sales have grown 60 percent in the Middle East over the past four years, and we expect total industry sales in the combined Middle East and Africa region to increase nearly 40 percent to around 5.5 million units by 2020.”
Their tactic for future expansion will rely on the quest to bring new models in, supporting the dealer network and expand accessibility to parts by setting up more complete local chains. Currently, it seems to be working, as the Blue Oval and Lincoln together have sold 60 percent more cars during the last four years of activity.
By Andrei Nedelea
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