Where Is Ford Made?
When it comes to iconic American automakers, few brands are as recognizable as Ford. From the revolutionary Model T that brought affordable automobiles to the masses, to the legendary Mustang and the best-selling F-Series trucks, Ford has been at the forefront of automotive innovation for well over a century.
But have you ever wondered where Ford vehicles are actually made? Given the company’s global reach and presence in markets worldwide, the answer might surprise you.
Ford manufactures its vehicles in assembly plants across the United States as well as in several international locations like Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and South America.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into Ford’s manufacturing footprint, exploring the key production facilities for their popular models, tracing a vehicle’s origins through the VIN, and looking ahead at the company’s plans for the future of manufacturing.
A Brief History of Ford Manufacturing
To understand where Ford makes its vehicles today, it’s helpful to look back at the company’s pioneering origins in automotive production. Henry Ford didn’t just create affordable, mass-produced cars – he revolutionized the entire manufacturing process.
In 1913, the moving assembly line was introduced at Ford’s Highland Park Plant in Michigan. This allowed teams of workers to efficiently build cars in a sequential manner, vastly increasing productivity. The iconic Model T could now be produced at unprecedented rates, bringing vehicle ownership within reach for average Americans.
Ford’s manufacturing philosophies centered on vertical integration – controlling production from raw materials to finished products. This led to massive, vertically-integrated facilities like the gargantuan River Rouge Plant that had its own steel mills, glass production, and power plants.
As consumer demand grew, so did Ford’s need for increased production capacity. Over the decades, dozens of new assembly plants were constructed across the United States to build a diverse lineup of cars, trucks, and SUVs.
Ford’s Manufacturing Footprint in the United States
While Ford has expanded globally, its strongest manufacturing presence remains in its homeland – the United States of America. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key Ford assembly plants producing vehicles for the North American market and beyond.
Dearborn Truck Plant (Dearborn, Michigan)
Located in the city that’s been home to Ford’s world headquarters for decades, the Dearborn Truck Plant is one of the company’s crown jewels. This state-of-the-art facility is responsible for producing two of Ford’s most iconic and best-selling models – the F-150 pickup truck and the high-performance F-150 Raptor off-road variant.
With over 4 million square feet of manufacturing space, the Dearborn Truck Plant has seen over $3.7 billion invested in recent years for retooling, upgrades, and preparing for the launch of electric vehicle production. It will be the birthplace of the hotly anticipated F-150 Lightning, Ford’s first-ever all-electric light-duty pickup.
Kansas City Assembly Plant (Claycomo, Missouri)
When it comes to truck production, Kansas City is another key hub for Ford. This facility in Claycomo, Missouri manufactures the F-150 pickup as well as Ford’s capable Transit van lineup, including both gas-powered and all-electric E-Transit models.
The Kansas City plant made history in 2022 as the first Ford plant to produce both battery-electric and internal combustion engine vehicles by adding the E-Transit to its production lines. This marked a major milestone in Ford’s push towards electrification.
Kentucky Truck Plant (Louisville, Kentucky)
As its name suggests, the Kentucky Truck Plant is a powerhouse for Ford’s truck and large SUV production. This sprawling facility, one of Ford’s largest vehicle assembly operations, produces the Super Duty lineup of F-250, F-350, and F-450 trucks.
It’s also the manufacturing home of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator full-size SUVs. With advanced robotics, ample space, and a skilled workforce, Kentucky Truck Plant can produce over 1,000 vehicles per day at maximum capacity.
Other Key U.S. Plants
- Chicago Assembly (Chicago, Illinois) – Manufactures the Ford Explorer SUV, Police Interceptor Utility, and Lincoln Aviator.
- Flat Rock Assembly (Flat Rock, Michigan) – The iconic Ford Mustang muscle car rolls off the lines at this Detroit-area plant. It’s also produced the Lincoln Continental sedan.
- Michigan Assembly (Wayne, Michigan) – Birthplace of the Ford Ranger mid-size pickup truck.
- Ohio Assembly (Avon Lake, Ohio) – Specializes in Ford’s larger commercial trucks like the F-650/750 Medium Duty Trucks, F-350/450/550 Super Duty chassis cabs, and E-Series Cutaways.
In total, Ford operates eight vehicle assembly plants in the United States that employ tens of thousands of workers. While a significant portion of Ford’s manufacturing has shifted to lower-cost countries over the decades, these domestic facilities continue to produce many of Ford’s most profitable and iconic models.
Ford’s Global Manufacturing Footprint
As a multinational automaker, Ford has established a truly global manufacturing presence to serve markets around the world. From Mexico and Canada to Europe, Asia, and South America, Ford vehicles are produced at dozens of international plants.
Mexico Plants
Just across the U.S. border, Ford operates two key assembly plants that produce several popular models for North American consumers.
The Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant builds the all-electric Mustang Mach-E as well as combustion engine Mustangs for global export. Meanwhile, the Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant is responsible for the compact Maverick pickup truck and Bronco Sport SUV.
Canadian Assembly Plants
Our neighbors to the north in Canada are also home to a couple of Ford’s manufacturing facilities. The Oakville Assembly Plant produces midsize crossover SUVs like the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus. It’s one of Ford’s most flexible and advanced global plants.
Europe
With a strong presence across the European continent, Ford has several assembly plants in countries like Germany, Spain, Romania and Russia.
The Cologne and Saarlouis plants in Germany build compact models like the Fiesta and Focus for European customers. The Valencia plant in Spain is the source of the Transit Connect van along with other passenger cars. Ford also has facilities in Craiova, Romania and St. Petersburg and Tatarstan, Russia.
Asia
To meet rapidly growing demand in the massive Asian automotive markets, Ford has established a significant manufacturing footprint through joint venture partnerships.
In China, Ford operates plants through the Changan Ford joint venture in cities like Chongqing and Hangzhou. The company has wholly-owned facilities in India (Chennai and Sanand plants) as well as a joint venture plant in Thailand through the AutoAlliance Thailand partnership.
South America
The São Bernardo Assembly Plant located in Brazil’s São Paulo state is one of Ford’s longest-running manufacturing operations in South America. It currently produces models like the Ford Ranger pickup and Transit van for Brazilian and other Latin American markets.
As you can see, Ford has truly gone global with an extensive network of international manufacturing plants spanning six continents. This global production footprint allows the company to efficiently build and distribute its products tailored to each market’s needs and preferences.
Tracing a Ford Vehicle’s Origins by VIN
Have you ever wondered exactly where your specific Ford vehicle was assembled? While the general assembly locations of each model are known, the VIN or Vehicle Identification Number can provide the precise source.
Every vehicle has a unique 17-character VIN that contains coded information about the automobile. By decoding your Ford’s VIN, you can pinpoint the specific assembly plant and even the production date and sequence number.
The first three digits indicate the manufacturer and vehicle type, while the next six represent the vehicle descriptor section. It’s this section that reveals nuggets like the manufacturing plant, body style, engine type, and more.
Websites like FordVinDecoder.com provide free tools to decode your vehicle’s VIN and get the full lowdown on its origin and specification details. Ford also publishes handy VIN guides to help owners trace their vehicle’s roots.
So the next time you’re under the hood of your Mustang, F-150, or Explorer, take a look at the VIN plate. You might be surprised to find your vehicle hails from an assembly line across the globe!
The Future of Ford Manufacturing
In the automotive world, change is the only constant. As Ford charges full speed ahead into an electrified, connected, and autonomous future, its manufacturing operations will continue to evolve.
One of the biggest developments is Ford’s massive $11.4 billion investment into two new “gigafactory” campuses dedicated to electric vehicle and battery production. The massive BlueOval City site under construction in Tennessee will produce next-generation electric trucks and battery packs on a scale rivaling the size of Ford’s famous River Rouge complex of yesteryear.
Another $3.5 billion is going into building out BlueOval Battery Park in Kentucky, a joint venture with SK Innovation to produce advanced lithium-ion batteries for Ford and Lincoln EVs.
Ford is also investing over $3.5 billion and creating over 6,200 new unionized jobs in the Midwest to produce an all-new rear-wheel-drive EV for Ford and a new interior assembly operation in Ohio.
Closer to home at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan headquarters, the iconic Michigan Central Station that sat abandoned for decades is being transformed into the centerpiece of a new mobility innovation district. This $740 million project will create a urban campus focused on developing autonomous and electric vehicles.
As Ford ramps up electric vehicle production, the company is also taking steps to prepare its existing plants and workforce for this seismic shift. The Oakville Assembly plant in Canada underwent major renovations to build new electric crossovers on the company’s dedicated EV architectures.
The venerable Rouge assembly plant that gave birth to the Model T is being prepped to produce electric pickup trucks and could eventually be converted to an all-EV facility. Billions are being invested into building out in-house battery production capabilities in the U.S.
With tougher emissions standards and consumer demand for cleaner vehicles, electrification is quickly becoming the new normal. So while Ford honors its century-old roots in manufacturing prowess, it’s also boldly forging ahead in restructuring its global operations for an electric, connected future.
Are Ford’s U.S. Plants Unionized?
For decades, a strong relationship has existed between Ford and the United Auto Workers labor union that represents hourly manufacturing employees at most of the company’s U.S. facilities.
The current four-year UAW contract inked in 2019 covers over 55,000 Ford hourly workers in the U.S. Key provisions secured billions in plant investments, pathways for temporary workers to become full-time, and a signing bonus.
However, that deal is set to expire in September 2023. UAW leaders have already set the stage for what could be a contentious round of negotiations, authorizing the union to strike against Detroit automakers if “big economic gains” aren’t achieved.
Any protracted strike could severely disrupt Ford’s manufacturing operations and product pipeline. Both sides will need to work together at the bargaining table to avoid that scenario and find common ground that provides job security while keeping Ford competitive.
Whether unionized or not, providing stable manufacturing jobs is vital for Ford’s long-term success and its commitment to investing in America’s industrial workforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ford’s best-selling vehicle?
The Ford F-Series lineup of full-size pickup trucks, especially the immensely popular F-150, is by far the best-selling vehicle not just for Ford but in the entire U.S. auto industry. In 2022 alone, over 1.1 million new F-Series trucks rolled off the lines at plants like Dearborn Truck, Kansas City, and Kentucky Truck.
High-volume production of Ford’s cash cow trucks is crucial for funding investments in emerging technologies and securing manufacturing jobs. The aluminum-bodied F-150 is the crown jewel, built exclusively at the Dearborn and Kansas City plants.
Where are Ford Mustangs built?
For over 50 years, the iconic Ford Mustang has been assembled at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant located in Flat Rock, Michigan, just miles from the automaker’s world headquarters in Dearborn.
At Flat Rock, Ford has poured over $1 billion into upgrades, sustainable manufacturing, and preparing for the latest Mustang’s launch. This includes the next-generation S650 Mustang and its first-ever all-electric performance variant expected later this decade.
Does Ford own any plants outside North America?
Yes, in addition to its U.S., Mexican and Canadian operations, Ford has a broad global manufacturing presence. The automaker owns and operates assembly plants in countries across Europe, Asia, and South America.
Some key plants include Cologne and Saarlouis in Germany, Valencia in Spain, Chennai and Sanand in India, Chongqing and Hangzhou in China, as well as facilities in Russia, Romania, Thailand, Vietnam, and Brazil.
Many of Ford’s international plants are joint venture partnerships with local automakers rather than wholly owned subsidiaries. This global footprint allows Ford to efficiently build vehicles tailored for worldwide markets.
