Stephen Odell

Ford will build EcoSport in Russia for local market

May 15, 2013 08:57 CET
Ford's Russian joint venture will begin building the EcoSport compact SUV in Russia next year for the local market, at a time when the demand for small SUVs is gaining traction in the country..... Read More »

 

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE

Ford makes fresh start in Europe

May 13, 2013 06:01 CET
Ford will use this month's UEFA Champions League soccer final to launch a new pan-European advertising campaign that focuses on its affordable, user-friendly technologies. It is just one aspect of a multi-faceted marketing overhaul the automaker hopes will help to stem its sales and profitability slump in Europe.... Read More »

 

PRODUCTION

Ford's European sales slide threatens revival plan

March 21, 2013 19:05 CET
Ford's plan to cut jobs and close plants may not be enough to halt losses in Europe where moves to rein in margin-crushing discounts have sparked a further sales plunge. Ford's European slide reflects efforts to end a discount blowout, according to industry insiders.... Read More »

 

Automaker chiefs urge end to European austerity

March 6, 2013 09:49 CET
Automakers joined growing opposition to Europe's austerity measures. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn urged government spending to revive the region's anemic sales, which he forecast won't recover for another three years.... Read More »

 

2013 GENEVA AUTO SHOW

Ford to import EcoSport crossover, key to European margins

March 6, 2013 14:28 CET
Ford will import its EcoSport compact crossover from India for the European market, where the vehicle will compete in a growing, but increasingly crowded segment.... Read More »

 

Carmakers warn of weak European market for years to come

March 5, 2013 12:38 CET
New-car sales in Europe are at the low end of expectations and the market is likely to remain shaky for at least five years as the region implements austerity measures to cut its debts, industry executives warned on Tuesday.... Read More »

 

Ford names Fields COO, putting him in line to become chief executive

Nov. 1, 2012 15:06 CET
Ford named Mark Fields, president of the Americas unit, as COO, putting him in line to succeed Alan Mulally when he retires no sooner than the end of 2014. The appointment was part of a sweeping overhaul of Ford's executive ranks.... Read More »

 

Ford, Renault warn on French state aid to PSA

Oct. 26, 2012 09:27 CET
Ford and Renault have joined Volkswagen's key stakeholder, Lower Saxony, in voicing concern about a French government rescue deal for PSA/Peugeot-Citroen.... Read More »

 

Ford starts production of four new models in Russia with more planned

12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 1, 2012
Ford has begun production in Russia of the Kuga and Explorer SUVs, as well as the S-Max and Galaxy minivans, to sell within the country. According to the automaker, more models are planned as it works to expand sales in a market that Ford of Europe CEO Stephen Odell has said could become the largest in Europe.... Read More »

 

NEWS ANALYSIS

Ford relies on its N. America playbook for Europe

July 30, 2012 06:01 CET
Ford executives seemed remarkably calm last week as they admitted that European losses will widen to more than $1 billion this year, roughly double the amount they had earlier expected. CEO Alan Mulally and his team believe the One Ford plan that rescued the company's North American fortunes can work the same magic in Europe, which accounts for a quarter of Ford's global sales.... Read More »

 

Ford could join rivals in closing European factory

July 20, 2012 11:25 CET
Ford, with overseas losses reducing total profit, is under pressure to close at least one factory in Europe, where it may have more excess capacity than rival General Motors. Both GM and PSA have announced plans to shutter plants in the region, which could ease the way for Ford.... Read More »

 

Ford could join rivals in closing European factory

5:25 am U.S. ET | July 20, 2012
Ford, with overseas losses reducing total profit, is under pressure to close at least one factory in Europe, where it may have more excess capacity than rival GM. Both GM and PSA have announced plans to shutter plants in the region, which could ease the way for Ford.... Read More »

 

'We want to be No. 1,' Ford's new Europe quality boss says

July 3, 2012 09:50 CET
Ford of Europe's new head of quality, Gunnar Herrmann, said he wants the company to become the industry leader in that field. Ford has promoted Herrmann, 52, to vice president of quality for its European operations, effective September 1.... Read More »

 

COMMENTARY

Ford of Europe CEO says region is fundamental to company's global plans

June 25, 2012 12:00 CET
I read with interest Luca Ciferri's commentary suggesting that Ford and GM should consider pulling out of the European marketplace. Rather than retrenchment, our plan is to profitably grow in Europe in the coming years as a fundamental part of our global One Ford strategy.... Read More »

 

COMMENTARY

Should General Motors and Ford pull out of Europe?

June 25, 2012 06:01 CET
Do General Motors and Ford Motor still need to compete in Europe? Do they really need to keep building and selling cars in a market that has shifted from being low growth/low margin to no growth/no margin? Why continue losing money in Europe when China is forecast to become a 30 million unit-a-year market by 2020 and U.S. new-car sales are poised to return to 16 million a year much sooner than expected?... Read More »

 

NEWS ANALYSIS

GM, Ford must stop the bleeding in Europe

12:01 am U.S. ET | June 25, 2012
Do General Motors and Ford still need to compete in Europe -- building and selling cars in a market that has shifted from low growth/low margin to no growth/no margin? It's not such a crazy question, given that GM effectively would have pulled out of Europe if it had sold Opel/Vauxhall to Magna International in 2009.... Read More »