FORD CELEBRATES PRODUCTION START OF
ALL-NEW 2019 RANGER MIDSIZE PICKUP AND A NEW ERA FOR A STORIED AMERICAN
FACTORY
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Ford today invited more than 3,000
employees from its newly transformed Michigan Assembly Plant to experience
the best of the all-new Ranger on an on-site, off-road course
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Ford has invested $850 million in Michigan
Assembly to retool the plant to build the all-new Ford Ranger and future
Ford Bronco
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2019 Ford Ranger is part of an onslaught
of new vehicles coming between 2018 and 2020, when the company aims to
replace 75 percent of its U.S. portfolio
Video of Michigan Assembly Plant Activities
WAYNE, Mich., Oct. 22, 2018 – When many of
Michigan Assembly Plant’s 3,000 workers gather today at the plant, they
will be celebrating a rebirth in more ways than one.
The festivities mark a renaissance for a plant just outside of Detroit
that has experienced the highs and lows of the American auto industry for
the past six decades. The occasion also signals the rebirth of Ford
Ranger, the mid-size pickup that will return to American roads early next
year after an eight-year hiatus, fully modernized for today’s truck buyer.
The special celebration to mark the kickoff of Ranger production will
include leaders from Ford and the United Auto Workers. Plant employees,
media and others will have a chance to ride in the Ranger on a
custom-built, off-road course in the parking lot of the plant.
“Ford truck fans demanded a midsize pickup that’s ‘Built Ford Tough,’ and
we’re delivering with our all-new Ranger that’s specially designed and
engineered for American truck customers,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s
president of global operations. “At the same time, we’re revitalizing our
Michigan Assembly Plant and securing good-paying jobs for our hourly
employees here in the U.S.”
Ford has invested $850 million to build exciting new vehicles at Michigan
Assembly Plant, including the all-new Ranger for North America and the
highly anticipated new Ford Bronco, scheduled to begin production in 2020.
For Michigan Assembly, a sprawling 369-acre plant in Wayne, Mich., which
opened in 1957 building station wagons, the start of Ranger production
marks a new era.
Beginning in 1966, the plant began a 30-year run of building Bronco, one
of the original sport utility vehicles that gained popularity in post-War
America. Michigan Assembly gained acclaim as being among the most
important and profitable factories in the world when it made Ford
Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from 1996 to 2008.
Early this year, Michigan Assembly ended production of the Focus small car
to make way for a massive retooling in preparation for the Ranger launch.
The factory is set to build two high-profile vehicles again in the Ranger
and all-new Bronco as American appetite for pickups and SUVs continues to
grow.
“The revitalization of the Michigan Assembly Plant and renewed production
of the Ford Ranger is another exciting chapter in our state’s comeback
story,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said. “This is also an opportunity to
look toward its promising future with production of the all-new Ford
Bronco on the horizon. I thank our partners at Ford for investing in
Michigan and contributing to the Motor City’s legacy as the automotive
capital of the world.”
Ford is transforming its product lineup, building on truck, SUV and
commercial vehicle strengths. Ranger is the first in an onslaught of
all-new vehicles that will see Ford aim to replace more than 75 percent of
its current North American portfolio by 2020.
“UAW-Ford members take pride in relaunching the all-new Ranger right here
in Michigan,” said UAW-Ford Vice President Rory Gamble. “Our UAW brothers
and sisters take great care in the quality and craftsmanship customers
will discover when they experience the relaunch of this iconic nameplate.”
Ranger is designed for today’s midsize truck buyer who blends city living
with off-the-grid adventure. The midsize pickup will deliver utility,
capability and technology those customers want and need.
Powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine and class-exclusive 10-speed
automatic transmission, Ranger will deliver driver-assist technologies and
connectivity features as well as best-in-class payload, gas towing and gas
torque.
“We have been waiting for this day for a long time,” said Michigan
Assembly Plant Manager Erik Williams. “The Ranger is back home in the
U.S., and our employees at Michigan Assembly Plant are thrilled to be able
to build it for our customers.”
Ranger offers such innovative technologies as standard Pre-Collision
Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, available Blind Spot Information
System with class-exclusive trailer coverage, and available SYNC® 3 with
Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ compatibility.
An available FX4 Off-Road Package includes Terrain Management SystemTM,
which provides multiple selectable drive modes and all-new Trail ControlTM
to help get through the toughest challenges.
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