One Millionth Fiesta Produced!

-Ford’s Cologne factory manufactured one million current model Ford Fiestas in just 33 months
-Since 1979, more than six million Ford Fiestas have been produced in Cologne
-The Fiesta is Europe’s top-selling small car and Europe’s second best-selling car overall for March and the first quarter 2011

Cologne, Germany, May 6, 2011 – Ford employees today celebrated the production of the one millionth current Fiesta – just 33 months after the first car rolled off the line.

This production milestone coincides with two further anniversaries: 35 years ago this month, the first generation of the Ford Fiesta was introduced to the German market. And 80 years ago, on May 4, 1931, the very first vehicle rolled off the assembly line in Cologne – a Ford Model A.

Since Ford first began production of the Fiesta, more than six million have been produced. Today, Fiestas built in Cologne are exported to 71 countries. Key markets include Great Britain, France, Turkey and Russia, but the Fiesta is also sold to more remote markets including Mozambique, Morocco, Brunei and even Tahiti.

The current Fiesta has been manufactured in Cologne since 2008 and, since 2009, also rolls off the assembly line in Valencia, Spain. Ford also produces the Fiesta in China (Nanjing), Thailand (Rayong) and Mexico (Cuautitlán), where the Fiesta is manufactured for customers in the US and Canada.

Since the current Ford Fiesta went on sale in October 2008, more than 1,350,000 units have been sold globally. In the first quarter of 2011, JATO records show that 102,859 Ford Fiestas were sold in Europe, making it the top-selling small car and second best-selling car overall for
March and the first quarter 2011 in Europe

“We are pleased with the Fiesta’s continued success, not only because it’s our highest volume model in Europe, but also because it’s now being produced and sold around the world to great acclaim,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.

Thanks to its excellent efficiency, the Fiesta-producing plant in Cologne ranks highest of 52 evaluated automotive production sites in Europe. In 2006 the factory was presented with the “Automotive Lean Production Award 2006”, a highly sought-after international commendation.

The plant was also honoured for its leading role in the automotive industry by “Agamus Consult” under the leadership of Otto Wolff von Amerongen, former Honorary President of the German Board of Trade “DIHK”, after comparing the progressive production processes in Cologne with automotive factories throughout Europe.

Ford’s Cologne facility is the production centre for both the Ford Fiesta and the Ford Fusion, with an average output of 1,770 cars per day. The Cologne plant’s annual capacity is 400,000 cars and 17,300 employees from more than 50 countries make this output possible, with 4,200 employees working in each of the three production shifts.

The construction time for a Ford Fiesta model currently stands at only thirteen hours – a five hour reduction compared with a decade ago – thanks to ongoing improvements and investment at the plant. A total of €100 million was invested in the Cologne site in 2010 alone.

(Article and Photo's Courtesy of Media.Ford.Com)