A Michigan assembly plant that Ford once operated with Mazda could serve as the new home to all of the Blue Oval's mid and full-size sedans, according to a new report.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Ford is "expected" to transfer production of its full-size Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans to the former Auto Alliance plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, in "a couple of years," a move that could breathe new life into a plant that was once rumored for closure.?
The plant located south of Detroit was operated as a joint-venture between Ford and Mazda until earlier this year when the Japanese automaker nullified its end of the partnership and transferred?Mazda6 production to Japan. Flat Rock still builds the Ford Mustang and it will build the Ford Fusion sedan early next year to supplement existing production in Mexico.
Currently, Ford builds the Taurus and MKS in Chicago, but Flat Rock and a separate Ford plant in Ontario are also equipped to assemble the company's full-size vehicles. The Taurus and MKS share their basic architecture with Ford's larger crossover vehicles, including the Ford Explorer, Flex and Lincoln MKT, but those models are expected to remain in Chicago and Ontario.?
It's unclear if Ford will transfer production of the Mustang to another facility. Increased competition has eaten into Mustang's volume, which means that the heritage-laced model could not sustain a plant on its own.?
To build the Fusion, Ford eventually plans on hiring about 1,400 new workers. The addition of the Taurus would likely necessitate hiring even more assembly line workers, but no figures have been announced.?