<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly361-copy.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Workers building pre-production 2012 Ford Focus - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
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Ford is crowing that its freshly retooled Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI is now the most flexible final assembly factory in its global network. The Wayne plant used to assemble the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/expedition">Expedition</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/navigator">Lincoln Navigator</a> full-size SUVs but is now building pre-production examples of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/focus">2012 Focus</a>. One of the features touted by Ford for its new global C-segment platform is that it is driving down development cost by building 10 different bodystyles on the architecture using many of the same mechanical components. <br />
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At launch, the Wayne plant will build both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback variants, but those are expected to be joined by a new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/">Lincoln compact</a> and possibly variants like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/15/ford-grand-c-max-coming-to-north-america-in-late-2011/">Grand C-Max</a>. Ford will also be building versions of these vehicles with conventional, hybrid and full battery electric powertrains. Over 80 percent of the equipment in the body shop is programmable and can run different body styles almost with the flip of a switch. Ford says this new flexibility will also allow it to quickly adjust its product mix to shifting market conditions. <br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/">Ford Michigan Assembly Plant</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/#3230338"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly226_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/#3230339"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly361_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/#3230340"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly016_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Retooled Ford Wayne assembly plant to be company's most flexible</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/">Retooled Ford Wayne assembly plant to be company's most flexible</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19578817/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Workers building pre-production 2012 Ford Focus - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Ford is crowing that its freshly retooled Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI is now the most flexible final assembly factory in its global network. The Wayne plant used to assemble the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/expedition">Expedition</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/navigator">Lincoln Navigator</a> full-size SUVs but is now building pre-production examples of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/focus">2012 Focus</a>. One of the features touted by Ford for its new global C-segment platform is that it is driving down development cost by building 10 different bodystyles on the architecture using many of the same mechanical components. <br />
<br />
At launch, the Wayne plant will build both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback variants, but those are expected to be joined by a new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/">Lincoln compact</a> and possibly variants like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/15/ford-grand-c-max-coming-to-north-america-in-late-2011/">Grand C-Max</a>. Ford will also be building versions of these vehicles with conventional, hybrid and full battery electric powertrains. Over 80 percent of the equipment in the body shop is programmable and can run different body styles almost with the flip of a switch. Ford says this new flexibility will also allow it to quickly adjust its product mix to shifting market conditions. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/">Ford Michigan Assembly Plant</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/#3230338"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly226_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/#3230339"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly361_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-michigan-assembly-plant/#3230340"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/wayneassembly016_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Retooled Ford Wayne assembly plant to be company's most flexible</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/">Retooled Ford Wayne assembly plant to be company's most flexible</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19578817/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/retooled-ford-wayne-assembly-plant-to-be-companys-most-flexible/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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