TOKYO, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/Asianet -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) highlighted its commitment to the Japanese automotive market at the Tokyo Motor Show today by unveiling an all-new right-hand-drive Taurus and announcing plans to further expand its dealer network in Japan.
"We asked the product development team to stretch the boundaries of design and engineering, and to give us a car that was as dramatically different as the 1986 Taurus," said Alex Trotman, Ford chairman and chief executive officer. "They did all that and more. Taurus sets new standards in design, ride and handling, safety and customer-pleasing features."
Joining Trotman at the new Taurus unveiling, Konen Suzuki, president of Ford of Japan, noted that Ford has outpaced all other importers by opening 53 new sales outlets in Japan in the past 18 months, including 30 recruited from Nissan, Mazda and Toyota dealers.
Trotman cited the new right-hand-drive Taurus sedan and wagon, which made their world debut at the showexamples of the products Ford will use to increase sales in Japan. Taurus joins a line-up of right-hand- drive cars for sale in Japan that includes the Ford Probe GT, Ford Mondeo, Ford Laser and Ford Festiva.
"This is the world premiere for these right-hand-drive cars, which are just the beginning of a whole series of new vehicles that we'll introduce to this market," he said. "Next up is the new right-hand- drive Explorer, which also is on display here for the first time ever. It will go on sale in the 1997 model year."
Trotman praised the Ford of Japan organization for its success in expanding sales and its leadership in recruiting new and strong dealers. He added that Ford would only be able to meet its Japanese market growth objectives if Japan's manufacturers concur in having their dealers sell other manufacturers' models.
"Ford has made a serious effort and has done well, but opening this market is still extremely difficult and is still meeting resistance from various bureaucracies," he said.
Other Ford display models at the Show inn Town Car, Lincoln Continental, Mondeo, Telstar, Festiva, Laser, Freda, and the GT90 and Ka concept cars.
In addition to producing more high-quality products at a lower cost, a major goal of Ford's recent worldwide reorganization is growth outside of its traditional market strongholds in North America and Europe, Trotman said.
"A key element of our new global approach is to be very focused about growth in new and emerging markets, as well as in mature markets where our share is below our global average," he ejority of these markets are in the Asia-Pacific region, that's where most of our focus will be."
The right-hand-drive Taurus is the first American car sold in Japan designed from the start in right- and left-hand-drive versions. It joins a number of other initiatives Ford has undertaken to implement its global growth strategy.
Since mid-1994, Ford has been particularly active in Asia. It has launched a manufacturing presence in China through four joint venture components operations; agreed to acquire 20 percent equity in Jiangling Motors, a major Chinese truck manufacturer, to develop a new line of vehicles in China using Ford and Jiangling technology; filed, along with Mazda, for approval from the government of Thailand to proceed with a joint truck manufacturing project in that country; filed, along with Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, for approval from the government of India to establish a joint venture company to manufacture and distribute Ford vehicles in India; obtained a license from the government of Vietnam to proceed, along with Song Cong Diesel; with manufacture of Ford vehicles in that country; and broken ground in Chungwon, Korea for a new electronics plant as part of a joint venture with Mando Machinery Corporation called Halla Electronics.
"With our new global reorganization, and new ways of doing business in emerging markets, customers here in Japan and customers around the world will see more new Ford products in more segments coming to them in shorter cycles with higher quality and more value than ever before," Trotman said.
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CONTACT: Kim Pryor (U.S.), 313-390-2356, or Ken Brown (Japan), 043-296-9137/8, both of Ford