Production of the new Ford Focus ST Begins in Germany

Most powerful Focus road car to date to go on sale this year

SAARLOUIS, October 4, 2005 – Production of the new Ford Focus ST began today at Ford's assembly plant in Saarlouis , Germany . The new model is due to go on sale later this year and will be offered in all European countries.

Ford plans to manufacture more than 3,600 new Focus ST vehicles through this year. The Focus ST will share the same assembly line as the regular Ford Focus and the Focus C-MAX, both produced in Saarlouis.

The plant has made several modifications to enable ST production. An additional area was installed in the body shop with welding and laser equipment to add A-pillar crash-reinforcement and heat shield fixing. The paint shop installed a new 'electric orange' colour system. New hoists and extraction systems for the ST operations have been fitted to the customer service area of the plant. In addition, the conveyor, connecting the plant with the adjacent supplier park, was adjusted to allow the transport of the new Recaro sport seats and the double tube exhaust system of the new Focus ST .

Ford has invested more than 750 million Euros over the last four years in the Saarlouis plant. The facility was the lead plant for launching the Focus C-MAX in 2003, the second generation Ford Focus in 2004 and now the new Focus ST .

The Saarlouis plant is one of Ford's most efficient in Europe , operating at close to 100 per cent capacity. Producing vehicles on three shifts at a rate of 1,810 units a day, there were more than 370,000 vehicles made in Saarlouis last year. The plant employs approximately 6,800 people.

Saarlouis, together with assembly plants in Valencia , Spain , and St. Petersburg , Russia , are the three Ford facilities in Europe that produce the Focus, Ford's most successful model in Europe . More than 3.3 million Ford Focus models have been sold across Europe since the car's launch in 1998.

Fast and practical, the Ford Focus ST offers a no-compromise package for the performance car driver, while offering a welcome dash of refinement for everyday driving, too. Powered by a turbocharged 2.5 litre 5-cylinder Duratec ST engine with 225 PS, the new Focus ST is the most powerful Focus roadcar Ford has ever launched.

With the introduction of the Fiesta ST in 2004, Ford TeamRS began to redefine Ford's performance models. The exciting new Focus ST is a significant evolution of Ford's ST brand, delivering an addictive personality combined with high performance.