Ford's CEO Talks to French Press about European Prospects

10/02/96

Reuters reported that Alex Trotman, chief executive officer for Ford Motor Company said earlier this week that he expects the European car market to grow 3% in 1997. Projections for the rest of 1996 put this year's sales somewhere between 13 and 14 million cars. Trotman, said in an interview with Reuters that he also the North American Market to rise to 15.4 million vehicles, and that the Latin American market should grow at a much faster rate than either North America or Europe.

Trotman said, "I see the European market somewhere up there in the high 13-14 (millions). It looks quite good to us, the industry is really doing quite well, with a little bouncing up and down in Britain and a little nervousness in France now that the (government) incentive program is stopped.

"We're still looking for a pretty good industry this year, we're ready to keep rolling," he told Reuters in an interview."

Trotman visited Paris for a European car show and the unveiling of Ford's new Ka--the company's smallest car. Workers in Valencia, Spain are building the Ka, and initial volume goals have been set at 200,000 per year.

Referring to the new car, Trotman said, "the reaction to it has been so strong that we think that 200,000 will not do it. There is a very urgent study under way right now with component, engines, transmission and assembly to see how high we can get it." He continued, "I don't know whether we can get 240,000 or 250,000 in the first year but that would be the general magnitude, I suspect . . . It's a new business for Ford, it's the smallest kind of car that we've had in our history in Europe."

In a separate report, Reuters said Trotman announced Ford's plans to produce the Ka minicar in Brazil, also, but gave no details about the volume of South American Ka production.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel