Ford's CEO Sees More Cooperation with Mazda, and Profits Ahead

10/02/96

Reuters reported that Alex Trotman, chief executive officer for Ford Motor Company said that he expected Mazda Motor Corporation to return to profit this fiscal year. He also said that Mazda's profit should grow over the next few years, as the two companies increase their cooperation. Ford owns a 33.4 percent share of Mazda.

"I think that we are about to break even in Mazda and from what we see we can gradually improve over the next years," Said Trotman.

He added, "It's a very tough market in Japan. It's not an easy environment for them but I think they are past the worst now. . . With our new relationship we will cooperate much more than in the past, very likely we will share more hardware and more engineering in the future."

Trotman said that Mazda was already assembling some Ford-brand vehicles, and that the two automakers are building a plant in Thailand to produce pick-up trucks under both Ford and Mazda brands.

"I think you will see more programs like that," Trotman predicted, "a single joint-venture factory that makes both Mazda and Ford. . . I suspect we will see quite a few of those in the next 10 or 20 years."

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel