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Roush to Develop a Full-Line of American High-Performance Vehicles

3 October 2000

Roush to Develop a Full-Line of American High-Performance Vehicles

    LIVONIA, Mich., Oct. 2 Jack Roush's commitment to
performance on the race track and his enthusiasm for performance cars and
airplanes is well known.  Now he has taken his enthusiasm and commitment a
step further by issuing a novel challenge to the employees of Roush
Industries, the company he chairs:  "Design and engineer a true high-
performance, reliable and exciting Mustang, 'A True Muscle Car' and I will see
that America will get it."
    As a result of this challenge, Roush Industries' Design and Engineering
team is hard at work.  The feasibility of the project, which internally is
called a "Roush Stage III Mustang," has been greatly aided by recent
initiatives of Ford Motor Company and SEMA.  SEMA's "Partner in Technology"
initiative with Ford Motor Company created a Technology Transfer Program which
allowed Roush engineers to access engineering technology critical to
development of high-performance, but emissions-certified, engines.
    When his team of engineers creates a car that satisfies Jack, Roush
Industries will develop a full-line of Ford high-performance production
vehicles.  Roush Performance, the marketing unit of Roush Industries is
charged with the responsibility for marketing the vehicle.  Roush Performance
will add the Stage III vehicle to an impressive array of other products,
including an established line of Staged vehicles that include performance and
styling features such as suspension, wheels, tires, exhaust, aerodynamics and
interior.  The new Stage III vehicles will go a step further by providing
engine enhancements developed by the same core of engineers who produce Roush
Racing's 700-plus horsepower Winston Cup motors.
    Jack Roush is committed to providing the project with the largest
financial commitment in Roush Industries' 30-year history.  The Stage III
vehicle will be introduced at the annual SEMA convention on October 31 in Las
Vegas.  Though the Mustang will be the first Stage III vehicle developed from
start to finish by the Roush Performance team, horsepower upgrades for the
Focus, F-150 and Expedition are planned and anticipated to be introduced later
in the model year.
    The new Roush Stage III vehicles will touch on all of the major areas of
the car -- styling and aerodynamics, brakes, exhaust system, power train,
suspension, wheels and tires, seating and ergonomics, and interior.
Completing this project has required Roush to expand its level of resources to
respond to the challenge.  To adequately service this project Roush Industries
is dedicating over 250,000 sq. ft. for vehicle assembly between its Orange
County, Calif., Dallas, Texas, Mooresville, N.C., Denver, Colo., and Livonia,
Mich., facilities.  It also marks Roush Industries' first opportunity to focus
and combine its engineering, prototyping, tooling, testing, manufacturing and
assembly capabilities on an internal project.
    "I have challenged my engineers to create a car that delivers affordable
performance and quality at a level never delivered outside the OEMs," said
Jack Roush.  "Our goal is to become America's premier manufacturer of
performance vehicles.  I'm confident we have the engineering talent, racing
heritage and the means of production that will get us to our goal."