Ford’s history at Almussafes begins in April 1977, when Industry Minister López de Letona stated that the car company would set up a factory near Valencia, although the final location was not revealed in that initial announcement. Now, with the realization of new electric models, such as the next-generation Focus that will arrive in 2025, the multinational’s facilities in Spain are opening a new chapter in its history.
It is the vice president of Ford’s European division, Robert S. Holmes, who will officially announce in June that the Almussafes plant will be installed. The government then approved the creation of the company Ford España, SA, with a share capital of 14,000 million pesetas, all foreign.
For the official birth of Ford Spain, with a seed capital of 120 million pesetas, we have to wait until October. The deed is held before the notary of Sueca and the address of the entity is 23 Calle Castillo, Almussafes.
In the first phase, this industrial establishment created 8,000 direct jobs and approximately 14,000 indirect jobs. The investment is 350 million dollars, 20,000 million pesetas and annual turnover of 50,000 million pesetas is expected.
Henry Ford II, Edsel Ford’s eldest son, laid the foundation stone of the factory on March 26, 1974, although the brand already had factories in Cádiz and Barcelona in the 1930s. the Model A and later the Model Y or 8 hp. Henry Ford II knew Spain through Hemingway and was even allowed to participate in a capea.
But the history of Ford in Spain takes one of its most important steps on October 18, 1976, when the first Ford Fiesta rolled off the Spanish factory.
Ford took over the production of one of its iconic models, the Fiesta, at its plant in Valencia. A symbol of modernity and prosperity for the city of Almussafes which spread to the rest of Spain with the marketing of one of its most popular vehicles. “Born by family tradition” was the slogan with which it was marketed. Its success and that of the plant were linked over time.
The evocative name suited the kind of audience it was aimed at: young and with a zest for life. That’s why not a few people in their twenties and thirties chose it for its modern look, something sporty and its price that is not exaggerated compared to other models. The Fiesta remained in production at this Spanish factory until 2012.
Since 1995, the Almussafes factory has had facilities in a polygon adjacent to the original factory, in the Juan Carlos I Industrial Park, where there are approximately 70 suppliers who supply Ford with their parts.
The next successful model would come out of this factory in the 1980s and up to 1998. It was the Ford Escort and its four-door variant, the Orion. They would be followed by the urban Ford Ka from 1992 to 2008, the Escort replacement, the Ford Focus, from 1998 to 2011, the first-generation commercial Ford Transit Connect in 2002, and the popular Ford Kuga, from 2008 and Ford C Max, from 2010 to present, and Ford Mondeo.
The best years for Ford Almussafes in terms of production levels were 2006 and 2007, with over 400,000 vehicles. Currently, the Valencian factory has two production lines: System A -for the Mondeo, Galaxy and S-Max- and System B -Kuga.
Ford currently employs 9,000 people, but the impact continues. A study conducted by the European University of Valencia provides 125,000 jobs, between direct, indirect and induced, generated by Ford’s industrial activity in Spain.
In Almussafes (Valencia), the site of the Ford factory, three out of five neighbors drive one. The influence of the factory is responsible for the fact that in the province of Valencia, the third largest mobile fleet in Spain, the models are the most common among the inhabitants. In addition to the capital of Valencia, Fords are also in the majority in the cities of Cádiz and Cuenca, among others.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
