The One Ford policy, Ford’s latest business strategy which sees the same models sold in all parts of the world, “has peaked”, according to the manufacturer’s design chief Moray Callum.
A report from Autocar states that although the plan, which was responsible for the introduction of the Mustang to the UK for the first time in 50 years, isn’t being abandoned, it will be rethought.
One Ford was introduced by Ford’s former boss Alan Mulally, and also oversaw the introduction of the Fiesta to the US and the arrival of the Brazilian-spec EcoSport crossover in Europe.
"The right approach at the time"
Ford also sold off its stakes in manufacturers like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo as part of the One Ford plan, and it’s widely cited as being the strategy that helped Ford survive the recession.
However, Callum said that while the plan was “the right approach at the time”, future Ford models will once again be tailored to be more specific to the regions that they’re sold in.
For example, he said that while the entry-level Focus hatchback sells better in the US but not in Europe, the next Focus will feature less equipment as standard than the European-spec models.
Drawbacks of One Ford
The drawbacks of One Ford came to light earlier this month, when a similar report claimed that the upcoming Focus RS500 could be cancelled due to conflict with Ford’s other cars.
Rumoured to make up to 390bhp, the RS500 has been spotted testing at the Nurburgring, but Ford bosses are reportedly worried that it could scupper sales of cars like the 410bhp Mustang in the US.
The same report claimed that Ford had considered a less powerful version of the car to be manufacturer specifically for Europe, but it raised concerns about diluting the RS brand too much.