Ford Motor Co. won’t restart production of its Freestar minivan at its Oakville assembly plant, according to spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari. The automaker put production on hiatus in early November to allow for a smoother production launch of the new Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers. Ford was expected to resume production of the Freestar this month, and continue through April. However, Ford changed its mind and has decided to focus solely on the Edge and MKX.

“We looked at the demand for Edge and MKX, and it’s so strong that we’ve decided that this is the thing to do — concentrate fully on the all-new models there,” Gattari said.

“The demand for the Edge and the MKX is such that if we restart Freestar, we’ll have to compromise some Edge and MKX volume, and that’s not good,” said Ford sales analyst George Pipas. “The future of Ford Motor Co. is not with the Freestar.”

Ford has decided to abandon the traditional minivan segment, but will replacement its minivans in February 2008, when it launches the production version of the Ford Fairlane concept.

## Source: Automotive News ##

Posted in: Ford, Manufacturing, Minivans/MPVs, Car Buying
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