WINDSOR, Ont., Nov. 21, 2002 - For the first time ever, engines made at Ford of Canada's Essex Engine Plant are being exported to Australia. The Canadian-made TritonÔ V-8 is powering models in the new unique-to-Australia Ford Falcon range of sedans.
Since it opened in 1981, Essex Engine Plant has produced V-6 engines for Ford Windstar, Mustang, F-150 and Econoline. A recently launched state-of-the-art assembly line has added V-8 production too - a 3-valve version of Ford's award winning 5.4-litre TritonÔ .
Initial V-8 production is earmarked for Australia where the engine is standard on the Ford Fairmont Ghia, and optional on other models in the Falcon range. By 2003, production will increase significantly as the new engine will be fitted to the next generation Ford F-150 pickup.
Exports have been a mainstay of Essex Engine Plant's output for two decades with engines and crankshafts being produced for 10 Ford facilities in North and South America. The new 3-valve 5.4-litre TritonÔ V-8 engines are shipped primarily by sea for the 30-day voyage to Ford's Broadmeadows Assembly Plant in Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia.
Located in Windsor, Ont., Ford's Essex Engine Plant (EEP) opened in 1981. It produces the 3.8-litre V-6 engine for the Ford Windstar and Mustang, as well as the 4.2-litre V-6 engine for the Ford F-150 pickup and the Econoline Van and Clubwagon. In 2001 EEP began producing V-8 crankshafts for the TritonÔ 5.4-litre V-8 and 6.8L V-10 engines. During the summer of 2002, limited production of Ford's new TritonÔ 5.4-litre 3-valve V-8 was launched for use in the Ford Falcon range of sedans in Australia.
Essex Engine Plant Facts
Employment: 1,800 men and women.
Size: 260 acres and the plant itself totals 2.2 million ft².
Production: In 2001, EEP produced 479,000 engines. On average, the plant produces 2,650 engines per day and over 8 million units since it opened in 1981.
Recognition: ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 for environmental efficiency. EEP was the first engine plant certified Q1 in 1998. It won the prestigious Shingo Award for Excellence in Manufacturing in 2001.
Customers: Ford plants in the U.S. (Dearborn, Norfolk, Lorain, Kansas City, Romeo), Canada (Oakville, Windsor), Mexico (Cuautitlan), Venezuela, Brazil and, now, Australia.
Ford of Canada's operations include a national headquarters, six regional offices, six vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, two parts distribution centres, and affiliates including Ford Credit, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Hertz. Ford is also a joint-venture partner in two Canadian-based plants that produce aluminum engine castings. In all, these operations employ more than 16,000 people. In addition, over 21,000 Canadians are employed in the 515 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships located in all provinces and two territories. Last year, revenues for Canadian operations were $21.6 billion, making Ford of Canada one of the country's largest privately-held companies. Since 1990, Ford has invested nearly $9 billion in its Canadian operations. For more information, please visit
www.ford.ca.
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