Ford of Europe is currently a shadow of its former glory after the Blue Oval’s Grim Reaper killed so many cars in recent times. In just a few years, we’ve had to say goodbye to the Ka, Mondeo, Fiesta, S-Max, and Galaxy. Additionally, the Focus will bite the bullet later this year, leaving Ford without any regular volume cars in its lineup that aren’t crossovers. Consequently, sales continue to slide, with only 185,404 units delivered in Europe through May, down 1.5% compared to the first five months of 2024.
Sales figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) also show the company’s market share on the continent has shrunk to 3.3%, whereas Toyota holds double that, at 6.6%. But Ford has a plan to bounce back: launch new cars. German business newspaper Automobilwoche reports dealers have been told new metal is on the way.
We’ve reached out to Ford for confirmation but haven’t heard back yet. However, the report claims dealers were predictably happy to hear the promise made in a video conference by Christoph Herr, the newly appointed Managing Director of Ford Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. CEO Jim Farley has allegedly green-lit the development of new models to fill some of the void left by the discontinuation of several nameplates, some of which had been around for decades.
It’s unclear how many new models are on the way or whether they’ll have combustion engines. We reckon Ford is eager to roll out gas-powered cars, given the lackluster sales of its Explorer and Capri. Both Volkswagen-based EVs are assembled at the company’s Cologne plant in Germany, where a labor deal was reached for voluntary layoffs in response to sluggish demand.
As you can imagine, European dealers are eager to sell new models. Automobilwoche quotes one of them as saying, “This is a huge relief. We need new models — and not just electric models.” Another declared, “We love this brand — it is a part of Europe and should remain so.” However, since dealers are only now learning about these cars, it’s unlikely that any of them will be available in the foreseeable future.
The decision only impacts Ford of Europe’s lineup, as there’s no word yet on whether cars will also return in the United States. The Dearborn-based automaker took a similar approach in North America, cutting the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, and Taurus over just a few years. Why were all these cars axed? Farley said last year, Ford wants to get “out of the boring-car business and into the iconic-vehicle business.” He added that while some of those vehicles were popular among buyers, the company wasn’t making any real money on them.
Ford has backed away from going fully electric in Europe by 2030, so the new models are likely to have combustion engines. However, only for a while. The EU still intends to ban sales of new vehicles that generate emissions starting in 2035, effectively outlawing gasoline and diesel engines. A review of the controversial ban is planned for 2026, but as recently as this past May, the EU said it’s not changing its mind.
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