Friday, March 4, 2005

Ford to end production of its Sable line

By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News

Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

Ford Motor Co. will end production of its Mercury Sable sedan in April, the automaker confirms, and the current-model Lincoln Aviator in summer, according to a United Auto Workers union official.

The products are being phased out to accommodate the pending introductions of more advanced vehicles.

How these moves will affect employment levels is unclear. Sable is assembled at the same Atlanta plant where the Ford Taurus is built; Aviator is assembled alongside the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs in St. Louis.

"No determination (about employment) has been made," said company spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari. "It's a bit far out. We work with our employees to make sure the best decision is made for them and the company."

In December, Ford reduced St. Louis to a one-shift operation, a move which eliminated about 600 jobs. Ford took the action to align its manufacturing capacity with market demand, a key element of the revitalization plan it launched in 2002.

Explorer and Mountaineer are also assembled in Louisville, along with the Ford Sport Trac, another SUV that features a short pickup-style cargo bed. Rocky Comito, president of UAW Local 862, said the current-model Aviator's production run will end in June.

Since its introduction in 2002, Lincoln sold more than 55,000 Aviators.

Though their sales have sagged in recent months, Explorer and Mountaineer have secure futures. They are expected to benefit from significant styling and engineering upgrades when Ford launches production of the 2006 models later this year.

Ford also hinted at its plans for Sport Trac with the January unveiling of a concept vehicle during the Detroit auto show

Meanwhile, Ford has already announced that the Aviator nameplate will return, but unlike the 2005 model, it won't share its underpinnings with Explorer and Mountaineer. The next Aviator, expected in model-year 2007, will feature unibody construction for a more car-like ride.

Explorer and Mountaineer are, and will continue to be, based on a platform with more rugged, truck-like attributes.

Sable's departure marks a 20-year run that saw Mercury sell 1.9 million units of the car that's based on the same platform as Ford Taurus. As Ford rolls out its new line of midsize sedans in the latter half of this year, Taurus is being relegated to fleet status and sold primarily to rental car companies.

Taurus is expected to vanish from Ford's lineup before 2008.

Launching this year are the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr midsize sedans. All are based on the same architecture to help Ford leverage economies of scale.

"The new products give us a very strong sedan lineup," said Lincoln Mercury spokeswoman Sara Tatchio. "It's just a time of transition."

The end of Sable production could also signal a new beginning for Ford's Atlanta plant. But the automaker has not indicated what it will do with the site.

"We're waiting for an announcement," said Danny Sparks, an official with UAW Local 882, which represents Atlanta's 2,000 hourly employees. "We haven't got anything concrete."

Ford has said it will equip 75 percent of its plants with flexible manufacturing technology by 2011.

The automaker was discussing investment scenarios with the State of Georgia. Speculation suggests Atlanta could be retooled to build the new Aviator, but Ford is mum

"We have nothing to announce at this time," said spokeswoman Francine Romine.

You can reach Eric Mayne at 313-222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.