As we reported earlier, Ford announced today that it will cease its Australian manufacturing operations on October 16, 2016, leading to the loss of around 1,200 jobs out of a total of 3,500 people it employs at its production plants at Broadmeadows and Geelong that build the Falcon and the related Territory SUV.
During a press conference held in Melbourne today, Bob Graziano, president and CEO of Ford Australia, said that the company could not continue to build cars in the country after reporting a loss of $141 million after tax in the last financial year, and more than $600 million over the past five years.
Like his counterparts over at Holden, which will likely kill the Commodore in 2016 and put the final nail in the coffin of Australia's long production-run of rear-wheel drive sedans, utes and estates, Graziano also blamed the rising value of the Australian dollar against other currencies.
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