Farley Says Ford Almost Pulled Out Of Australia

Over the past few years, Ford has pulled out of a few markets in various ways as it works to revamp its global business operations. That includes Brazil, where it ceased manufacturing operations a few years ago – though it continues to sell vehicles in the South American country – as well as India, where it’s also in the process of closing down its manufacturing plants and/or selling them, all while revamping its lineup there, though some recent rumors indicate that it could be mulling a return to that country. Now, it seems as if The Blue Oval almost pulled out of yet another country at some undetermined point in time – Australia – as CEO Jim Farley revealed during the recent 2024 Wolfe Conference.

“So it’s funny, we don’t really talk about Ford anymore overseas, but we should because our Pro business is very profitable in Europe now,” Farley said. “We have a very small footprint in China. So, we’re totally unique among the other OEMs. Not a lot of risk, not a lot of reward, but we have a very profitable Ranger business. People wouldn’t realize this. The second highest volume vehicle at Ford is Ranger. Ranger globally outsells Super Duty. We are now number two in pickups outside of the U.S. and pickups are growing big time. We sell 5,000 Raptors in China for $150,000 each, and we’re the best-selling vehicle in Australia. We almost pulled out of Australia. The Ranger is number one in South Africa, huge pickup market. We’re number one in pickups in Europe. The Ranger is growing and super profitable in South America. It is our only vehicle in South America.”

This revelation is interesting for a number of reasons, as some have questioned whether or not Ford would remain in Australia over the past few years, as the automaker cut 320 salaried and 45 hourly employees from its Melbourne-based operations at the You Yangs proving ground last June, leaving many wondering if Australia had a future as a Ford design hub. However, the head of internal combustion engine vehicle programs for Ford Australia, Trevor Worthington, later revealed that the country remains an important part of the company’s strategy.

Though it recently discontinued the Puma in Australia, Ford will sell the all-electric Puma Gen-E there, and it’s facing high demand for the newly-imported Ford F-150, too. In fact, the automaker will reportedly continue to offer right-hand drive vehicles moving forward, which bodes well for Australia – one of the few places on earth where folks drive on the left-hand side of the road.

We’ll have more on Ford’s operations from around the world soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.