Ford Motor Company Flat Rock Assembly Plant – Flat Rock, Michigan, USA

The Ford Motor Company Flat Rock assembly plant, formerly known as the Michigan Casting Center (MCC), Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA, and AutoAlliance International, is located in Flat Rock, Michigan in the United States. It urrently produces the Ford Mustang and the Lincoln Continental.

The Ford Flat Rock Assembly plant was once the hub for the Ford-Mazda joint venture where several Mazda vehicles likes the Mazda MX-6, Mazda 626 and Mazda6 were assembled between 1998 and 2012. Today, the plant assembles Ford vehicles built on the Ford CD4 and the Ford S550 platforms.

Ford claims that as of 2023, the Flat Rock plant will also build battery electric vehicles. This page contains information about the Ford Flat Rock Assembly plant.

Quick Facts

Value	Metric
Year opened	1972
Facility size	2,900,000 square feet (270,000 m2)
Land occupied	400 acres
Location	1 International Dr, Flat Rock, MI 48134, United States
Hourly employees	2,300
Salaried employees	120
Total employees	2,420

Products

Vehicles	Production Years
Ford Mustang	2005 - present
Ford Fusion	2013-2016
Ford Probe	1989-1997
Lincoln Continental	2017-present
Mazda MX-6	1988-1997
Mazda 626	1990-2002
Mazda6	2003-2012
Mercury Cougar	1999-2002

Historical Timeline

1972: The Michigan Casting Center, heavily financed by Ford, first opened in 1972. At the time, it was one of the most technologically advanced casting facilities in the world.
1979: Worker Robert Williams is killed by an industrial robot arm in January. He is the first known human to be killed by a robot.
1981: Frequent union labor problems, work injuries and declining demand for the V8 engine lead to the facility’s closure.
1985: The Mazda Motor Corporation started construction of a new building at MCC’s site. Production for Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA, under the Ford administration, began in September 1987 with the Mazda MX-6 and Ford Probe sport coupes. As of 1991, the plant counted a total of 3,600 employees, with 250 of them being Japanese.
1992: Ford repurchases a 50% share in the plant which officially becomes a joint-venture. The plant is renamed AutoAlliance International.
1993: AutoAlliance begins production of the American market Mazda 626.
1998: Mercury Cougar sports coupe production begins.
2002: Mercury Cougar sports coupe production ends.
2003: Mazda6 production begins.
2005: Ford Mustang production begins.
2012: The last Mazda 6 rolls off of the Flat Rock assembly plant. Mazda discontinues production of its vehicles on American soil, ending the 20-year joint-venture with Ford. Mazda moves production of most of its vehicles to the Hofu assembly plant, in Japan and opens a new factory in Salamanca, Mexico for the Mazda2 and Mazda3 subcompact and compact cars. Ford Motor Company takes full management of the plant, renaming it the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant. While doing so, it confirms a $555 million investments to retool the plant for the Ford Fusion.
2015: Ford announces that the Lincoln Continental will be assembled at the Flat Rock plant.
2019: Ford declares that production of battery-electric vehicles will start at Flat Rock in 2023.