Ford and Mazda to Separate on Vehicle Development

Ford has developed vehicles in conjunction with Mazda for years, beginning with an automatic transmission venture in 1969, but the two companies will now begin developing vehicles separately.

“For a lot of designing and engineering we’re going to be focused on Ford,” Mark Fields, Ford’s president for the Americas, told Bloomberg. “Our efforts will be focused on the Ford system, as opposed to relying on others such as Mazda.”

Currently, Ford has three models based on Mazda vehicles. The Ford Fiesta, which debuted in North American trim at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is based on the Mazda2, which was also at the L.A. show. Mazda’s Mazda6 underpins the award-winning Ford Fusion family, and the European Ford Focus shares its chassis with the Mazda3. Even though the two companies are going their separate ways on major development, Ford said it will still share some components with Mazda.

The news of Ford’s decision to further separate its development from Mazda’s comes after the automaker decreased its share in the Japanese company from 33.4 percent to 11 percent. Ford remains Mazda’s largest shareholder and meets regularly with Mazda’s top executives.

Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi did not rule out the possibility of the two companies working together on development again in the future. “Right now, it seems both companies are going their separate ways, but in the future of both coming together again. We’re sure there will come a time when we need each other’s technology,” Yamanouchi told Bloomberg.

Source: Bloomberg