Ford of Europe
Facilities -- Current
Table:
Plant

Image

City

Country

Employees

Current/Last Products

Opened

Notes

Aachen Research Center

Aachen

Germany

Bordeaux Transmission Plant

Blanquefort

France

IB5 Transmissions: Fiesta, Fusion, B-MAX, Focus, C-MAX, Mondeo

50/50 joint-venture between Ford and Getrag.

Bridgend Engine

Bridgend

United Kingdom

2,137[8]

The 1,6 I4 EcoBoost and the SI6 (for Volvo, Land Rover) petrol engine

1980

Cologne Body & Assembly

Cologne

Germany

4,375

Fiesta, the 1.0 L I3 EcoBoost

1931

Merkenich Technical/Design Centre

Merkenich, Cologne

Germany

1968

Craiova Assembly

Craiova

Romania

3,600[9]

B-Max, the 1.0 L I3 EcoBoost

2008[nb 1]

Dagenham Engine

Dagenham

United Kingdom

1,835[10]

All Ford Europe diesel engines

1931

Dunton Technical Centre

Dunton Wayletts

United Kingdom

3,000

1967

Halewood Transmission

Halewood, Merseyside

United Kingdom

715[11]

Transmissions

1963

Originally a body and assembly plant (now gone to Jaguar Land Rover), Ford retained ownership of the transmission works, co-owning it with Getrag

Otosan Assembly

Kocaeli

Turkey

7,534

Transit, Transit Custom, Transit Connect

2001[nb 2]

A joint-venture plant producing all Transit variants since closure of Southampton

Lommel Proving Grounds

Lommel

Belgium

Proving grounds

1964

Saarlouis Body & Assembly

Saarlouis

Germany

6,199[12]

Focus, C-Max

1970

Valencia Body & Assembly

Almussafes

Spain

3,485[13]

Kuga, Galaxy, Mondeo, S-Max, Transit

1976

Vsevolozhsk Assembly

Vsevolozhsk

Russia

2,961[14]

Focus, Mondeo

2002

Leveraging the provided table along with the passages listed at the end.

Give the answer to the question: Who owns the plant in the city that was built as a fortress in 1680 ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

Aachen ( /ˈɑːxən/ , German : [ ˈʔaːxn̩ ] ( listen ) ; Kölsch : Oche [ ˈɔːxə ] ) , also known as Bad Aachen ( Aachen Spa ) , in French and English as Aix-la-Chapelle , [ a ] in Italian as Aquisgrana , and in Latin as Aquæ Granni , is a spa and border city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany . Aachen developed from a Roman settlement and spa , subsequently becoming the preferred medieval Imperial residence of Charlemagne , and , from 936 to 1531 , the place where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans . Aachen is the westernmost city in Germany , located near the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands , 61 km ( 38 mi ) west south west of Cologne in a former coal-mining area . One of Germany 's leading institutes of higher education in technology , the RWTH Aachen University , is located in the city . [ b ] Aachen 's industries include science , engineering and information technology . In 2009 , Aachen was ranked eighth among cities in Germany for innovation .
Bordeaux ( French pronunciation : [ bɔʁdo ] ( listen ) ; Gascon Occitan : Bordèu [ buɾˈðɛw ] ) is a port city on the Garonne in the Gironde department in Southwestern France . The municipality ( commune ) of Bordeaux proper has a population of 257,804 ( 2019 ) . Bordeaux is the centre of the Bordeaux Métropole that has a population of 783,081 ( 2017 ) and includes its suburbs and close satellite towns . With 1,195,335 in the metropolitan area , it is the sixth-largest in France , after Paris , Marseille , Lyon , Toulouse , and Lille . It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region , as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department . Its inhabitants are called Bordelais ( for men ) or Bordelaises ( women ) . The term Bordelais may also refer to the city and its surrounding region . Being at the center of a major wine-growing and wine-producing region , Bordeaux remains a prominent powerhouse and exercises significant influence on the world wine industry although no wine production is conducted within the city limits . It is home to the world 's main wine fair , Vinexpo , and the wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year . Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century . The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble of the 18th century . After Paris , Bordeaux has the highest number of preserved historical buildings of any city in France .
Blanquefort ( French ) or Blancafòrt ( Gascon ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France . Blanquefort is an outlying commune of the Bordeaux metropolitan area . The commune consists of historic Blanquefort and Caychac , which is further out from central Bordeaux and was formerly a commune in its own right . Historic Blanquefort includes the ruins of a small medieval fortress and a nineteenth-century park , the Parc de Majolan , complete with a maze-like grotto and small artificial ruins which were in vogue at that time . Blanquefort is well connected to the rest of the agglomeration by the Bordeaux bus services , including services most of the night . It also has a train station with regular services to central Bordeaux . The Bordeaux tram system is projected to connect with Blanquefort in 2013 . Blanquefort , which is located in a famous wine-producing area , has a notable educational institution for viticulture .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
The Ford Bridgend Engine Plant is a manufacturing facility of Ford of Europe , located in Bridgend , Wales .
Bridgend ( English : /brɪˈdʒɛnd/ ; Welsh : Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just Pen-y-bont , meaning the end ( or head ) of the bridge on the Ogmore ) is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales , 20 miles ( 32 km ) west of the capital Cardiff and 20 miles ( 32 km ) east of Swansea . The river crossed by the original bridge , which gave the town its name , is the River Ogmore , but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town . Historically a part of Glamorgan , Bridgend has greatly expanded in size since the early 1980s - the 2001 census recorded a population of 39,429 for the town and the 2011 census reported that the Bridgend Local Authority had a population of 139,200 - up from 128,700 in 2001 . This 8.2% increase was the largest increase in Wales except for Cardiff . The town is undergoing a redevelopment project , with the town centre mainly pedestrianised and ongoing works including Brackla Street Centre redevelopment to Bridgend Shopping Centre , Rhiw Car Park redevelopment , ongoing public realm improvements and the upgrade of the Bridgend Life Centre and demolition of Sunnyside offices to accommodate a large retirement complex .
EcoBoost is a series of turbocharged , direct-injection gasoline engines produced by Ford and originally co-developed by Australian company FPV Engineering and Mazda . The Ecoboost 2L and 2.3L are Ford turbocharged derivatives of the Mazda L engine . EcoBoost engines are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with those of larger-displacement ( cylinder volume ) , naturally aspirated engines , while achieving about 30% better fuel efficiency and 15% fewer greenhouse emissions , according to Ford . The manufacturer sees the EcoBoost technology as less costly and more versatile than further developing or expanding the use of hybrid and diesel engine technologies . EcoBoost engines are broadly available across Ford 's vehicle lineup .
The Volvo Group ( Swedish : Volvokoncernen ; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo , shortened to AB Volvo , stylized as VOLVO ) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing company headquartered in Gothenburg . While its core activity is the production , distribution and sale of trucks , buses and construction equipment , Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems and financial services . In 2016 , it was the world 's second largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks . Automobile manufacturer Volvo Cars , also based in Gothenburg , was part of AB Volvo until 1999 , when it was sold to the Ford Motor Company . Since 2010 it has been owned by the Chinese multinational automotive company Geely Holding Group . Both AB Volvo and Volvo Cars share the Volvo logo and cooperate in running the Volvo Museum in Sweden . The company was first listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1935 , and was on the NASDAQ indices from 1985 to 2007 . Volvo was established in 1915 as a subsidiary of SKF , a ball bearing manufacturer ; however both the Volvo Group and Volvo Cars regard the rollout of the company 's first car series , the Volvo ÖV 4 , on 14 April 1927 , as their beginning . The building remains ( 57°42′50″N 11°55′19″E / 57.71389°N 11.92194°E / 57.71389 ; 11.92194 ) .
Land Rover is a British brand of four-wheel drive cars , that exclusively offers premium and luxury sport utility vehicles . Owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover ( JLR ) , which has been owned by India 's Tata Motors since 2008 , JLR currently build Land Rovers in Brazil , China , India , Slovakia , and the United Kingdom . The Land Rover name was originally used by the Rover Company for a boxy four-wheel drive , off-road model , launched in 1948 - now known as the Land Rover Series , it is today regarded as a British icon . It was granted a Royal Warrant by King George VI in 1951 , and fifty years later , in 2001 , it received a Queen 's Award for Enterprise for outstanding contribution to international trade . Over time , Land Rover grew into its own brand ( and for a while also a company ) , encompassing a consistently growing range of four-wheel drive , off-road capable models . Starting with the much more upmarket 1970 Range Rover , and subsequent introductions of the mid-range Discovery and entry-level Freelander line ( in 1989 and 1997 ) , as well as the 1990 Land Rover Defender refresh , the marque today includes two models of Discovery , four distinct models of Range Rover , and after a three-year hiatus , a second genaration of Defenders have gone into production for the 2020 model year - in short or long wheelbase , as before .
Cologne Body & Assembly is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory in the Niehl district of Cologne , Germany spanning 628,500 square feet ( 14.43 acres ) . The plant , which currently employs approx 4,097 , has manufactured the Fiesta ( 1976-present ) and Ford 's B-class MPV , the Fusion ( 2002-2012 ) .
Cologne ( English : /kəˈloʊn/ kə-LOHN ; German : Köln [ kœln ] ( listen ) ; Kölsch : Kölle [ ˈkœlə ] ( listen ) ) is the largest city of Germany 's most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth-most populous city in Germany . With slightly over a million inhabitants ( 1.08 million ) within its city boundaries , Cologne is the largest city on the Rhine and also the most populous city both of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region , which is Germany 's largest and one of Europe 's major metropolitan areas , and of the Rhineland . Centered on the left bank of the Rhine , Cologne is about 45 kilometres ( 28 mi ) southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia 's capital of Düsseldorf and 25 kilometres ( 16 mi ) northwest of Bonn . It is the largest city in the Central Franconian and Ripuarian dialect areas . The city 's Cologne Cathedral ( Kölner Dom ) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne . There are many institutions of higher education in the city , most notably the University of Cologne ( Universität zu Köln ) , one of Europe 's oldest and largest universities , the Technical University of Cologne ( Technische Hochschule Köln ) , Germany 's largest university of applied sciences , and the German Sport University Cologne ( Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln ) , Germany 's only sport university . Cologne Bonn Airport ( Flughafen Köln/Bonn ) is Germany 's seventh-largest airport and lies in the southeast of the city . The main airport for the Rhine-Ruhr region is Düsseldorf Airport . Cologne was founded and established in Ubii territory in the 1st century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium , the first word of which is the origin of its name . An alternative Latin name of the settlement is Augusta Ubiorum , after the Ubii . Cologne , the French version of the city 's name , has become standard in English as well . Cologne functioned as the capital of the Roman province of Germania Inferior and as the headquarters of the Roman military in the region until occupied by the Franks in 462 .
The Ford Fiesta is a supermini marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations . It has been manufactured in the United Kingdom , Germany , Spain , Australia , Brazil , Argentina , Venezuela , Mexico , China , India , Thailand , and South Africa . In 2008 , the sixth generation Fiesta ( Mark VI ) was introduced worldwide , making it the first Fiesta model to be sold in North America since the Fiesta Mark I was discontinued at the end of 1980 . Ford has sold over 16 million Fiestas since 1976 , making it one of the best selling Ford marques behind the Escort and the F-Series .
Ford Romania is an automobile manufacturing company operated by Ford of Europe , located in Craiova , Romania .
Craiova ( /krəˈjoʊvə/ , also US : /kraɪˈoʊvə , krɑːˈjɔːvɑː , krɑːˈjoʊvɑː/ , Romanian : [ kraˈjova ] ( listen ) ) , Romania 's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County , is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia . It is a longstanding political center , and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians ( north ) and the River Danube ( south ) . Craiova is the chief commercial city west of Bucharest and the most important city of Oltenia . The city prospered as a regional trading centre despite an earthquake in 1790 , a plague in 1795 , and a Turkish assault in 1802 during which it was burned . Eight villages are administered by the city : Făcăi [ ro ] , Mofleni , Popoveni , Șimnicu de Jos , Cernele , Cernelele de Sus , Izvoru Rece and Rovine . The last four were a separate commune called Cernele until 1996 , when they were merged into the city .
Romania ( /roʊˈmeɪniə/ ( listen ) ro-MAY-nee-ə ; Romanian : România [ romɨˈni.a ] ( listen ) ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central , Eastern , and Southeastern Europe . It has borders with the Black Sea to the southeast , Bulgaria to the south , Ukraine to the north , Hungary to the west , Serbia to the southwest , and Moldova to the east . It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate . With a total area of 238,397 square kilometers ( 92,046 square miles ) , Romania is the 8th largest country and also the 6th most populous member state of the European Union , having almost 20 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Bucharest , and other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Iași , Constanța , Craiova , Brașov , and Galați . The River Danube , Europe 's second-longest river , rises in Germany 's Black Forest and flows in a general southeast direction for 2,857 km ( 1,775 mi ) , coursing through ten countries before emptying into Romania 's Danube Delta . The Carpathian Mountains , which cross Romania from the north to the southwest , include Moldoveanu Peak , at an altitude of 2,544 m ( 8,346 ft ) . Modern Romania was formed in 1859 through a personal union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia . The new state , officially named Romania since 1866 , gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877 . Following World War I after declaring its neutrality in 1914 , when Romania fought on the side of the Allied powers starting with 1916 , Bukovina , Bessarabia , Transylvania as well as parts of Banat , Crișana , and Maramureș became part of the sovereign Kingdom of Romania . In June-August 1940 , as a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Second Vienna Award , Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union , and Northern Transylvania to Hungary . In November 1940 , Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and , consequently , in June 1941 entered World War II on the Axis side , fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944 , when it joined the Allies and recovered Northern Transylvania .
The Ford B-Max ( stylized as Ford B-MAX ) code name : B232 , is a mini MPV ( M-segment ) manufactured by Ford Europe since 2012 . Built on the Ford global B platform , it was initially unveiled as a concept car at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show , and was officially launched at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona . Production began in June 2012 , and marketing of the first units started during late July . It was launched in the United Kingdom on 1 September 2012 . The B-Max is based on the Ford Fiesta , and its main rivals were the Fiat 500L , the Citroën C3 Picasso and the Nissan Note .
Ford Dagenham is a major automotive factory located in Dagenham , London , operated by the Ford of Britain subsidiary of Ford Motor Company . The plant opened in 1931 and has produced 10,980,368 cars and more than 39,000,000 engines in its history . It covers around 475 acres and has received over £800 million of capital investment since 2000 . Vehicle assembly ceased at the plant in 2002 , but it continues as a major production site with capacity to assemble 1.4 million engines a year . In 2008 , the plant produced around 1,050,000 engines and was the largest producer of Ford diesel engines globally . It was announced in October 2012 that the stamping plant at Dagenham would close in summer 2013 with the loss of 1,000 jobs . Employment at the plant peaked at around 40,000 workers in 1953 . Following specialisation to engines it employs around 2000 people .
Dagenham ( /ˈdæɡənəm/ ) is a district and suburban town in East London , England . In the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham , it is 11.5 miles ( 18.5 km ) east of Charing Cross . Historically a parish in the county of Essex , it was an agrarian village and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 , when the London County Council began construction of the large Becontree estate . The population of the area significantly increased in the 20th century , with the parish of Dagenham becoming an urban district in 1926 and a municipal borough in 1938 . It has formed part of Greater London since 1965 and is a predominantly residential area , with some areas of declining industrial activity , including the Ford Dagenham plant . The southern part of Dagenham , adjacent to the River Thames , forms part of the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area . The total population of Dagenham , including the Becontree estate , was 106,247 as of 2011 .
The Dunton Campus ( informally Ford Dunton or Dunton ) is a major automotive research and development facility located in Dunton Wayletts , Laindon , Essex , United Kingdom owned and operated by Ford Motor Company . It was the largest automotive technical centre in the United Kingdom and takes its name from the nearby Dunton Wayletts . Ford Dunton houses the main design team of Ford of Europe alongside its Merkenich Technical Centre in Cologne , Germany . With the closure of Ford 's Warley site ( Brentwood , essex ) in September 2019 , the staff from the UK division of Ford Motor Credit Company and Ford 's UK Sales and Marketing departments , have moved to the Dunton site . As of November 2019 , Dunton had around 4000 staff working at the site .
Dunton Wayletts is a hamlet on the western outskirts of Laindon , in the Borough of Basildon , Essex , England . It is located between the Southend Arterial Road ( A127 road ) and the London , Tilbury and Southend Railway . It is usually known as Dunton .
Halewood Body & Assembly is a Jaguar Land Rover production facility in Halewood , Merseyside , England .
Halewood is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside , England . It lies near the city of Liverpool 's southeastern boundary , bordered by the suburbs of Netherley , Hunt 's Cross and Woolton . Historically a part of Lancashire , Halewood originated as a small village that later became absorbed by residential development as a suburb of Liverpool . Between the 1950s and 1970s the area developed as a housing overspill for the city . Halewood 's population during this time increased from just over 6,000 to over 19,000 people . At the 2001 Census , the population of the civil parish was 20,309 , remaining similar at the 2011 Census . The combined population of Halewood 's four local government wards was 29,217 .
Ford Otomotiv Sanayi A.Ş . ( Ford Automotive Industry ) is an automotive manufacturing company based in Turkey that is equally owned by Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding . It was established in its current form in 1977 , with original relations dating back to 1928 . It currently operates five facilities throughout the country , and is headquartered in Gölcük , with a second location in İnönü .
Kocaeli Province ( Turkish : Kocaeli ili , pronounced [ koˈdʒaeli ] ) is a province of Turkey and one of only two to not have the same official name as its capital , İzmit , which is thus also sometimes called Kocaeli . The province is the successor of the Ottoman-era Sanjak of Kocaeli . The largest towns in the province are İzmit and Gebze . The traffic code is 41 . The province is located at the easternmost end of the Marmara Sea around the Gulf of İzmit . Kocaeli is bordered by the province of Istanbul and the Marmara Sea to the west , the Black Sea to the north , the province of Sakarya to the east , the province of Bursa to the south and the province of Yalova to the southwest . The metropolitan area of Istanbul extends to the Kocaeli-Istanbul provincial border . The size and natural conditions of the Bay of İzmit allow for extensive port facilities , including the Gölcük Naval Base . The province is called the industrial capital of Turkey . Kocaeli has an airport named Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station which is used for military and civilian transport . Kocaeli has two universities : Kocaeli University and Gebze Technical University .
Turkey ( Turkish : Türkiye [ ˈtyɾcije ] ) , officially the Republic of Turkey ( Turkish : Türkiye Cumhuriyeti [ ˈtyɾcije dʒumˈhuːɾijeti ] ( listen ) ) , is a transcontinental country located mostly on the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia , with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeastern Europe . East Thrace , the part of Turkey in Europe , is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara , the Bosporus and the Dardanelles ( collectively called the Turkish Straits ) . Istanbul , mostly located on the European side , is the largest city in the country while Ankara is the capital . Turkey is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest , the Black Sea to its north , Georgia to its northeast , Armenia , the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to its east , Iraq and Syria to its southeast , the Mediterranean Sea to its south , and the Aegean Sea to its west . Approximately 70 to 80 percent of the country 's citizens identify as Turkish , while Kurds are the largest minority at anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of the population . At various points in its history , the region has been inhabited by diverse civilisations including the Assyrians , Greeks , Thracians , Phrygians , Urartians , and Armenians . Hellenization started during the era of Alexander the Great and continued into the Byzantine era . The Seljuk Turks began migrating into the area in the 11th century , and their victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 symbolises the start and foundation of Turkey . The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243 , when it disintegrated into small principalities called beyliks . Beginning in the late 13th century , the Ottomans started uniting beyliks and conquering the Balkans . After Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 , Ottoman expansion continued under Selim I . During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent the Ottoman Empire encompassed much of Southeast Europe , West Asia and North Africa and became a world power .
The Ford Transit is a range of light commercial vehicles produced by Ford since 1965 . Sold primarily as a cargo van , the Transit is also built as a passenger van ( marketed as the Ford Tourneo since 1995 ) , minibus , cutaway van chassis , and as a pickup truck . Over 8,000,000 Transit vans have been sold , making it the third best-selling van of all time and have been produced across four basic platform generations ( debuting in 1965 , 1986 , 2000 , and 2013 respectively ) , with various facelift versions of each . The first product of the merged Ford of Europe , the Transit was marketed through Western Europe and Australia ; by the end of the twentieth century , it was marketed nearly globally with the exception of North America until 2013 when it replaced the Ford E-Series in 2015 . The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for forty years , and in some countries the term Transit has passed into common usage as a generic trademark applying to any light commercial van in the Transit 's size bracket . While initially designed for the European market , the Ford Transit is now produced in Asia , North America , and Europe for worldwide buyers . Upon production in North America , the Transit won second place in Motor Trend 's 2015 'Truck of the Year ' award , behind the newly introduced mid-size Chevrolet Colorado pickup and ahead of the new Ford F-150 . As of 2016 , the Transit is the best-selling van of any type in the United States , minivan sales included . The Transit drives Ford 's 57 percent share of the full-size van market in the USA .
The Ford Transit Custom is a mid-sized , front wheel drive van produced by Ford Europe since 2012 . This is the smaller version of the Ford Transit Mk.5 . As with the rest of the Transit lineup , the better-appointed passenger versions are branded Tourneo Custom .
The Ford Transit Connect is a compact panel van developed by Ford Europe . It is built on a dedicated commercial vehicle platform and shares parts with the Ford Focus . The first generation was designed by Peter Horbury and introduced in 2002 to replace the older Ford Escort and Fiesta-based Courier van ranges , which had ceased production in the same year . It has been imported to the North American market since the 2010 model year . In North America , the Transit Connect does not have a direct predecessor ; the closest vehicle to its size was the standard-length Ford Aerostar cargo van , which ceased production in 1997 . The Ford Tourneo Connect , a leisure activity vehicle , is a Transit Connect with side windows and rear seats . All Transit Connects bound for the United States are imported in this configuration to avoid the 25% chicken tax on imported light trucks . In 2013 , US Customs told Ford that they must stop this practice of importing vans disguised as passenger cars .
The Lommel Proving Ground also known as the Ford LPG , is an automotive proving ground , constructed by Ford of Europe on ground rented from the municipality of Lommel , located south of the Belgian hamlet of Kattenbos . Lommel covers an area of 3.22 km ² , and since the development of new models are kept secret , the track closed to the public and heavily guarded . In 1964 , Ford came to an agreement with the Borough of Lommel to rent a large area of forest on which to develop a test track . The location was chosen as it was midway between Ford 's main development centres and production plants in Germany and the United Kingdom , allowing easy integration access . Operational from 1965 , from 1970 the track was further extended , so that by 2008 there were 80 kilometres ( 50 mi ) of varying surfaces . Besides test track there are also environmental chambers , freshwater and saltwater pools .
Lommel is a municipality and a city in the Belgian province of Limburg . The Kempen city has about 34,000 inhabitants and is part of the electoral district and the judicial district Lommel Neerpelt . Besides residential town of Lommel also has a number of nature reserves , such as the nature reserve De Watering , the Lommel Sahara , and numerous forests and heathlands . Lommel is the third shopping city in Belgian Limburg with a commercial and shopping center De Singel . Importantly , the silver sand that is mined here for the benefit of the glass industry . Some sand mining quarries are transformed into nature reserves and recreational areas , including Lommel Sahara . The city of Lommel is the watershed of the basins of the Scheldt , and Meuse , and within these basins Nete Dommel respectively .
Belgium , [ A ] officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a country in Western Europe . It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north , Germany to the east , Luxembourg to the southeast , France to the southwest , and the North Sea to the northwest . It covers an area of 30,689 km2 ( 11,849 sq mi ) and has a population of more than 11.5 million , making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe , with a density of 376 per square kilometre ( 970/sq mi ) . The capital and largest city is Brussels ; other major cities are Antwerp , Ghent , Charleroi and Liège . The sovereign state is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system . Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds . It is divided into three highly autonomous regions : the Flemish Region in the north , Wallonia in the south , and the Brussels-Capital Region . Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region , as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita . Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities : the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community , which constitutes about 60 percent of the population , and the French-speaking Community , which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians . A small German-speaking Community , numbering around one percent , exists in the East Cantons . The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) , although French is the dominant language . Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .
A proving ground ( US ) , training area ( Australia , Ireland , UK ) or training centre ( Canada ) is a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented with or are tested , or where military tactics are tested . While these types of facilities are usually military or government establishments , some civilian industries have their own proving grounds for testing prototypes and new technologies .
The Ford Saarlouis body and assembly plant is a major car plant located on the western edge of Saarlouis in the German Saarland . It belongs to Ford-Werke GmbH , the German subsidiary of the American automaker Ford Motor Company .
Saarlouis ( German pronunciation : [ ˌzaːɐ̯luˈiː ] ; French : Sarrelouis , French pronunciation : ​ [ saʁlwi ] ) is a city in the Saarland , ( Germany ) , capital of the district of Saarlouis . In 2017 , the town had a population of 34,758 . Saarlouis , as the name implies , is located on the River Saar . It was built as a fortress in 1680 and named after Louis XIV of France .
The Ford Focus is a compact car ( C-segment in Europe ) manufactured by the Ford Motor Company and created under Alexander Trotman 's Ford 2000 plan , which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide . The original Focus was primarily designed by Ford of Europe 's German and British teams . The Focus was released in July 1998 in Europe , succeeding the Ford Escort , and replaced the Mazda Familia-derived Ford Laser in Asia and Oceania along with the Laser-based North American Escort . Wayne Stamping & Assembly started producing the Focus for North America with sales beginning in 1999 . The last North American-produced Focus rolled off the line at the Michigan Assembly Plant on May 4 , 2018 . Production of a fourth generation Focus began elsewhere in 2018 .
The Ford C-Max ( stylized as Ford C-MAX and previously called the Ford Focus C-Max ) is a compact multi-purpose vehicle ( MPV ) produced by the Ford Motor Company since 2003 . The Ford Grand C-Max has a longer wheelbase . Ford introduced the C-Max in the United States as its first hybrid-only line of vehicles , which includes the C-Max Hybrid , released in September 2012 , and the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid , launched in October 2012 . Although the C-Max was initially available only in Europe , the first generation was partially available in New Zealand .
The Ford Valencia Body and Assembly is a major car assembly plant located at Almussafes on the southern edge of the Valencia conurbation , Spain . with a production capacity of 450,000 vehicles a year and 8000 employees , it is Ford 's largest manufacturing complex outside the United States .
Almussafes ( Spanish : Almusafes ) is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera Baixa in the Valencian Community , Spain .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
The Ford Kuga is a compact sport utility vehicle ( SUV ) produced by Ford since 2008 . It is based on the C1 platform , that also forms the underpinnings of the Ford Focus and Ford C-Max . Both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive are offered .
The Ford Galaxy is a large multi-purpose vehicle ( MPV ) produced by Ford Europe since June 1995 . The first MPV marketed by Ford outside of North America , three generations of the Galaxy have been produced . Since 2006 , the Galaxy has been developed alongside the Ford S-MAX , sharing its platform architecture with the Ford Mondeo . In contrast to the Ford Aerostar and Chrysler Voyager ( both exported to Europe ) , the Galaxy was configured with forward-hinged rear doors in place of sliding doors ( adopting the layout of the Renault Espace ) .
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993 . The first Ford declared a world car , the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide ( the European Ford Sierra , the Ford Telstar in Asia and Australia , and the Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz of North America ) . The Mondeo nameplate is derived from Latin mundus , meaning world . For its first two generations , the Ford Mondeo was produced using the Ford CDW27 platform , with the third generation shifting to the EUCD platform . The fourth ( current ) generation uses the Ford CD4 platform ( the first car to do so ) .
The Ford S-Max ( stylized as Ford S-MAX ) is an MPV produced by Ford Europe for the European market . Ford also describes the S-Max as an SAV ( sports activity vehicle ) . Introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show , the S-Max went on sale alongside the new generation Galaxy in June 2006 . The S-Max is intended to be sporty as a saloon , and spacious as an MPV . It shows inspiration from the seven-seater large MPV Galaxy , and compact MPV Ford C-Max . The S-Max has received many positive reviews and awards , and was voted European Car of the Year 2007 on 13 November 2006 . Ford had plans to sell the S-Max in Japan under the then subsidiary brand Mazda , but they are no longer viable since the latter 's split .
Vsevolozhsk ( Russian : Все́воложск , IPA : [ ˈfsʲevələʂsk ] ; Finnish : Seuloskoi or Rääpyvä ) is a town and the administrative center of Vsevolozhsky District in Leningrad Oblast , Russia , located on the Karelian Isthmus 24 kilometers ( 15 mi ) east of St. Petersburg . Population : 59,704 ( 2010 Census ) ; 45,310 ( 2002 Census ) ; 31,946 ( 1989 Census ) . The town 's name comes from manufacturer Vsevolozhsky . In 1941-1944 , the vital road connecting besieged Leningrad with the rest of Soviet Union , the Road of Life , passed through the town . Currently , a considerable part of the population of Vsevolozhsk commutes to St. Petersburg for work , which is facilitated by the wide-scale construction of apartment buildings in the town .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .