Ford has drawn the curtain on car manufacturing at its Saarloui
The final vehicle, a Ford Focus, rolled off the production line on 17 November, marking the conclusion of an era that began in 1970.
Since its opening, the Saarlouis plant produced approximately 15.6 million vehicles, starting with the Escort and later hosting a range of models including the Capri, Fiesta, Orion, C-Max and Kuga. In recent years, it became synonymous with the Focus, a model that has competed fiercely with the Volkswagen Golf and served as a cornerstone of Ford’s European portfolio since 1998. The factory also played a role in Ford’s early ventures into electric mobility, assembling the Focus Electric among other battery-powered vehicles.
Despite its reputation for efficiency and quality, Saarlouis lost out in an internal contest for future investment to Ford’s Valencia plant in Spain. Employees had accepted significant concessions, including forfeiting bonuses and embracing flexible working arrangements, but these efforts were not enough to secure new projects beyond the Focus.
The closure has left a deep sense of disappointment locally. No official statement was issued by Ford, but Gabi Kiefer, a communications employee, described the day as “the saddest” of her career on social media. Ulrich Commerçon, a regional politician, lamented that “an era is ending because a global corporation lost sight of the people who made its success possible.”
The timing of the shutdown added to the uncertainty, with the final date initially set for 21 November before being brought forward to the 17th. Meanwhile, Focus sales have been sliding; 51,617 units were sold in Europe during the first nine months of this year, down from 67,820 in the same period last year. The model remains Ford’s third-best seller in the region, behind the Puma and Kuga.
Two final Focus cars will not reach showrooms: one will be displayed in the Saarlouis municipal museum, while the other will be raffled among staff. Of the 2,700 employees currently at the site, around 1,000 will stay on in parts logistics, while 1,700 face redundancy at the end of November. At its peak, the plant employed more than 6,500 people.
Ford’s Cologne factory, which produces electric models such as the Explorer and Capri, is also under pressure amid weakening EV demand, with job cuts expected next year. Although Ford has pledged renewed investment and hinted at fresh models for Europe, its combustion-engine strategy remains unclear. For now, the company’s strongest performance continues to come from its Transit range, built in Turkey.
