When did Ford stop making cars in the UK?
Background and context
Timeline of changes to UK car production
The following milestones summarize the trajectory of Ford’s UK car-making activity, highlighting when passenger-car assembly effectively ended and what the company prioritized afterward.
- Mid-2010s: Ford began winding down passenger-car assembly at UK plants as part of a broader strategic realignment toward exports, vans, and engines.
- Circa 2013–2014: The UK ceased coordinating new passenger-car production from its conventional assembly facilities; additional models were redirected to other European plants.
- 2020: Ford announced the closure of the Bridgend Engine Plant in Wales as part of its long-term restructuring, reducing UK engine manufacturing capacity.
- As of 2024: Ford’s UK manufacturing focuses on commercial vehicles (notably the Transit) and engines, with no ongoing passenger-car production in Britain.
These milestones show a gradual reorientation rather than a single, abrupt shutdown: Ford shifted away from building cars in the UK over several years, and the company has since concentrated its UK output on vans and powertrains.
Current status and implications
Impact on workers and communities
Summary
In short, Ford stopped producing passenger cars in the UK in the mid-2010s, shifting the company’s UK production away from cars toward vans and engines. The Bridgend engine plant closure in 2020 marked a further consolidation of UK manufacturing capacity. As of 2024, the UK operation remains active in commercial vehicle production and propulsion technology, but no longer builds Ford’s traditional passenger cars on British soil.
