Ford Motor Company of New Zealand
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| Limited company, subsidiary of Ford Motor Company | |
| Industry |
Automotive Automotive industry in New Zealand |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Headquarters | The Ford Building, East Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand |
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Key people
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| Products | Automobiles |
| Parent | Ford Motor Company |
| Website | Ford New Zealand |
Ford New Zealand. Ford Motor Company of New Zealand Limited is the New Zealand subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its distribution and assembly operations began in 1936 when it took them from the local franchisee. Since the closure of its final assembly plant in Wiri, Auckland in 1997, all of its product offerings are fully imported, from Australia (Falcon and Territory, until end of 2016), Asia, Europe and as of late 2015 from the USA (Mustang).
In 1936, the Ford Motor Company of Canada took over distribution and vehicle assembly from New Zealand owned Colonial Motor Company establishing a new plant at Seaview near Wellington while CMC retained vehicle dealerships. The fresh new Ford plant's architecture was the same distinctive pattern as Ford local assembly plants all over the world. On the outbreak of war production shifted solely to military work and, during World War II, Ford New Zealand produced 10,423 vehicles including Bren Gun Carriers as well as 5.7 million hand grenades and 1.2 million mortar rounds. Civilian car production resumed in 1946 which was also the year assembly of the Fordson tractor was introduced in New Zealand. In 1965 a parts depot opened in Auckland leading the transfer of operations from Wellington to Auckland and in 1972 a transmission and chassis manufacturing facility at Wiri, Manukau City. The Auckland assembly plant was also completed in 1972 and began building Falcons the next year. In 1981 an alloy wheel plant was opened at Wiri. By 1987 most operations had been moved from Seaview Wellington to Wiri, Manukau City, Auckland and the Seaview plant was closed in 1988 after 52 years. Ford New Zealand underwent a major restructuring in 1987-88, including relocation of all operations to Wiri.
Products made by Ford New Zealand up from the early 1950s until the 1980s (with exception of the Falcon/Fairmont range, and low volume American product until the 1960s) were predominantly British. Generations of New Zealanders grew up with Anglias (known by many as the "Anglebox"), Escorts, Cortinas, Zephyrs and Zodiacs just as New Zealand's immediately preceding generation grew up with Canadian sourced (for Imperial Preference tariffs) but locally assembled Model Ts, Model As and Ford V8s. All were successful. Falcons from Australia were very popular running a close second to Holden right through from the 1960s to the 1980s.
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