End of the line: Ford shutting down last Focus factory

Farewell, Ford Focus

The year was 2005. Everyone had those Livestrong bracelets, flip phones, and iPods. In the automobile world, compact cars were still very popular. The Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mazda3, Honda Civic, and Nissan Sentra were all popular. And no, it wasn't called Sylphy yet.

For Ford, what they had was the Focus. They offered 4 and 5-door variants here, but not the 3-door; Ford only imported a very small number (we wouldn't be surprised if it was just 1) of the Focus ST around 2006. 

But changing customer preferences and the closing of the cost gap to crossovers signaled the end for the compact car, and the Focus was one of the first to go. A few years ago, Ford Philippines discontinued the Focus to shift to an entirely SUV and pick-up truck lineup (except for the Mustang).

Fast-forward to 2022, Ford has reported that it will be shutting down the production of the Focus line altogether. The final factory that is producing the Focus, the Saarlouis plant in Germany, will stop making the fourth-generation Focus come 2025.

With declining sales due to the shift towards SUVs, the Focus will cease production. That doesn't mean Ford can't revive the model in the future. So far, it’s unclear where Ford will go with their smaller line vehicles. They may rely on Volkswagen’s MED architecture for two new mid-sized SUVs and use those as the platforms for the future Escape line.

With the expectation of going fully electric by 2030, Ford has also started to revamp their factories. The car company mentioned that making EVs doesn’t require as many people so this will lead to most people losing jobs. The German factory also lost out to the one in Spain when it comes to making EVs; as a result, it is possible that the facility may be sold by Ford.

Just like the iPod, the Livestrong baller bands, and flip phones, the Focus has gone by the way of the Dodo. Will there be a resurrection after electrification? Only Ford knows.