Ford to Keep Escort Production in U.S.

Ford Motor Co. plans to keep building the Escort subcompacts in the United States, as a weak dollar and improved efficiency have made domestic manufacturing more competitive, according to a report published yesterday.

Chairman Donald Petersen told the Detroit News in an interview that the only question remaining on such production is how many of the new car’s components will come from North America.

The future of the Escort as a U.S.-built vehicle had been in doubt because it is Ford’s least costly model, carries the lowest wholesale profit margin and is coming under increased competition from low-cost Asian imports.