P.M. BRIEFING : Ford Bolsters W. German Plant

Ford Motor Co. said today that it will switch 225 million pounds ($369 million) of investment planned for British plants to West Germany, partly because of unreliable supplies from the British factories.

A statement by the U.S. car giant’s British subsidiary said it had taken the decision to move the investment from factories in South Wales to Ford’s Cologne plant after evaluating its manufacturing plans in Europe.

But it added: “Our revised powertrain requirements would have resulted in too great a percentage of engines being sourced from Britain, particularly in the light of the unreliability of supply we have experienced in our British plants in recent years.”

A Ford spokesman, asked to amplify, cited a series of strikes earlier this year at British plants that cut supplies of parts to other British and European factories and cost 800 million pounds ($1.3 billion) in lost production.

Ford said its plants at Bridgend and Swansea, where the investment was originally destined, will remain key areas in its European manufacturing.