In May 2014, Ford began producing two vans at an all-new Ford-Otosan joint-venture facility in Turkey. But how did Ford come to manufacture vehicles in the country in the first place? The story actually goes back nearly a century.
Known as Ford Otosan, the equally-owned joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding was founded in 1959, therefore being over 50 years old. However, the two firms have had a partnership, in one form or another, for nearly nine decades.
Notably, the new 70,000-square meter plant that builds the Ford Transit Courier, Ford’s smallest commercial vehicle, and the Ford Tourneo Courier, an entry level people-mover, is the third Ford Otosan production facility, which include Gölcük, İnönü, and Kartal. Today, the production joint venture exports Ford vehicles to 106 markets globally, building the Cargo heavy truck, the Transit and Transit Custom medium commercial vehicles, and the Tourneo Custom people-mover, besides the Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier.
So, outside of India, China, and Russia, Turkey is the fourth country where The Blue Oval doesn’t run wholly-owned production operations.
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