Nippon Ford Jidōsha

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Nippon Ford Jidōsha
legal form Kabushiki Kaisha (Public Company)
founding 1925
resolution 1941
Seat Yokohama , Japan
Branch Automobile manufacturer Commercial vehicle manufacturer

The Nippon Ford Jidōsha KK ( Japanese 日本 フ ォ ー ド 自動 車 株式会社 Nippon Fōdo Jidōsha Kabushiki Kaisha , English Ford Motor Company of Japan Limited ) was an automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Yokohama ( Japan ).

history

The first Ford vehicles were sold by Sales & Frazar in Japan since 1917, but without attempting to build up a dealer network. Although the sales department of Ford still regarded Japan as unsuitable for automobiles due to the inadequate infrastructure in 1922, the potential of the Japanese market was recognized during a trip to Asia by Ford export manager Russell I. Roberge.

Ford founded a subsidiary in Yokohama in 1925 . From 1925 to 1935 the Japanese market was dominated by American manufacturers (alongside Ford since 1926/27 GM and since 1930 also Chrysler). In 1930 the combined market share of Ford and General Motors was 95%. In addition to a new law in 1936, according to which existing foreign companies were not allowed to increase their annual production any further, other economic and political factors led Ford (like other American manufacturers) to de facto withdraw from the Japanese market in 1939.

The company's facilities and land were expropriated by the Japanese government in 1941 after the mutual declaration of war. All attempts to resume production after World War II initially failed. Agreements with Nissan or Toyota could not be concluded; A sale of the land also failed.

Since 1974 Ford was again active as an importer in Japan under the name Ford Jidōsha (Nihon) KK ( フ ォ ー ド 自動 車 （日本） 株式会社 , FOJ). In addition, vehicles were sold that were manufactured by Mazda and provided with the Ford logo as part of badge engineering . This approach was a unique selling point for American automobile companies in Japan at least in the mid-1980s. A source lists Ford as the manufacturer, but refers to Mazda's headquarters . In 1999 the name was changed to Ford Japan Limited ( フ ォ ー ド ・ ジ ャ パ ン ・ リ ミ テ ッ ド Fōdo Japan Rimiteddo , FJL).

In January 2016 it was announced that Ford intends to withdraw from the Japanese and Indonesian markets by the end of the year because the manufacturer did not consider these sales regions to be profitable for the foreseeable future.

Ford mainly offered left-hand drive models in Japan . Some of the models sold, such as the Ford Escape , were made in Taiwan by Ford Lio Ho Motor .

literature

  • J. Scott Mathews, "Nippon Ford," in Michigan Historical Review 22, No. 2, 1996, pp. 83-102, online .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Volker Elis: From America to Japan - and back - contemporary historical research. In: Contemporary historical research. 2009, accessed April 5, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Stewart Lone: "Japan and the Age of Speed: Urban Society and the Automobile, 1925-30", in International and Japanese Studies Symposium: The Automobile in Japan , London 2005.
  3. ^ Mark Mason: American Multinationals and Japan: The Political Economy of Japanese Capital Controls, 1899–1980 , Harvard 1992.
  4. ↑ Loss of business: Ford gives up Japan and Indonesia. In: automobilwoche.de. January 25, 2016, accessed November 5, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Facing weak market share, Ford to exit Japan, Indonesia this year. In: reuters.com. January 25, 2016, accessed November 5, 2018 .
  6. ^ Richard Johnson: Autorama stores get Ford blue ovaö: Import push effects Japan sales channel. In: autonews.com. February 21, 1994, accessed November 7, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Bill Hartford: Ford Festiva Able . In: Popular Mechanics . tape 163 , no. 6 , 1986, pp. 10 .
  8. ↑ Eligiusz Mazur: 2005 · 2006. One of the largest car directories in the world. World of Cars. Worldwide catalog. Encyclopedia of today's car industry. ( online ; English)
  9. ^ Ford pulls out of Japan and Indonesia - BBC News. In: BBC News. Retrieved April 28, 2016 (UK English).
  10. ^ Ford Japan Ltd. In: japantoday.com. July 18, 2011, accessed November 6, 2018 .