For the first time in its 50-year history as a North America-only vehicle, the Ford Mustang has officially gone global.
Its first international shipment was en route to China as of Tuesday, Jan. 20, Associated Press reported.
Mustangs are also scheduled to make their way into Europe by midyear, but customers there were able to obtain car prices and place orders on Tuesday.
Both the convertible and hardtop models will be exported.
The 2015 Mustang was designed for customers in more than 100 markets with configurations for both left- and right-hand-drive vehicles. About 25 of these markets – including Australia, Britain and South Africa – require right-hand drive versions. Mustangs also had to be engineered to withstand various conditions common in foreign countries, such as rough roads in China and blowing sand in the Middle East.
“Preparing these vehicles for shipment to their final destination is critical to satisfying both customer and regulatory requirements for our markets around the world,” Gerald Schoenle, director of Ford Trading Company, said in a news release. “We want our customers globally to know that their Ford vehicles will meet emissions, safety and road-worthiness requirements.”
Ford’s expansion has also resulted in the addition of 100 jobs at the Port of Portland to help with global distribution, USA Today reported.
“Serving as a gateway for exports of new Ford vehicles to China and Korea has helped boost employment and bolster our local economy,” Bill Wyatt, executive director for the Port of Portland, said in a statement. “Auto exports and imports support more than 500 jobs at our marine terminals, and they have been an important part of our diverse cargo portfolio since 1953.”
Portland is among eight ports in five states – California, Florida, Maryland, Oregon and New Jersey – with Ford Trading Co. vehicle centers.
In 2013, the automaker said it shipped out more than 380,000 vehicles from the United States, and experts predict that number will hit 400,000 for 2014.
Ford began exporting Lincoln vehicles to China late last year, where both the MKC make and Ford Explorer SUV are sold. Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra said China is expected to have 25 dealers by the end of the year, according to USA Today.
“Henry Ford exported the sixth Model A assembled in 1903 and we continue this legacy today,” Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas, said in a statement. “The success of our One Ford plan presents opportunities for growth in global markets. Exporting Ford and Lincoln vehicles to Asia Pacific and beyond is an important part of Ford’s global growth story. Mustang is just one more example of the international demand for Ford cars and trucks.”
(With reports from Associated Press and USA Today)
