Ford is celebrating 60 years of the engine plant in Cologne, but the future is driving without an engine!
60 years ago, Ford employees assembled the first cylinder block in the Cologne engine plant. To date, more than 28 million engines have rolled off the assembly line in series.
Cologne – On this June 1st 60 years ago Ford employee assembled the first cylinder block in the Cologne engine plant. To date, more than 28 million engines have rolled off the assembly line in series. But the future of the approximately 700 engine workers is uncertain. In Cologne, all signs are up electric cars. They don’t have cylinder engines.
Ford still celebrated on Tuesday. At 11.11 a.m. floss the sparkling wine.
In the 60 years of the factory, employees screwed on millions of blocks for the Ford Capri, Fiesta, Mustang and even a James Bond car!
“The first engine to roll off the assembly line was a 1.2 liter V4 engine with 40 hp. It was used to drive the Ford Taunus 12M manufactured in Cologne,” Ford also recalled the historic moment.
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A Cologne classic at its peak was the 4-cylinder in-line engine, the so-called OHC.
It ran a total of 6.5 million times from 1969 to 1993.
It forms the combustion chamber of millions of Ford Taunus, Capri, Ford Granada, Sierra or Ford Scorpio.
Incidentally, the people from Cologne even built engine blocks for the Ford Mustang: “From 2005 to 2010, the 4.0 liter V6 with 210 hp for the fifth generation of the Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line in Niehl.”
The most powerful Cologne engine of all time was built as a commission for Aston Martin.
It had 725 hp and was manufactured from 2016 to 2021. The mighty 12-cylinder with a displacement of 5.2 liters was installed in the Aston Martin DBS.
On the other hand, the 3-cylinder in-line engine EcoBoost has been significantly smaller and more important for the people of Cologne since 2011.
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The economy engine, which is also installed in the Ford Fiesta, is in great demand and has won many prizes.
But the future of the Cologne engine works is not certain. In the long term, the US car brand will invest over 2 billion dollars in electric car production.
The Stromer like the Ford Mustang GT no longer need injection nozzles, cylinders and camshafts.
“From 2023, the first fully electric volume model from Ford in Europe will be produced in Cologne, from 2024 another electric model will follow,” the group has now confirmed again.
In the future, the Cologne-based group will offer all employees further training and retraining.
“Every employee who is willing to learn and develop further will have the opportunity to get involved in the future and to actively help shape the Cologne electrification center,” says Oliver Färber, head of the engine plant.