Native name 福特六和汽車股份有限公司 Industry Automotive Founded 1972 | Type Joint venture Website www.ford.com.tw | |
Headquarters Chungli District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan Owner Ford Motor Company (70%)
Liou Ho Spinning (30%) Parent organizations Ford Motor Company, Ford Motor Company of Canada, FLH Holding Inc | ||
Ford Lio Ho Motor (Chinese: 福特六和汽車) is a Taiwanese-based automaker and the primary dealer of Ford vehicles in Taiwan formed in 1972. It is 70 per cent owned by Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Company. The remaining 30 per cent is owned by investors in the former Lio Ho Automotive Industrial Corporation, which previously assembled Toyota vehicles.
It began operations in 1973, assembling Ford models like the Cortina, Escort, and Granada. In the 1980s, it began assembly of Mazda-based models, such as the Laser (Mazda 323), Telstar (Mazda 626) and Festiva (Mazda 121).
The Taiwan-built Laser hatchback was exported to Canada in the late 1980s, badged as the Mercury Tracer.
Former Ford models unique to Taiwan include the Ford Tierra, based on the Mazda 323 sedan, but with different styling from the similar Ford Laser, the Ford Activa, a rebadged Mazda 323 sedan and hatchback, and the Ford Mondeo Metrostar, based on the European Mondeo sedan.
Taiwan-market Ford and Mazda vehicles include locally assembled Ford Mondeo, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Ford Escape, Mazda 3, Mazda 5, and Mazda Tribute. Also, all 2007 model year Asia/Pacific (except South Korean-market) Ford Escapes, Explorers and Expeditions are assembled by Ford Liou Ho. The Taiwan-assembled Mondeo is also exported to China and Saudi Arabia. After the ban on diesel-engined passenger cars was lifted in Taiwan in 2004, Ford Liou Ho became the first local manufacturer to build a diesel car. This was a diesel Focus, introduced in August 2007.
Before Ford divested Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008, and significantly reduced share-holding of Mazda in 2010, the Taiwanese units of these brands were organized under Ford Liou Ho.
Ford Lio Ho Design Technology Center
Ford Lio Ho Design Technology Center or Ford Design & Research Center was built and established by the end of 2002 in Taipei. The Design Technology Center was in charge of products sold mainly within the Asian Pacific markets including Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, China, and Russia. Noticeable products include the 2005 Ford Equator Concept which later spawned the Asian Pacific Ford Escape (ZC), Ford Tierra, Ford Ixion, Ford Mondeo M2000 facelift, Ford Mondeo Metrostar, Ford Escape ZC extensive facelift and Ford i-Max. With the Ford i-Max being one of the latest products designed by Lio Ho, the Design Technology Center was shut down due to the one Ford strategy.