Prior to the 1994 peso devaluation, Ford Motor Company considered placing an assembly line in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. They believed because most of the company’s auto parts are manufactured in Ciudad Juarez and an engine factory exists in Chihuahua City, a border assembly plant is only logical. Therefore, the plan is still under development according to Ford.
This would not be Ford’s first assembly plant in Mexico. Ford already has assembly plants in Hermosillo and Cuatitlan. Ford’s parts plants employ 11,000 people in Ciudad Juárez.
Speaking for Ford, Gary Brendtke said, “[Ford] wanted to do the same thing here on the border [as in Hermosillo and Cuatitlan], produce small cars like Escort, Contour or Mystic, the kind of cars people can purchase on the border. Ford wanted to operate and sell in Mexico. But the peso fell apart and left us with no option. We’re just waiting for the peso to stabilize.”
Sources: The El Paso Times, The Complete Twin Plant Guide