CHICAGO | Ford Motor Co. unveiled a shiny new, Chicago-built toy Monday it hopes can attract the attention of car buyers around the world.
Company officials showed off the 2011 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle to more than 200 people in Millennium Park.
Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant in Hegewisch will serve as the production hub of the new SUV, and the Chicago Heights stamping plant will provide all stampings for the vehicle. About 1,200 jobs are expected to be added at the assembly plant by the start of vehicle production in the fourth quarter and stamping plant employment will increase after the launch.
"There is no more appropriate place to launch the Explorer than here in Chicago," said Jim Farley, who next week will become Ford's group vice president of global marketing, sales and service.
Smiles were aplenty at the event, largely populated by dealership owners, their employees and current and retired Ford employees from around the country. One of the largest cheers came after a driver ripped through a paper "special delivery" sign and roared on stage in a white Explorer.
Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. also said the company's ties to the city run deep. He said the first Ford vehicle was sold in 1903 in the city to a dentist and that his great-grandfather, Henry Ford, was inspired to develop the assembly line after a visit to a Chicago meatpacking facility.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said jobs are the No. 1 issue in the country right now, and he commended Ford and the United Auto Workers for making the investment in the city possible. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn touted the incentive package that was put together to attract Ford to produce the Explorer in Chicago instead of other cities in the U.S. and Canada.
"This is great news not only for Chicago, but for America," Daley said. "Now think about it: new jobs being created, overtime being created in manufacturing right here in Chicago and Illinois."
Ford launched the Explorer in 1990 and since has sold more than 6 million of the vehicles.
The new Explorer is lighter and will be built on the same platform as the Taurus. The new SUV will be more fuel efficient than older models.
Also, the new Explorer will have features such as inflatable rear-passenger seat belts and an advanced terrain management system, which the automaker says makes it easier for drivers to handle a vehicle in various weather or road conditions.
Dealers anticipate the new Explorer could hit sales lots sometime after November.
Bill Fairchild, owner of Art Hill Inc. in Merrillville, said the improved gas mileage and the stabilization of gas prices create a good sales environment for the Explorer.
"We're going to keep our SUV people now because the price of the vehicle and the price of gas are the two most important things we're seeing when people are shopping," said Fairchild, whose dealership sells Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda vehicles.
Ford will make an Explorer pricing announcement at a later date.
