Ford To Make Transit Turneo Connect At Romanian Unit

US' automaker Ford will manufacture at its factory in Craiova both the passenger carrying and van models of Transit Connect, the company's marketing, sales, and service president Ingvar Sviggum told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

Sviggum did not provide any details on the passenger-carrying version of Transit Connect, namely Turneo Connect, which will be exclusively manufactured in Craiova, saying the project is under survey.
 
"The factory in Craiova will also manufacture vehicles for other European markets, and could target markets outside Europe. I could only say this would be a European-designed vehicle," he added.
 
Ford said it would manufacture three models at its factory in Craiova by now, namely Transit Connect and Turneo Connect versions, an auto and another average-size light commercial vehicle.
 
Ford bought in 2007 a 72.4% stake in Automobile Craiova for EUR57 million. Romanian investment fund SIF Oltenia (SIF5.RO) also holds a 22.06% stake in the plant.
 
The deal has been delayed by a probe of the European Commission, which ordered the Romanian government to recover an illegal EUR27 million state aid from Automobile Craiova.

Mediafax