Ford to Make Pickup Truck for Mazda, Starting in 1993

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The longstanding relationship between Ford Motor Co. and Mazda Motors Corp. deepened with the announcement Wednesday that the U.S. auto maker will make a small pickup for the Japanese company.

Ford Chairman Harold Poling said his company would build the new truck at its Edison, N.J., factory in 1993. The new truck for Mazda will be based on the Ford Ranger pickup now made at Edison.

Poling said the two companies had not decided how many trucks will be supplied to Mazda once production begins in 1993. Ford will be responsible for development and engineering, and Mazda will contribute styling and technical work for the new truck.

Mazda now imports to the United States its B-series of small pickup trucks from Japan. Getting trucks from Ford would help it avoid a 25% federal tariff on imported pickups.

Ford, which owns 25% of Mazda, and the Japanese auto maker have two other manufacturing agreements in effect.

Ford has been making the Mazda Navajo sport-utility vehicle at its factory in Louisville, Ky., for a year, and Mazda has assembled the Ford Probe at its plant in Flat Rock, Mich., since 1988.

The first deal between Ford and Mazda came in 1971 and lasted for about 10 years. Mazda made the Ford Courier small pickup truck based on the Mazda Proceed assembled in Japan and exported to the United States.

The Ford-Mazda pickup deal was announced as Ford, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. pursue a complaint that Mazda and other Japanese auto makers sell minivans at prices below cost to increase their U.S. market share.