Ford to close Saarlouis plant after 55 years in Germany
Ford ends 55 years at Saarlouis: final Focus in November 2025
Ford to close Saarlouis plant after 55 years in Germany
Ford will shut its Saarlouis, Germany plant after 55 years in Nov 2025, ending a 15.6m-vehicle legacy. 2,700 jobs affected; EV platform shifts to Valencia.
2025-10-22T15:00:05+03:00
2025-10-22T15:00:05+03:00
2025-10-22T15:00:05+03:00
Germany is watching a long chapter draw to a close: Ford is shutting its Saarlouis plant after 55 years of continuous production. The final car, a Focus, will leave the line on November 21, 2025, while operations officially end on November 30.Since start-up in January 1970, the site has built more than 15.6 million vehicles, including the Escort, Capri, Fiesta, Focus, Kuga and C-Max. The Escort and Focus proved especially successful, shaping the everyday driving experience of several generations across Europe.Works council chairman Markus Thal described the occasion as an emotional, historic moment for employees and for the state of Saarland. On the shop floor, pride in what’s been achieved sits alongside a sense of loss—a feeling that often surfaces when a factory with this kind of pedigree falls silent.The plant currently employs around 2,700 people. Of those, 1,000 will remain to produce components and spare parts for Ford’s European operations.The decision to close Saarlouis and move electric-platform production to Valencia was made in 2022. Attempts to find an investor to keep the site running did not succeed. Employees have been offered compensation, retraining programs and social safeguards.Part of the grounds will be taken over by pharmaceutical company Vetter, which plans to build a new facility with 2,000 jobs and invest hundreds of millions of euros. It won’t erase the Ford legacy, but it does set the stage for a new industrial chapter in Saarland.
Ford, Saarlouis plant, Germany, factory closure, 55 years, Focus final car, November 2025, 15.6 million vehicles, 2,700 jobs, EV platform, Valencia, Saarland, Vetter investment
2025
Michael Powers
news
Ford ends 55 years at Saarlouis: final Focus in November 2025
Ford will shut its Saarlouis, Germany plant after 55 years in Nov 2025, ending a 15.6m-vehicle legacy. 2,700 jobs affected; EV platform shifts to Valencia.
Michael Powers, Editor
Germany is watching a long chapter draw to a close: Ford is shutting its Saarlouis plant after 55 years of continuous production. The final car, a Focus, will leave the line on November 21, 2025, while operations officially end on November 30.
Since start-up in January 1970, the site has built more than 15.6 million vehicles, including the Escort, Capri, Fiesta, Focus, Kuga and C-Max. The Escort and Focus proved especially successful, shaping the everyday driving experience of several generations across Europe.
Works council chairman Markus Thal described the occasion as an emotional, historic moment for employees and for the state of Saarland. On the shop floor, pride in what’s been achieved sits alongside a sense of loss—a feeling that often surfaces when a factory with this kind of pedigree falls silent.
The plant currently employs around 2,700 people. Of those, 1,000 will remain to produce components and spare parts for Ford’s European operations.
The decision to close Saarlouis and move electric-platform production to Valencia was made in 2022. Attempts to find an investor to keep the site running did not succeed. Employees have been offered compensation, retraining programs and social safeguards.
Part of the grounds will be taken over by pharmaceutical company Vetter, which plans to build a new facility with 2,000 jobs and invest hundreds of millions of euros. It won’t erase the Ford legacy, but it does set the stage for a new industrial chapter in Saarland.
