Ford Ends Auto Production in the U.K.

Ford Motor Co. wound up work at the body shop of its van plant in Southampton, England, this week and will shutter the rest of the factory by the end of next week.

The facility is Ford's last assembly plant in the U.K. The company also will end work at a stamping operation in Dagenham, England, at the same time. Both closings were announced last October.

The Southampton factory has made the Transit commercial van since 1965. But in 2012 it built only 28,000 Transits compared with 185,000 at another Ford facility in Kocaeli, Turkey.

None of the 1,280 employees at the two U.K. plants will be fired, according to the company. Ford says it is redeploying 575 workers to its other operations most to a new powertrain tool facility in Dagenham or the 12 million (€14 million) distribution center it is building in Southampton. The remaining employees are taking early retirement or have been hired by other companies.

Ford also promises that the U.K. will continue to serve as a center for its powertrain engineering.