Ford Lio Ho Motor () is a Taiwanese-based automaker and the primary dealer of Ford vehicles in Taiwan, formed in 1972. It is 70 percent owned by

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...

. The remaining 30 per cent is owned by investors in the former Lio Ho Automotive Industrial Corporation, which previously assembled

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

vehicles.

History

The company began operations in 1973, assembling Ford models including the Cortina, Escort, and

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

. In 1974 assembly of the Philippine-made Ford Fiera AUV began, although sales were slow as it was more expensive than its more comfortable Japanese competitors. In the 1980s, it began assembly of

Mazda is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima (town), Fuchū, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima, Japan. The company was founded on January 30, 1920, as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. ...

-based models, such as the

Laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

( Mazda 323),

Telstar Telstar refers to a series of communications satellites. The first two, Telstar 1 and Telstar 2, were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 launched atop of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962, successfully relayed the first televisi ...

(

Mazda 626 __NOTOC__ Year 626 (Roman numerals, DCXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 626 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent ...

) and Festiva ( Mazda 121). Ford Laser Nobel 1

The Taiwan-built Laser hatchback was exported to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in the late 1980s, badged as the Mercury Tracer. Former Ford models unique to

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

include the "Ford Tierra", based on the Mazda 323 sedan, later rebadged as the facelifted Ford Laser in other Asian markets, the "Ford Activa", a rebadged Mazda 323 sedan and hatchback, and the "Ford Mondeo Metrostar" which later also sold in China, based on the European Mondeo sedan. Taiwan-market Ford and Mazda vehicles include locally assembled Ford Mondeo, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta,

Ford Escape The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company since the 2001 model year. The first Ford SUV derived from a car platform, the Escape fell below the Ford Explorer#Second generation (UN105/150; 1995), F ...

Mazda3 The (known as the in China and Japan (first three generations), a combination of "accelerate" and "excellent") is a compact car manufactured by Mazda, available as a 5-door hatchback and 4-door sedan across all generations. It was first in ...

, Mazda5, and Mazda Tribute. Also, all 2007 model year Asia/Pacific (except Chinese and South Korean markets) Ford Escapes are assembled by Ford Lio Ho. The Taiwan-assembled Mondeo is also exported to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. After the ban on diesel-engined passenger cars was lifted in Taiwan in 2004, Ford Lio Ho became the first local manufacturer to build a diesel car. This was a diesel Focus, introduced in August 2007. Before Ford divested

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

and

Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...

in 2008, and significantly reduced share-holding of

in 2010, the Taiwanese units of these brands were organised under Ford Lio Ho.

Design Technology Centre

Ford Lio Ho Design Technology Centre or Ford Design & Research Centre was built and established by the end of 2002 in Taipei. The Design Technology Centre was in charge of products sold mainly within the Asian Pacific markets including

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. Noticeable products include the 2005 Ford Equator Concept which later spawned the Asian Pacific Ford Escape (ZC),2005 Ford Equator Concept
"Net car Show" Ford Tierra, Ford Ixion, Ford Mondeo M2000 facelift, Ford Mondeo Metrostar, Ford Escape ZC extensive facelift,

Ford Explorer The Ford Explorer is a range of Sport utility vehicle, SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first five-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer, was introduced as a replacement for the three-door Ford Bronco II ...

and Ford i-Max. With the i-Max being one of the latest products designed by Lio Ho, the Design Technology Centre was shut down due to the one Ford strategy.

Gallery

File:Ford Tierra Aero 006.jpg, Ford Tierra Aero File:Ford Mondeo Metrostar, Taiwan 007.jpg, Ford Mondeo Metrostar V6 File:2007 Ford Escape (ZC) XLS wagon (2011-04-22) 01.jpg, Ford Escape (ZC) File:Ford Ixion 001.jpg, Ford Ixion File:2009-2010 Ford Escape (ZD) XLS wagon (2016-01-01).jpg, Ford Escape (ZD) File:Ford I-Max 001.jpg, Ford I-Max

References

External links

* {{Automotive industry in Taiwan 1972 establishments in Taiwan Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1972 Car manufacturers of Taiwan Joint ventures Ford Motor Company

History

Design Technology Centre

Gallery

See also

References

External links