The Focus once again represented an attempt by Ford to introduce a truly 'world car' that could be sold in disparate markets with little modification. This eleventh hour dispute was overcome, however, and the car was launched without a different 'German market' name. A last minute problem arose in July 1998 when a Cologne court, responding to a case brought by the publishers Burda, ordered Ford to avoid the name 'Focus' for the German market cars since the name was already taken by the publisher's Focus magazine. The decision to name the new car the Ford Focus was made in early 1998, as Ford had been planning to keep the 'Escort' nameplate for its new generation of small family cars.

The styling had been overseen by Jack Telnack and executed by Claude Lobo and Australian designer, John Doughty, concluding in January 1996 upon program approval. As a continuation of Ford's New Edge styling philosophy, first seen in the Ford Ka in 1996, and Ford Cougar in 1998, the Focus's styling was often described as polarising. Certain elements of the design had been seen even earlier in prototypes used by Ford to demonstrate forthcoming safety features, such as the eye-level rear lighting clusters. In Asia and Australia, it replaced the Ford Laser.Ĭodenamed C170 during its development, the original Focus took its eventual name from a Ghia concept car which was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1991. In Europe and South Africa, the Focus replaced the various Ford Escort models sold in those markets. Manufacturing in Argentina continued until 2008, and it was still on sale in Brazil until 2009. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year. The Ford Focus (first generation) is a compact car that was manufactured by Ford in Europe from 1998 to 2004 and by Ford in North America from 1998 to 2007. John Doughty (1995) & Claude Lobo (1995) įord Escort (Europe/Latin America/South Africa)įord Focus (second generation, North America) Venezuela: Valencia ( Valencia Assembly).Philippines: Santa Rosa, Laguna ( FMCP).Argentina: General Pacheco ( Ford Argentina).Mexico: Hermosillo ( Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly).United States: Wayne, Michigan ( Wayne Stamping & Assembly).Germany: Saarlouis ( Saarlouis Body & Assembly).

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