Ford cuts Transit van production
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• Ford stopped Transit van production at its Southampton factory this week because of declining order books.
The announcement comes as figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show total commercial vehicle sales last month down almost 15% to 15,548 compared to September 1991.
The five-day shutdown at Southampton will cut production of Transit vans by 1,500 and 2,500 workers are affected.
A Ford spokesman said: "The commercial vehicle market in the UK has been very depressed for the past three years. Sales to the Continent were holding up but now some of our markets overseas are also weakening." About 40% of Ford's Transit van output is exported.
The latest statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows that overall sales of commercial vehicles in the first three quarters of the year were 6.85% down on the same period last year.