Europe's car makers are in crisis. Will the threat of war rescue them?
Ford UK is pivoting toward military vehicle production as the European automotive industry faces a significant economic downturn. The company is bidding for a Ministry of Defence contract to replace the British Army's ageing fleet.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader trend of European industrial manufacturers seeking stability through defense contracts amid geopolitical instability and declining civilian car demand.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Simon Jack , Business editor and Theo Leggett , International Business Correspondent BBC It's green, bulging and intimidating. Ford's latest vehicle looks like a pick-up truck that has been through an Incredible Hulk transformation. Based on its popular Ranger series, this beefy number parked outside the front door of Ford's Dagenham plant can carry a load of two tonnes, tow up to four tonnes and is also shouldering the hopes of the 2,000-strong workforce that still makes engines here.
Inside the factory, the three-litre diesel engines that will power this camo-painted beast drift down a production line that has seen output cut from 90,000 engines a year to about half that over the last decade.
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