Ende einer Erfolgsgeschichte: Ford in Deutschland | WDR Doku

"Nothing's been decided here for a long time; everything that's done comes from the USA," is how Spiros D. sees the situation at his employer, the Ford plant in Cologne. He used to be a foreman in the engine plant, where more than 28 million combustion engines have been built since 1962. But that's gone now; today Spiros works in the warehouse of the new battery assembly area. The Cologne-based automaker Ford, currently one of the city's largest employers with its 11,500 employees, is in deep crisis. The good times, when over 50,000 people worked here and the plant built bestsellers like the Fiesta subcompact, are long gone. For years, Ford has been incurring heavy losses with its Cologne plant, cutting jobs and eliminating entire departments. Ford has now also stripped the local management of its power and recently shifted more and more responsibilities to the USA. And in Saarlouis, the other German production site, jobs have also been cut for years. Two years ago, a glimmer of hope appeared: Ford invested nearly $2 billion to exclusively produce electric vehicles at its European headquarters in Cologne. The shift to electromobility was also intended to bring about an image change: away from affordable cars for everyone and towards premium SUVs for high earners. By 2030, Ford plans to build only fully electric cars for the European market. Production of the last combustion engine models in Saarlouis will cease at the end of the year, and the remaining 1,000 employees will then only manufacture spare parts. But the new electric models, the Capri and Explorer, from the Cologne plant are selling poorly. Short-time work has been a recurring problem in recent months. By the end of 2027, another 2,900 jobs will be cut in Cologne. Meanwhile, fear is spreading among the remaining Ford workers that the plant could go bankrupt. What would then become of the 11,500 employees and their families? Ford management in distant Dearborn, Michigan, remains silent about the future of its German subsidiary. For decades, Ford stood for affordable cars "Made in Germany" for everyone. Now, it's "America First." Ford wants to primarily sell "iconic" vehicles in Germany that instill American DNA in the minds of German drivers. The company motto is: From America - For America. The ARD Story investigates the US president's business ties to the Ford Motor Company, which are far more extensive than previously known. The documentary reveals the extent to which the "America First" policy of the self-proclaimed dealmaker Trump now influences decisions made by Ford management. 👍 If you liked this video, give us a like! ______ 🎥 A film for "Die Story" by Georg Wellmann and Wolfgang Minder. This film was produced in 2025. All statements and facts reflect the situation at that time and have not been updated since. ______ 📺 More documentaries in the ARD Mediathek: https://1.ard.de/yt_doku?yt=d Further documentaries on the topic: 💚 Car Tires - A Dirty Billion-Dollar Business -    • Autoreifen - Ein schmutziges Milliardenges...   💚 Trump's Deutsche Bank -    • Trumps Deutsche Bank | WDR Doku   💚 Job Cuts & Short-Time Work: Is Germany's Industrial Economy Facing Collapse? -    • Stellenabbau & Kurzarbeit: Industriestando...   💚 India's Path to the Top: How a Young Generation is Changing Their Country -    • Indiens Weg an die Spitze: Wie eine junge ...   ______ #Ford #automobile #WDRDoku