Ford has reached another milestone achievement in South Africa with the creation of its four-millionth engine at its Struandale Plant in the Eastern Cape – a figure that roughly translates to 185 engines produced per day over the course of the plant’s 59 years of operations.
The Blue Oval is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary on the tip of Africa, having launched here all the way back in 1923 with the intention to produce the famous Ford Model T.
The company has made significant changes to its production since its launch a century ago, going from a single production line built in an old wool store in Port Elizabeth to one of the country’s biggest manufacturers and vehicle exporters.
Scaling up production
Ford’s Struandale facility started life as a Parts and Accessories warehouse in 1962, intended to house items for the company’s Neave Industrial Plant that had been in operation since 1947.
A year later, the automaker committed an R8-million investment that saw the inclusion of a dedicated engine assembly line, as well as a new test track.
Officially opened in May 1964, the Struandale Engine Plant has been pumping out engines non-stop for the last 59 years, during which time it has created many iconic motors such as the 3.0-litre Essex V6 engine that featured in many of Ford’s most famous racing models.
Originally employing 300 people, the facility was also responsible for the production of more down-to-earth powertrains like 1.3l, 1.6l, and 1.7l, though that didn’t stop it from building power units like a 2.0l V4.
It was in large part thanks to this engine assembly line that Ford was able to create its 1-millionth locally-produced car in 1976, its 2-millionth in 1993, and its 3-millionth in 2013.
Where it is today
Today, Struandale is responsible for the creation of the powerplants that go into the current-generation Ford Ranger, as well as its architectural twin – the new VW Amarok – which are both manufactured at Ford’s production facility at Silverton near Pretoria in Gauteng.
This includes the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo and bi-turbo diesel drivetrains found in the Ranger XL and XLT models, as well as the new 3.0-litre, turbocharged, V6 block used for the range-topping Wildtrak – thanks to a R600-million expansion.
This long history of engine production means that the company recently celebrated the creation of its four-millionth powertrain – a 2.0-litre bi-turbo – which was shipped to Silverton to be installed on a Ranger.
The occasion also marked the building of its 300,000th 2.0-litre diesel block since the programme’s start in 2018, said the carmaker.
Struandale currently has the capacity to produce 130,000 engines per year and is a key reason why Silverton is able to churn out more than 200,000 vehicles annually.
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