Can Ford Make Enough Cars to Compete?

Ford COO Mark Fields stands with a Fusion in front of the company's factory in Flat Rock, Michigan. A new assembly line at Flat Rock will begin making Fusions this fall, one of several moves Ford is making to try to ease tight supplies of its best-selling models. Photo credit: Ford Motor Co.

Ford (NYSE: F), like General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Chrysler, had too many North American factories a decade ago -- and all three automakers shed un-needed facilities during Detroit's wrenching restructuring.

Between them, the Detroit Three closed 27 factories in North America. The good news is that the ones that remain are booming -- but already, Ford is scrambling to keep up with demand for its hottest products. How will Ford and its Detroit rivals manage as the U.S. new-car market continues to expand? In this video, Fool contributor John Rosevear looks at why the automakers needed to cut back -- and at the challenges Ford could face as its sales continue to expand.

Ford's capacity issues are arguably a good problem to have, but they still need to be solved. And in order for Ford's stock to soar, a few more critical things need to fall into place. In The Motley Fool's special free report entitled, "5 Secrets to Ford's Future" we outline the key factors every Ford investor needs to watch. Just click here now for your free report.

The article Can Ford Make Enough Cars to Compete? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. You can connect with him on Twitter at @jrosevear. The Motley Fool recommends Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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