In a decision reached during the last half of December, according to Automotive News, Ford Motor Co. won't restart production of the Freestar minivan at its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant, spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said. Freestar production halted temporarily in early November to allow for a smoother production launch of the 2007 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers at the Oakville plant, Automotive News reports. The Freestar was to resume production early in 2007 and run through the end of the model year. But Ford executives preferred the business case for the Edge and MKX, saying that Ford will concentrate on the two all-new models in response to strong consumer demand. Ford intends to work with fleet customers with Freestar orders, who represent the majority of sales, on substituting other Ford vehicles, Gattari said. Ford produced just 430 Freestars in November, Ford sales analyst George Pipas said, with about 2,500 remaining in dealer inventory. That doesn't count December sales, which will include "a handful" of Edges and MKXs, Pipas said. After a delayed launch, those vehicles began reaching dealerships mid-month.
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