Ford performance partner Mountune announces US expansion, Australia on the agenda
Ford's official European tuning partner, the UK-based Mountune, has announced its expansion into the US.
Located in Southern California, the US operations include distribution, rolling road, machine room and engine-building facilities.
Head of the new Mountune LLC, Ken Anderson, said launching the US business was a response to interest from fans and customers.
“Global enthusiasts and racers alike have been eager to experience Mountune performance," Anderson said.
"A full range of products will be available to support their requirements.”
Further proliferating the company's global One Ford strategy, Ford Australia’s brand communications manager Neil McDonald told CarAdvice Mountune’s expansion to Australia was an “immense opportunity” being investigated.
While logistic and operational measures need to be assessed, the brand supports offering local performance enthusiasts and fans of Ford’s ST models access to Mountune’s services.
Mountune marketing manager David Moore told CarAdvice that the tuning firm has been supporting Australian customers directly for years but the ST models’ release strengthens the argument to have an official, more substantial local presence.
“Mountune is in discussions with Ford of Australia at the moment,” Moore said.
“Given that Fiesta ST and Focus ST are global models – and Mountune is already supplying upgrades in ST models in other markets – there’s a great opportunity to provide such performance tuning options for Ford enthusiasts in Australia. However, it’s still too early to commit to a timing of when this might happen.”
In July, Ford Europe revealed Mountune-enhanced versions of its Focus ST and Fiesta ST hot-hatches. The tuning modifications resulted in an 18kW/40Nm rise for the turbocharged 2.0-litre Focus and a 26kW/30Nm increase for the turbocharged 1.6-litre Fiesta.
The standard production version of the Focus ST has been on sale locally since October last year, priced from $38,290, while the Fiesta ST will be available from next month priced at $25,990.
Mountune says it can trace its racing heritage back more than 30 years, with expertise in engine building and component engineering.
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