Awwal 16, 1432 H/Feb 19, 2011, SPA -- Mazda's Chief Financial Officer Kiyoshi Ozaki said the Japanese automaker could walk away from its assembly plant in Flat Rock, Mich., this year, according to UPI. The plant makes Ford Mustangs and Mazda 6 mid-size sedans, the Detroit Free Press reported Saturday. Mazda could also refurbish the plant to build a different line of cars, the executive said. Sales of the Mazda 6 dropped 2.3 percent in 2010, to 35,662 vehicles. In comparison, vehicle sales across the industry rose 11 percent last year. James O'Sullivan, president and chief executive officer Mazda's North American Operations, said aggressive marketing by rivals, including financial incentives, took sales away from the Mazda 6. "I don't want to get into that mud-flinging fight," he said in January. "But we see growth opportunities for the Mazda 6." The Flat Rock facility is a joint venture with Ford. A Ford spokeswoman, Marcey Evans, said, "We don't believe it is appropriate to comment on Mazda's business."
