Dearborn — With a $7.2 billion profit for 2013, Ford Motor Co. has now earned more than $42 billion in global profits during the past five years, more than wiping out the $30.1 billion it lost during the height of the auto crisis and setting a solid foundation for growth in new markets around the world.
But Ford may have reached a financial apex in the current auto cycle.
A record number of new-vehicle launches this year, heightened competition, continued brick-and-mortar expenses and unpredictable economic conditions in South America will strain the automaker’s 2014 profits.
“This is a preparation year, as we consolidate the gains of the past and prepare for even stronger growth in the future,” Bob Shanks, Ford’s chief financial officer, said at the automaker’s Dearborn headquarters Tuesday.