Ford Appoints Jost Capito as Senior Performance Vehicle Manager

Ford is making changes in its hierarchy and it is creating new positions for its divisions. They appointed Jost Capito to the newly-created position of Director, Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development. He is scheduled to begin work starting January 2009.

Capito, a Dakar Rally veteran and a former engineer for BMW and Porsche, has been with Ford since Octomber 2001, managing Fords' motorsport and performance vehicle programs from 2003 through 2007.

Because of him we now have the Fiesta ST, Focus ST and the Focus RS. Also noteworthy is his presence in Ford's WRC campaign. Capito is 50 years old and now lives in UK with his family, but the new position will force him to relocate to Ford's World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.

Capito will be responsible for all the performance vehicles that Ford will be making. The North American SVT and European TeamRS performance vehicle organizations will report to him to focus on the development of new sporty Fords.

"Performance vehicles and motorsport have been important to Ford since the company was founded more than a century ago. With Jost's immense experience in both areas, performance vehicles and motorsport, we expect that tradition to continue and be strengthened within our One Ford strategy," said Hermann Salenbauch, Director of Advanced Product Creation and Performance Vehicles, Ford Motor Company.