FORD has established a task force to look at every aspect of its European operations in a bid to solve the key problems of over capacity and a lack of profitability. It will report back to Ford of Europe chief Nick Scheele in eight to ten weeks with its blueprint for Ford's future on the continent.

The move comes after warnings from Scheele that the company was looking for profit and productivity improvements and the announcement of job cuts and shift reductions at its Dagenham factory. However, against that background, Scheele claimed at Geneva that Ford of Europe was at the start of 'a most intensive period of product change'. 'Over the next five years we will triple the number of product changes compared to the last five years. None of our product lines will be untouched and you will see an unprecedented number of exciting new and significantly revised vehicles from the Blue Oval,' he said.

Ford's two biggest revenue generating vehicles are the Transit and the Mondeo. The all-new Transit goes on sale next month and the revised Mondeo will have its world launch later this year and will probably enter showrooms before year-end. Meanwhile, it is understood that the new Fiesta - the model remains Britain's number one supermini - could be brought forward from 2002 to 2001.