Freestar Minivan Goes 1st

Mercury Monterey production will lag behind that of its platform-mate, the Ford Freestar, the auto maker says.

When Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. fires up its refurbished plant in Oakville, Ont., its capacity — “for the first few months” — will be devoted exclusively to Freestar assembly.

The Freestar replaces the Ford Windstar, which went out of production July 3 after a 9-year run. A push to control complexity is behind the Monterey's gradual rollout.