Are the major economies of Western Europe finally starting to recover?
It's a hard question to answer -- the data is decidedly mixed -- but it's of great importance to Ford (F 0.84%) and the other automakers that do business in the Old World. Ford lost more than $1.7 billion in Europe last year, and ongoing losses have weighed on Ford's stock price for a while.
Ford's hot-rod Fiesta ST has been a surprise hit in Europe. It's coming to the U.S. this fall. Photo credit: Ford Motor Co.
Ford announced a turnaround plan for its European operation last fall. While it's not expected to return Ford Europe to profitability until 2015 or later, the company is making some progress -- and some market share gains, thanks to new models.
In this video, Fool contributor John Rosevear looks at the latest from Europe's auto markets and at how Ford will need to proceed to get back to profitability there.
