Kentucky will have a hand in Ford Motor Company's plan to offer Americans more fuel-efficient cars.

The Louisville Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Explorer midsize SUV, will be getting a flexible body shop and begin making smaller, fuel-efficient cars to sell in the United States by 2011.

Ford, successful selling cars in Europe, is banking on new European models to boost sales and revenue as it deals with a market shift from trucks to cars brought on by high gasoline prices.

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson and Gov. Steve Beshear said on July 24 that the city and state used financial incentives to lure Ford into investing in the local plants.