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Ford News

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  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    "The simple truth is that in America Ford neglected its passenger car lineup to concentrate on trucks. The company is slammed by the media because, quite frankly, it deserves it.'

    ....And to this day Ford still neglects their passenger car line-up with the current Focus being an example. The Focus hasn't still been redesigned since it debut for the 2000 model year. I think the car is still rank near the top of its class in CR maybe but it needs a redesign ASAP.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    The Focus is getting a redesign for next year, but boy, is it weird! It's got these little chrome scoops near the leading edge of the front doors that make no design sense at all.
  • scootertrashscootertrash Member Posts: 698
    The Focus is a perfect example of what's wrong with this company.
    The car has been sold basically unchanged for 7 years. Meanwhile the rest of the world already got an excellent all-new one.
    The wizards in Dearborn said the new one is too expensive to sell here. Americans don't need a sophisticated small car. So they spent more money rehashing the old one for 2008 than it would have cost to sell the better one here.
    And in Europe, they are soon getting yet another all-new one, so while they are on the third generation, we'll get a restyled 1st generation model, which ended up being a money pit to re-style.

    Oh yeah, remember how the new design ethic for Ford is the 3 bar chrome grille? Not on the Focus.

    Brilliant.
  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    "The Focus is getting a redesign for next year, but boy, is it weird! It's got these little chrome scoops near the leading edge of the front doors that make no design sense at all."

    I agree with you the 08 Focus is sort of weird looking. I like the current bodystyle better than the 08 model.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Anyone got a pic of these scoops ?

    Rocky
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Ford Sells Major Stake in Aston Martin

    DETROIT (AP) -- Cash-strapped Ford Motor Co. has sold a controlling stake in the Aston Martin brand, made famous by its exotic sports cars appearing in James Bond movies, raising $848 million to help fund its turnaround plan.

    Aston Martin now will be run by a consortium of investors, including racing mogul David Richards, car collector John Sinders and Kuwaiti firms of Investment Dar and Adeem Investment Co.
  • bigo08bigo08 Member Posts: 102
    i think Ford should of Sold Jaguar and Land Rover, and used all that money to revive its core brands Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Maybe those are next.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...been better off had it never gone on that buying binge back in the 1990s? Of everthing they bought, Volvo might've been the most sensible. The way I see it, Jaguar's purchase was an act of altruism. It would've long-since died if Ford hadn't come to the rescue. Land Rover was a total rip-off and Ford got suckered by BMW. Aston-Martin's purchase was just a total act of hubris.

    Lincoln suffered from gross neglect under Nasser's watch as he played around with his precious PAG. Mercury might as well have been non-existent.
  • mariner7mariner7 Member Posts: 509
    When Ford bought all those companies in the 90's, it was on an unprecedented winning streak. It was the most profitable American company in history several years in a row, sort of a combination of current ExxonMobil and Toyota. Everything was turning into gold. It thought it could turn Aston Martin into another Ferrari/Porsche, and Jag into another BMW/Audi.

    Hindsight is perfect, but not many people disputed Ford's vision back then? Remember Ford's not the only one to get burned by acquiring too much at that time. GM acquired Saab, Subaru and Fiat (sort of). MB acquired Chrysler. Even BMW got burned by Rover. Among the successful companies, only Toyota and Honda didn't bother with anybody.

    BTW, GM paid Fiat $1B to walk away. After several successful car launches, Fiat is red hot. I guess that $1B did some useful work, only for Fiat though.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    In 90s Ford set itself into mission to save England. It saved Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar. If not Ford these companies would not exist today. I read that now Ford can move Jaguar up market. May be then Lincoln will opportunity to become true luxury marque like Cadillac?
  • bigo08bigo08 Member Posts: 102
    Having seen Ford sell its Aston Martin luxury-car brand to raise badly needed cash, investors are speculating whether Ford will sell its British Jaguar and Land Rover units, The Wall Street Journal reported.

    The WSJ noted that "deep-pocketed investors are taking increasing interest in the automotive sector," buying up distressed parts makers and a controlling stake in General Motors's GMAC lending arm. Also, at least three private firms are lining up to make a play for DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group.

    Spinning off Jaguar and Land Rover would effectively dismantle the Premier Automotive Group, which Ford launched in 1999 to take advantage of rising luxury-car demand. PAG, which has posted $925 million in losses dating back to 2003, also includes Volvo, which Ford isn't considering selling.

    Ford is in the midst of overhauling its North American operation after posting a $12.6 billion loss in 2006, and PAG's losses are often seen as a drag on Ford's more important domestic restructuring. However, the luxury group is expected in 2007 to post its first profit in four years, the WSJ said.

    Ford should put Lincoln back in PAG :)
  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    "When Ford bought all those companies in the 90's, it was on an unprecedented winning streak. It was the most profitable American company in history several years in a row, sort of a combination of current ExxonMobil and Toyota. Everything was turning into gold. It thought it could turn Aston Martin into another Ferrari/Porsche, and Jag into another BMW/Audi."

    Thats true everything to turn to gold for Ford mainly with their SUV sales though that allowed them to buy Volvo.

    Its weird though Ford's main problem child used to be Mazda(when Ford upped their share in Mazda in 1996 from 25% to 33%)but now its Ford's best company probably.

    Ford looking back on it did buy too many companies although the Volvo aqquisition was good as was upping their stake in Mazda. Land Rover hasn;t been too bad but Aston and now Jag looks like a mistake.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...I was talking to my Dad yesterday afternoon and found out my sister and her husband bought a new Fusion. I always thought he was going to get another Nissan Altima as he had a 1997 model that made it over 200K miles. When I last visited them around Xmas, there was a 2007 Altima brochure on the kitchen countertop. Wonder why he changed his mind?
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    WOW, so your BIL changed his mind? Maybe he is warming up to your way of thinking lemko, but doesn't want to make it look to obvious ;)

    Rocky
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Fusion is a few thousand less with the rebates and it's a nice car.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Heck, my sister recently bought a new F-150 crew cab truck. A good, reliable truck is required in her line of work. She works as a veterinarian who travels to different farms in rural Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware treating cows and horses.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Yeah I like those Fords also. Ford, makes some nice products also. If we could get Chrysler, to follow suit. The only Chrysler's I'd like to own would be a Viper, and maybe a 300 SRT-8. I suppose there Jeep Cherokee's and Wrangler's aren't that bad also. However all and all I don't get nearly as excited about their products as I do about Ford's and especially GM's. Lemko, I let my wife pick out her first car since we've been married and she liked this 04' Impala. It's not what I would of chose but I've picked every car we've had since we been married and since my wife is like you and likes to keep em' for a long time it will give me the freedom of picking a brand new one. I had to give a little to take a lot and I'd rather drive this than a Mercury Milan which was probably my only other choice if she picked. :surprise: I'm just not that gurly and a Impala is at least unisex and wasn't expensive ;)

    Rocky
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I did take my girlfriend to look at a Chrysler 300 around the time she bought her LaCrosse. She didn't like it because she thought it was hard to see out of and looked too much like a man's car. She had a Fusion rental a few weeks ago after a minor accident and liked it, but commented that her LaCrosse felt like a better built and more substantial car.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    2009 Ford Flex

    http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=120296

    Can anyone say a limo-like Scion xB :surprise: Yuk !!!!

    Rocky
  • mike189mike189 Member Posts: 24
    WITH FORD SELLING ASTOM MARTIN FOR CASH I WOULD SAY THEY ARE HURTIN FOR CERTAIN,IF THEY WOULD STOP MAKING JUNK,AND PRODUCE A QUALITITY PRODUCT WITH OUT A RECALL,THEY WOULD SELL CARS BUT THE AMERICAN CONSUMER HAS FINNALY WISENED UP ,THEY ARE BUYING GERMAN,BMWS SELL ,AND NO REBATES THERE,THE ENGINEERING IS THERE ,NO SAFETY RECALLS AND THEY ARE NOT PRUDUCED LIKE FORDS WHERE IT KEEPS PRICES IN LINE SO THE CARS KEEP THEIR VALUE,THEY DONT LOOSE HALF THE PURCHASE PRICE IN 2 YEARS ,AMERICANS HAVE AWAKENED BUT NOT TO THE AMERICAN CAR COMPANIES MAYBE THEY SHOULD BRING THE EDSEL BAKE AND START FROM SCRATCH
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    :mad:

    I'm busy painting a bleak picture for The Blue Oval, and here you guys are, tryin' to give them a profit? What's that all about?

    The Ford Flex is just like a Scion xB.

    Without the style or anything nice. :sick:

    DrFill
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,298
    what did you do, short the stock?
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • bpizzutibpizzuti Member Posts: 2,743
    They don't have a profit, no. What they have is the POTENTIAL, however. Assuming they do everything right.

    Positives to this point:

    Killing fleet sales
    Improved reliability
    Exciting new models (Fusion, Edge).

    They need to continue that track (A dicey proposition) as well as replace the Focus and Escape (Small cars and compact SUVs are good markets right now). They're trucks are probably OK for now. Might want to consider some sort of police package for the Taurus/500, as the Vic has some serious competition now.

    If they insist on not updating the Focus they should at least throw in an optional AWD system. Makes sense now that their other cars also have optional AWD.
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    You haven't see the New Ford Focus?

    Get ready to be impressed:

    http://www.leftlanenews.com/wp-content/plugins/iimage-gallery.php?idpost=4631&id- g=1&idi=1

    Sweet! ;)

    DrFill
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    No, I'd never buy Ford stock!

    Looking at the Ford Focus makes me lose my lunch, nor my marbles. :sick:

    DrFill
  • mike189mike189 Member Posts: 24
    if ford was to make bicycles,they would have a recall because they foregot to put the seats on them but maybe some ford owners would like that................. general motors has their act together ,new caddys are selling and are attractive to the eye,they perform,they handle ,and its gm ,they new lincolns llok like something i left going down a pipe this morning ,,,,,,,,,,,,,again how can you turn a profit, and they say take the challenge ?????? for petes sake the pinto sold better than thses cars
  • cptchetcocptchetco Member Posts: 32
    Ford lost 12+ Billion; during the same period, GM lost 10+ Billion. The significant difference though is that 9.9 billion of Ford's loss was one time charges for restructuring, while GM's loss was nearly all from operations. GM is selling better, but their operating losses amount to subsidies to the consumer. They are selling their cars for much less than they cost.

    Both companies may end up in the tank. But the loss issue is much more dire for GM than Ford at this point. IF you remember the similar scenerio in the early 80s, Ford pulled out into high profitability for the next 20 years while GM languished the entire 80s and first part of the 90s.

    This doesn't mean their will be a repeat, but its beggining to look like it; with GM putting all its emphasis into sales now, while Ford is revamping the whole corporate sructure.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,298
    since the tundra is tanking, pick up another crusade. i get it. :P
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    Tundra hasn't tanked, after one month, without CrewMax sales. 13k last month is a solid first month! :)

    But keep hope alive! :blush:

    You want to see tanked, see the Ford Exploder for more information. ;)

    DrFill
  • jd10013jd10013 Member Posts: 779
    They don't have a profit, no. What they have is the POTENTIAL, however. Assuming they do everything right.

    very well said. Ford is, right now, at a crossroad. the steps they take in the next year or two will deterimin if they survive and prosper, or continue to decline. the problem is, they need some fresh thinking and ideas, and to take some drastic steps. They remind me a lot of Nissan back in '99. At that time, Nissan had lost money in 7 of the past 9 years, were 30 billion in debt (enormous for a company that size), sales had been declining for over 20 years, and of their 130 or so models, only 3 were profitable. Most "experts" had them in bankruptcy court in the next 12 months. So what did they do? sold a 40% stake to renalt and purchased a 15% stake in renault, fired almost all of their exec's, brought in new management and top officers, cut back production to match sales, layed off lots of unnecessary employees's (unheard of in japan), redesigned all their cars, discontinued unprofitable ones, and vastly improved their dealer networks and agrements with suppliers. The results were nothing short of incredible. payed off all their debt, returned to profitablity ahead of schedule, increased sales, profits and market share for 9 years straight.

    There's no reason Ford can't do the same. They just have to be willing to take the steps necessary, and not just take a band-aid approach to things. But thats what Ford (and GM) always seem to do. That, and their inablility to look ahead is what kills them. Durring the '90's, everybody was buying SUV's and trucks. Ford was making HUGE profits off them. So what did ford do? They let all their passenger cars wither on the vine, and surrendered the car marked to toyanda. The same thing happened with the hybrids. to establish a market for them, toyanda sold hybrids at a loss for several years to get production and sales up. Now, there are waiting lists for them, and huge profits to go with that. ford, (at a time it was making record profits), decided to pass and is now 10yrs behind. in hybrid technology. Its that way of doing things, and thinking, that needs to change at Ford.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    kinda quiet in here...have you heard? Per Automotive News today, the last stand-alone Mercury store has finally closed...could this finally be the opening Ford needs to cancel the Mercury brand entirely? Rumors are swirling that '09 may be its last year, or something like that.

    My local Ford dealer, after being a single-brand store for a quarter century, just picked up Lincoln and Mercury to go along with it.

    And Ford had a profitable quarter recently right? They may just turn it around by '09. I believe they have announced they do not expect to be profitable in '08.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Ford is blowing the doors off. Stock is up 10 or 12% today.

    "In the face of flagging sales, soaring gasoline prices and an increasingly cowed consumer, Ford Motor Co. threw down a first-quarter report card that showed a profit."

    Mulally stuns Wall Street and raises lots of goodwill (MarketWatch)
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    I am so mad I dumped their stock in Feb for about a 5 percent gain. If I had just had a little thicker skin, I could bought in more when it bottomed out in the middle of March.

    The stock is up 24 percent this year while the S&P is down almost 5 percent.

    I just knew it was the wrong move right after I did it but I thought I could put the money into something a little more profitable. When I originally bought into the stock my whole thesis was that Ford would pull out a great quarter and that combined with selling LR/Jag would push the stock much higher towards the summer. I just got bummed out over all the negative economic/automotive news.

    Lesson here is when you believe in your thesis you should stick with it until you uncover some specific news that disproves it.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    were elsewhere in the world of course: Ford lost $45 million in the U.S. It is still claiming it will be profitable in North America in 2009.

    I didn't realize their profit margin was so thin, the $100 million profit was on revenues of like $43 billion or something?

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Yeah thats about right. They only earned 5 cents a share. I would expect some serious profit taking either today or Monday.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Ok, stolen from the infamous SET Toyota distributor:

    Ford Motor Company Names Ken Czubay Head of U.S. Sales and Marketing

    Guess this means that all new Fords will come with pinstriping, etching and every mop and glow product on the planet. :P
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...has some rather nice cars in the Taurus and Fusion and a truly awesome car in the Mustang. I cant see why the Taurus doesn't sell better as it looks and feels rather solid and is arguably prettier than the pignosed Camry and the Avalon-wannabe Accord.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    I think Ford's larger-car lineup is having its lunch eaten right now by Chevy.

    But all the cars you mention are essentially 20 mpg cars in town (except Ford Fusion 4-cylinder, and guess which one of these is the only one to show sales increases this year? Yeah, the 4-cyl Fusion), not good at all with the current gas prices.

    And the market for large cars is in severe decline now these last 12 months or more, which has even impacted the Toyota entrant in that segment, the Avalon.

    I know that Ford has already abandoned its goal of being profitable in 2009, but some "industry analysts" are now wondering if it has a future at all, what with the huge monthly cash burn it is now experiencing as a result of sales screeching to a halt. What was it, down 28% in June, 14% for the YTD? Both worse than average for the market, and the only one clearly doing worse than Ford this year (besides little ol' Mitsubishi) is Chrysler. :sick:

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    The other shoe that hasn't dropped is the earnings report. Ford, GM and Chrysler still make most of their money on the pickups and SUVs. this quarterly report can't be good. i know back in the late 90s Ford was making at least $9000 on each F-Series sold and about $7000 on each Explorer. The Escort (and subsequent Focus) was built at a small loss and the Taurus was break even. I don't think this has changed especially with the rebates and incentives they offer. (GM and Chrysler are in the same boat). Whereas Toyota and Honda (to a lesser degree Nissan) started with cars and added trucks later. So even though the Tundra is not selling now, it won't hurt Toyota's bottom line because they make money selling Corollas, Yaris and Camry. They won't make $12 billion (or what ever the number is) but they will still operate in the black. Honda does a phenomenal job controlling their production which is why they are always one of the most profitable companies based on cars sold. It helps they do not have to deal with union labor, retirees and pension funds.

    My prediction: Nissan buys Chrysler before the year end. They are planning a lot of collaboration in the near future. Ford continues to shut plants and layoff workers (that is an easy one); Kerkorian makes a push to takeover Ford. I would not be surprised to see Volvo back up for sale. GM is tougher to predict since they do have the cars and research to survive. The big question is whether they will make the big moves necessary to make them profitable (deep six Saturn and move that lineup to Pontiac; close more plants; layoff more workers, etc).
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    No one can figure out Kerkorian. He's 90 - does he want to go out owning a car company or what? (he was an officer at Studebaker 50 years ago).

    If he's not careful he'll wind up owning Ford and taking it private. Then what? Let Renault/Nissan buy both it and Chrysler?

    He did make a pile when he made his run at Iacocca's Chrysler.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It wouldn't be a bad idea. Cerrebus did it with Chrysler. And Ford has much more going for it then Chrysler ever did. Kerkorian (his company) could raise the capital Ford needs to turn this boat around. Of course the UAW should be very afraid.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    If Kerkorian bought Ford, could he get rid of the UAW? The UAW is still at Chrysler despite being bought by Cerberus.

    Heck, I would like to own GM if I had Kerkorian's money!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Well, my mom is 86 and she's still sharp as a tack, so maybe Kerkorian has a trick up his sleeve yet. Beats sitting around watching TV I guess. But geeze, he's down 33% on the shares he's picked up in the last few months.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    If Ford is still selling Foci at a loss and only breaking even on Fusion and Taurus, then they have as good as had it. They have nothing that will boost sales in the car realm coming to the market in less than 24 months.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    How in the world Ford cannot make profit on Focus? It is not possible. Ford did not change Focus for 10 years, not a dime spent on development/prodcution. Wasn't making profit a point of not bringing Euro Focus to USA? They should make a tons of $$ of Focus.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Yeah, that's what I would have thought too, but apparently not according to the post I was responding to. :confuse:

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    My comment about the Escort and Focus was based on the late 1990s, not today. But my guess is the Focus does not make Ford a lot of money. There were always incentives on this vehicles. they did this to move the vehicles but also to maintain CAFE standards. When you sell 900,000 pickup trucks a year at a huge margin, you can afford to only break even with your cars. The current generation is different but small cars don't make a ton of money which is why their markup is generally small.

    My biggest pet peeve with the domestics is they spent so much time and money on the pickups and SUVs in the 90's and gave us humdrum cars while the better cars were over in Europe. And they wonder how Toyota, Honda, Nissan etc. caught up and why people prefer their cars. You make your decisions and now you have to live with it.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    Still Toyota makes Corolla in California with "help" from UAW workers and somehow manages to make record profits. Toyota is on the same market with same CAFE rules. What makes Ford so special that it cannot make monay selling cars? Everybody else somehow manage to make money - Nissan, Honda, GM, Toyota.
  • grbeckgrbeck Member Posts: 2,358
    Ford is making money on the Focus. Transaction prices are up for the new model, and sales to fleet customers are down. One figure I've seen has retail sales at over 90 percent of total sales. Ford isn't making Super Duty-size profits on the Focus, but the car is profitable.

    Ford also makes money on the Fusion. Basing production in Mexico helps in this regard.
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