What about the future of Ford Inc??

callmedrfill · January 2006

First things first, I am a borne and bred New Yauker, even though I'm not there now, I've been in New York long enough to know they don't have "10's of thousands" of Yellow Siennas flying around NYC. Sienna only sells 160k. I on;y see a Sienna Cab once in a blue moon. Maybe 1000-1500 cabs are Siennas in NYC. No more. So let's keep on foot in reality.

Toyotas fleet sales are no more than 5-6%, and Toyota execs have already copped to this. This is not news. 5-6% of a lot is a still a lot, but when Ford is at 30-40% on many vehicles.....

Ford not redesigning the Focus to keep up with the Mazda3 is a HUGE mistake, no way around that. It's a fact. Not an opinion. The Mazda3 is the best car in the class. And the Focus would be uglier (because Ford makes ugly), but it would be near the top of the class. What is a Focus now? Off the top of my head I would put the 5 year old Elantra, 3, Civic, and Corolla ahead of it. Hell a well-kept Protege?

Waiting 8 years between redesigns for the Focus is another brilliant stroke of Ford genius. What's wrong, are they waiting for the competition to get too good, and then people will finally want something different, like a Ford? :P

And, BTW, 500 sales are nicely inflated by the Employee Price promotion in the Summer, when the Fusion wasn't even out yet. What else were people gonna buy, a Focus? :P Anything halfway decent was off the promotion! :mad:

DrFill

nippononly · January 2006

on NPR this morning about Ford. I had forgotten that market share in 1995 was over 25%. Down to 18 now and still trickling down. At least they are not losing share as fast as GM, maybe that should be a consolation.

Can you imagine the ignominy if Chrysler Group managed to pass Ford to become number two in U.S. sales?! :-P

cntrygurl · January 2006

my husband and i both had ions quad coupe 3's,his was a 04 stick ,mine was a 05 automatic ,well saturn bought my 05 back ,and my husband traded his 04 in on a 06 mustang ,i went out and bought a 06 chrysler pt cruiser ,gm has a problem fixing their vechiles ,i had my ion to the shop 15 times for a tranny problem that they couldnt fix ,and my husband had his ion to the shop 4 times for a water leakage problem that the dealer couldnt fix ,i grew up only buying gm's but since they cant fix the cars they make i will stick with the chryslers and fords ...........

igor2 · January 2006

well I was in NYC over the holidays and the Siennas are definitely at least a quarter of the cabs running in Manhattan... someone can estimate the total number from that..

About Focus.. yeah plenty of people have different ideas about Focus and how it ranks up against other cars.. The truth is for car that sells at 11k it is a decent car... it is unfortunate though, because it is an excelent car but one that needs a 15k sticker (Base).
It is still not a bad car though.. it was midpack in the 05 Econo Sedan comparo here on Edmunds(beat by 3, 05 Civic, and Spectra)...
Focus is trouble, but at least it is being dealt with (we'll have to see the results.. ) unlike Cobalt that despite being brand new lacks verywhere except cheapness. Chevy managed to take excellent Astra Platform, interior and engine and butcher beyond recognition and hail it a good car.

The 8 year waiting period of course is ridiculous but I would not say that Ford was just stupid about it... Focus was not their bread and butter and they needed other models to invest in. The C1 is not a fit for Ford's current needs... Focus is to be "reunited" with the rest of the world when MkIII comes out in cca 2011.. until then we will have a fully redesigned Focus as 2008 model...
Again .. I might not like it, but I understand that Ford needs its money elsewhere.. the 05 should have been a complete redesign (even if on the same platform), however without Fiesta on these shores, and Chevy pushing Aveo, Ford had no choice. Once Fiesta is here, Ford can finally compete on the bottom end, and move Focus upmarket against 3, and Civic.

Finally.. about 500 - employee pricing inflates sales.. well whatever.. it outsold Avalon to be the best selling large sedan... that is what I care about it sells and has good rep. I do t ot hear people complaining that they had to SETTLE for a Fivehindred....it is really a good car, well designed, well built, and well placed... once they offer the 3.5 as an option and finish the early redsign planned for this or next year (so it is less dull) you should have nothing to complain about..

Overall Ford has been working hard. They have lots of work left, but they are working.. unlike GM their new models are successes and well built, Loved by the custmers and media and that counts. The only vehicle that was liked by the media from Chevy is Impala.. but neither Impala, nor the new SUV's will change the image of Chevy in the public's eye. However good mainstream reliable sedans (500 and fusion) and well placed crossovers (edge, freestyle) are turning around the image of ford.. little by little peoplr are realzing that Ford is doind something.. and that is what counts to me.. with the new power couple in leadership now at FoMoCo I believe they can actually pull this thing off.

Igor

callmedrfill · January 2006

They're doing something. They have a pulse.

But obviously there are some issues. We've already stated Focus as one issue.

Ranger? How much market share have they lost here?

Expedition? Universally panned at launch, and I have SOLD this truck, personally, so I know how ineffective this redesign was. It has quickly lost ground over the past 5 years, and it won't get any better, with high gas prices and a shrinking full-size SUV market.

Exploder? Sales also in free fall. Tacky restyle won't help. Price cuts might. I think Exploder's best days are also behind it.

F-150? Yes, F-150 is looking at a drop in share, with it's best 2 years after launch behind it, no new V8 on the horizon, and new trucks from Toyota and GM coming fast, share will drop 5-8% this year, close to 10% next year.

Ford has a LOT of work to do.

DrFill

marsha7 · January 2006

problem faced by US automakers is that they have enouigh assembly plants to make as many cars as tho they had a 70% market share, but their share is rapidly slipping...they need to close numerous plants, which they will, and literally become the smaller companies they are destined to be...

They also need to shed that dumb UAW contract where they agreed to pay every displaced worker their FULL wage for 2 years after an auto plant closes...2 months severance, maybe...but 2 years???

Sadly, the automakers are due for some ultra-serious restructuring...if not for the over-50 crowd who still feel some "obligation" to buy American, anyone under 50 will have to be sold a superior product, because US brand loyalty for the "under 50" crowd is nonexistent...they will buy US if the product is better, and for no other reason...

I wonder if the folks in charge at GM/Ford REALLY understand this concept, or just pay lip service to it...

big3forlife · January 2006

Ford Is coming back strong!

marsha7 · January 2006

As negative as I may feel about the US auto industry, I really do hope you are correct...I do not want to see it fail, but they are noq competing with companies with a lower cost structure and obviously competing on a worldwide basis...but the management and the union seem to act like they are in the 1970s, when the foreign competition consisted of a couple of Mercedes, Porsches, and VWs from Germany, and British Leyland and Fiat, all of which maybe made up 10% of US car sales...

Now, the US share of the US market is under 50%, I believe, GM market share between 25-29%, Ford under 20% if my numbers are correct...

nippononly · January 2006

you are correct, and word on the wire today is that Ford is set to make a big announcement tomorrow which will include closure of 5 plants and lay-off of 25-30,000 employees. Whew! That's a lot.

The new Fords these last couple of years were decent cars that never really broke from the mold of "same ol' same ol'" - they offer little competitive advantage vs their arch-Japanese rivals. Styling will differentiate all the models in the market of course. Beyond that, little will draw people away from the class leaders.

Who knows what the future of Ford trucks is. I am firmly convinced it does not lie with a newly redesigned Expedition or Excursion. Large pick-up sales will only drop as more players enter the game.

The upcoming Edge is a nice enough vehicle, again nice ENOUGH. Some devoted Ford customers will finally have just the crossover they always wanted, if the Freestyle did not already entice them. It is doubtful to me that Edge will draw in many import buyers either.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the U.S. market is over-flooded, and I wonder how even one more manufacturer can imagine trying to squeeze in here as the Chinese want to do (even as the Koreans EXPAND their presence).

callmedrfill · January 2006

And only the Strong survive.

The Unions aren't helping. Management isn't helping, as I've illustrated throughout.

Ford is making vehicles just good enough to keep the trusting Ford buyer loyal. No new business, and as more buyers become market savvy, with the Internet's help, more are deserting Ford and GM.

And they show up at the doorstep of companies that don't take buyers for granted, and don't build vehicles just to keep a factory open, but to last ten good years.

I'll let you fill in the blank here.

DrFill

igor2 · January 2006

I think there is no reason NOT to buy Fusion, Fivehundred, Freestyle, etc... over Japanese and other competition.

even in 2004 there were plenty of reasns NOT to buy a Taurus.. now there are none..

Yeah, there aren't that many reason to NOT buy THE COMPETITION, but that is it.. Recent Ford products are right on the mark set by the HoYota models for the class. They are not leades, but they are equal contenders... something that is still not true of Chevy products. Pontiac and Caddilac maneaged to match up products and you can see they are doing well.

However I simply disagree that no one except dedicated ford buyers will look at Edge/Fusion/Fivehundred/etc... They are nice cars and fit many people's desires... Fusion seems to be eating up the market WIUTHOUT any incentives until the current lease offer. 500 got the discounts, and ate up the market too. I believe the Edge will follow.

Moreover, since 2004 Ford is showing how to make a vehicle launch.. If I emember correctly there are several TSB's but not one recall on any of the new launches.. - something exceptional for any manufacturer, the more an american one.

I know I sound like a fan boy, but I do my reserch and believe I am not floating in any fantasies...

Igor

nippononly · January 2006

this morning is reporting that Ford has informed its suppliers that the Freestyle is no longer going out of production after MY 2007, but rather will get a facelift and continue into the next decade. What does this mean for the Edge? Too expensive to do? I can't see them having Edge AND Freestyle AND Escape.

Igor: I dunno - Ford lost another point of market share last year despite a full year of Five Hundred and Freestyle sales. They may be "right on the mark", but people aren't buying them in sufficient numbers to turn around Ford's perpetual slide. Now we have the Fusion - they brought it out with only the 4-cylinder stick shift available for the first couple months. While I applaud this, it is certainly not the way to make money on a midsize sedan in America - I know I am in a tiny minority! Now all the various trims and powertrains are available, so we will see what happens. Equip it comparable to a Camry LE (4-cyl) and the prices are very close. Styling may win a few buyers, but I don't see it pulling droves of buyers off the Toyota lots. It is a decent car, on a par with the Japanese models. But all those Japanese models will be replaced in the next two years, starting with the Camry in just two months.

callmedrfill · January 2006

Not to beat a dead horse, but I will do some more research and give you a more detailed, but still negative response.

I'll be right back.

DrFill

bobst · January 2006

A lot of us Honda and Toyota buyers are very happy with the cars we have purchased and there is almost no chance we will switch brands, unless we move up to a BMW or something like that. That is a real problem for Ford, GM, and Chrysler. All they can do is steal customers from each other.

I guess their best hope is to attract young buyers who aren't so stuck in their ways.

callmedrfill · January 2006

Good post, Bob! Many Honda and 'Yota owners have been burnt by Ford and GM in the past, and now that they have something special, that won't burn them, dynamically or financially, why go back to the bad old days?

Many are of the opinion "You had me, and then you lost me. Now I'm happy. And I'm stayin' happy!"

Sounds like a country song!

Ok, Ford's problems are many fold. First, they play, always, catch up with whatever the latest GM Give 'Em away incentive program is. That is certailnly not going to attract sales or respect.

Trucks and heavy SUVs face a saturated market, that has already peaked, and is now in decline. Ford got lazy, and didn't see the SUV evolve into.....anything but a heavier, lazier SUV. Toyota and Honda have shown leadership here, and reap all the benefits, at least for the rest of the decade.

Exploder is in free fall, even with facelift. Escape has stolen some of Exploder's share, hurting profits. Expedition had a bad redesign in '02, and will not recover from that and market changes.

Freestyle sold only 75k last year, barely beating Subaru Outback (60k), which has maybe 300 dealers? So I wouldn't beat my chest on that one.

Fusion, on a good month (Decemeber), sold 7500 units. This is similar to Mazda6. With a struggle, Fusion will sell similar to 500, somewhere around 100k, about 20% of a Camry. Should I break open the bubbly now?

And Focus is done. Repeat. Focus is done!!! losing between 10-20% per year. It's percent of market is actually worse than that. It will never reach almost 300k in sales again. Never.

The basic problem is cars are back in. Faster, smarter manufacturers are redesigning every 4-5 years. Escape came out in 2001. Any news on a new Escape? 2008? 2009?

Efficient, quality, marketing, timing, flexible. These are key words in sales for the 21st century. Ford doesn't know what these words mean!

F-150 sales WILL DROP over the next 3 years. may come down 150-200k units! What will Ford do then?

Slouth has cost Ford the Ranger. Even with a redesign, the market has forgotten about it, and won't entertain it again, in anything close to the old numbers.

Edge, Fusion, 500 are, as you said, nice cars. But not leaders. Fusion is weak by today's standards. Aura will arrive with 250HP later this year. Camry 268. Accord 244. Next Altima? Good management doesn't play catchup. Ford cars aren't good enough to bring knives to gunfights. People know that.

You got Mustang, which I think is ugly, bumper to bumper, but I'm not 50+, and F-150. And F-150's got crow's feet, already! Even with 2 months of Family Plan pricing, it lost market share. And it's the new kid on the block. What will happen when GM and Toyota get here? When Nissan brings a HD? Toyota? Where is the new Triton engine V8?

Ford Motor Credit just anounced they made 2.5 Billion last year.

Ford ain't broke. But Ford needs fixin'! There are no excuses. Just get it done! I hope this Mark Fields is the second coming of Merlin, because Edge and Fusion won't change anything. The market is well ahead of Ford at this point. Just treading water. That's how I see it. A slow death.

Message to Ford: Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son. At this point, you're singin' to the choir.

DrFill

callmedrfill · January 2006

Yeah, they need the Germans help, but Chrysler is kicking some tail! Sales are increasing. So is perceived value. They are making some of the best products on the market. They are doing the best they can. People notice stuff like that. Good job, Chrysler!

When you don't have a solid reputation like the Japanese, you build the absolute best product you can, and build it well until you gain acceptance.

No more Duratecs. No more 8 year product cycles.

Honda and Toyota have taken 20 years to get there stuff this tight. We don't have that long!

Figure where a Toyota or Honda will be in 5 years, and beat them to it! No me to stuff. Lead!! :mad:

Ford is not doing that at all! Neither is GM.

DrFill

igor2 · January 2006

thanks for hte post.. I know we disagree, but at least i have the other side's numbers and full arguments. And I actually agree with most of what you said.

the new announcement just came out and was pleasure to listen to.. we will see 14 plants down, 25-30k people laid off, one new low cost plant to open in NA (location TBD). New management structure, more money to QC and research. Curb time between redesigns from 4.2 to 3.7 years. Have Mr. Fields have his way and make ripples like he did at Mazda...We shall see how 1) the press and market responds 2) what actually comes to life from it.

Igor

seminole_kev · January 2006

almost seems like the reverse of the old "I'd never buy anything but a Chevy (or whatever domestic name plate) because my ol' (whatever) ran fine for 300,000 miles" group. Except this time it is Toyota and Honda.

I'm not tied to a brand, so I look for what best fits my needs/wants regardless of the name on the front. Ford has some good products (in my opinion), but it looks like it is going to take younger people without a built in 70's/80's domestic product bias built in. That will take time.

PF_Flyer · January 2006

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060123/ford_restructuring.html?.v=15

Ford Slashing Up to 30,000 Jobs by 2012

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- Ford Motor Co., the nation's second-largest automaker, said Monday that it will cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and idle 14 facilities by 2012 as part of a restructuring designed to reverse a $1.6 billion loss last year in its North American operations.

Ford stock is up 8% on the news as I post this.

nitromax · January 2006

Freestyle sold only 75k last year, barely beating Subaru Outback (60k), which has maybe 300 dealers? So I wouldn't beat my chest on that one.

Wow, that's impressive!

Considering that the Subaru Outback is a name that has been around for over a decade and is well known.
Compared to the Freestyle whose dealers don't even keep them on the front lots, don't even advertise them on TV and steer customers away from them.

sctoybox · January 2006

Seems like some of the responses here mimic the problems in Detroit with regards to what happens in the real world of purchasing cars.

The Ford 500 is what's equal? I've seen perhaps (and I'm being generous) a half dozen in Cincinnati. How long have they been out? It may be a fine car for 2000, but unfortunately, it's 2006. It's also typical boring Ford design so I wouldn't even consider looking at one based solely on that. Another car destined to be a rental.....

The Fusion looks ok..... but again as has been said, it's to compete against the Camry/Accords of the world with what? The car appears to be designed so that it atleast gets a mention in head to head comparo's. Looks like it leads the pack in safety innovations, but not much else. Short on HP, very conservative design, and an unknown reliability factor against car that are bullet proof will not pull many away from cars that have a proven record.

I get a big chuckle every time a commercial comes on touting Ford's 200hp V6. Boy there's a marketing strategy to win over the masses.

This is not a rant against American cars..... I'm watching closely for the new SportTrac and Avalanche this year. Of course Toyota will have a new fullsized truck that could mess things all up if they offer it in a crew cab.

YMMV

chrisford · January 2006

You got Mustang, which I think is ugly, bumper to bumper, but I'm not 50+, and F-150. And F-150's got crow's feet, already!

...and ToyHonda makes a better looking cars?

Come on dude, lets not go crazy now. Toyota makes the most boring unemotional cars of any company...

Ps can you also pick the lottery # for me?

bobw3 · January 2006

"Compared to the Freestyle whose dealers don't even keep them on the front lots, don't even advertise them on TV and steer customers away from them."

I agree on this one. I think Freestyles would sell a little better if they advertised them better. Actually showing off the insides with 6 or 7 passengers and space behind the 3rd row for stuff. The few ads you used to see where just the Freestyle driving around, but don't show off the interior versatility. If they had an add showing the interior capacity close to that of a minivan, and then show the car handling and driving position, with a few off road shots, and then show off the Volvo safety aspects, you might have a real good ad.

nippononly · January 2006

that's a long time for Ford's recovery program to be executed. We will have cycled through a whole fresh generation of vehicles by then (at least, among the Japanese that will be the case). Six years of shrinking is hard on morale.

mirth · January 2006

They've actually set a hard target of 2008 to return the North American auto side to profitability. That's only 2-3 years.

nippononly · January 2006

but it said downsizing would occur through 2012?

fred222 · January 2006

but it said downsizing would occur through 2012?
Ford has to do something to get rid of the UAW.

importsruinus · January 2006

Everyone that is buying up the imports is thinking old school! The imports had the domestics in every aspect of quality,fuel consumption and reliability. It is now the new millennium where the imports are pulling ahead of the domestics. The people that are allowing this to happen are the old school way of thinking. The vehicles that detroit is producing today are equal to the imports in build quality,pricing and fuel economy! Where the domestics blow away the imports is in styling,I have seen some sorry looking automobiles roll of the import line examples KIA Rio, Toyota Matrix and the Honda element! If driving is believing more Import drivers need to see what improvements the domestics have made and stop allowing our economy to go to hell by sending the money for these import vehicles to asia!

quikkash · January 2006

At this point in time, Ford is in marginally better shape than GM. To get better, Ford needs to:

1. Kill Mercury and devote the saved marketing/development money to producing Lincolns that can compete with BMW and Mercedes model for model.

2. Fire whatever designers penned the Ford 500 and Ford Freestyle. Boring looking cars are not the "Way Forward."

3. What happened to that promised 3.5 liter duratec V-6? Virtually every vehicle in the Ford stable except the Focus could benefit from it. (see Nissan VQ V-6)

4. Get SVT's hands on more Ford vehicles. While they sell in small volumes the automotive press loves writing about specialty vehicles, and the publicity will get more prospects into the showroom. (Everyone comes to Dodge/Chryseler to drooling over the HEMI equiped machinery, but most buy vehicles with lesser motors).

john_324 · January 2006

"1. Kill Mercury and devote the saved marketing/development money to producing Lincolns that can compete with BMW and Mercedes model for model."

I've always thought such a strategy would also mitigate the "dealership" problem, as there are no stand-alone Mercury dealerships to pay off when Mercury folds...they could be converted to full Lincoln.

carlisimo · January 2006

" think there is no reason NOT to buy Fusion, Fivehundred, Freestyle, etc... over Japanese and other competition. "

Whenever I'm buying something and all the choices seem to be equally good, I go for the one with the best reputation. That's not good for for the 500, Freestyle, and Edge. The Fusion's a winner though, for those who don't find its styling awkward. On the other hand, the Fusion has less USA/Canada content than the Camry and Accord.

The days of lousy Tauruses just ended. It'll take some time for everyone to forget them.

fred222 · January 2006

The days of lousy Tauruses just ended. It'll take some time for everyone to forget them.

Has anyone noticed how the Domestic automakers will run a car model/name for some number of years (usually not many) and then kill it while the Imports usually keep the same name in a new generation. Isn't name recognition one of the toughest things to build and worth a significant amount of money. Look at the history of the Camry, Corolla, Civic and Accord. I am sure that if the Taurus had been a good car, Ford would have loved to have re invented it, but it was synonymous with junk.
Look at how much the F150 name is worth to Ford yet the Taurus name was worth nothing!

callmedrfill · January 2006

Re: your post, I never meant to intimate or imply that Toyota/Honda make prettier vehicles than the domestics.

All I was sayin' was that Ford's best vehicle is F-150, and it is just about to go over the cliff, a high cliff, due to new competition arriving shortly, and no engines to stay ahead of the curve THEY have set. This truck is THE TRUCK, for the last 2 years, but, starting now, they will have to compete for sales, and the 4.6 and 5.4 Tritons they have now, will not keep them on top for long. GM has a 6.2L at over 400HP. I haven't heard a peep from Ford about staying competitive in engine strength, which is very important in this class. A key selling point.

Ford makes the best truck. I like the F-150! But I can tell, Ford is getting lazy. And when the F-150 falls, it will hurt. A lot. Makes me winse. New engines should be out before the Tundra and next Silverado get here, to stay in the lead. But they aren't coming anytime soon, from what I know. The 3.5 has taken 2 years too long!

Mustang is Ford's best car. Has a great heritage and all. The retro styling probably will not bring in conquest sales, but people brought up on the Mustang heritage. Older Ford buyers, and the sons of older Ford buyers.

The outside is retro. The inside is just tired. If you don't know who Steve McQueen is, you will not like the interior.

But I hate the new Eclipse too. So I'm hard to please in this class.

DrFill

mschmal · January 2006

This is unacceptable. Ford only managed a net income of 2 billion dollars in 2005. Clearly this company is in the crapper.

This forum died because most of the people who post have nothing worth while to say.

Mark

nippononly · January 2006

Eh? It lost money three out of the four quarters, and like GM only had a net profit in that one quarter because Ford Finance saved the day. The automotive arm of the business didn't make money all year.

But you must be glad that YOU at least have something worthwhile to say! :-P

bottgers · January 2006

While the big 3 have narrowed the quality gap with the Asians, they haven't closed it. However, I do believe the gap is now narrow enough that styling could make the difference on which way to go so this isn't what's causing the problems with the big 3.

What is causing the problems is wages and benefits. You simply can't pay unskilled employees $25-$30 an hour AND provide full benefits and expect to survive in today's business world. That's the bottom line and until this issue is addressed, the big 3 will continue to lose money.

callmedrfill · January 2006

We'll have to seriously consider the source on such inflammatory comments.

Also please check your thesaurus, as "worthwhile" and "rose-colored glasses" seem to have become synonymous.

Since someone worthwhile brought it up, the forum dying, and Ford rocketing down the charts and into "The Junk" have nothing in common.

They're a victim of circumstance! They get no respect, I tell ya'........

For more Ford bashing, and other non-worthy commentary, check out my latest Forum, "Rank the Big 4" in News & Views! LOL!!

DrFill

bobw3 · January 2006

" think there is no reason NOT to buy Fusion, Fivehundred, Freestyle, etc... over Japanese and other competition. " Whenever I'm buying something and all the choices seem to be equally good, I go for the one with the best reputation.

Same here...which is why I bought the Freestyle. I didn't see a Japanese equally good (equal space, handling, price, features, etc)

douglasr · January 2006

Gentlemen,

William Clay Ford Jr. announced the "idling of Wixom through 2008" at 9:36 a.m. CST in Detroit. While the Detroit Free Press has stated that the denouement for Lincoln will come in the second quarter of 2007 (Amy Wilson & Dale Jewett staff-reporters), and Wixom has been idle since December 24...the mere fact that Ford would even consider closing its best assembly plant in North America speak volumes for how out of touch the leadership of Ford is with respect to the American public and Lincoln and Continental.

Bill Ford says "Americans want to drive America's finest car", and that "Lincoln customers don't need to shout about success...They are self-made people with enough confidence to be elegant and understated" These are his words today.

Yet, as an owner of Lincolns for 30 years, I can't but think that Mr. Ford has passed up the best possible chance top revive the marque within his tennure. It is astounding to me given the success of Chrysler 300, that it never occurred to him he missed a great chance when Wolfgang Reitzle proposed the reanascence of the Lincoln and Continental brand for a mere $2.1 Billion. Where was the Mark IX? I would have bought one of those. Where was the Continental V12 sedan? I would have bought one of those---two cars Mr. Ford's Ford Motor displayed to the public, but NEVER built. Mr. Horbury, and Mr. McGovern worked hard to bring brilliant ideas to Lincoln...some of them ended up in the Rolls-Royce Phantom and 100EX show-car. But, WCF JR. did not approve of the Reitzle plan...Mr. Reitzle rightly resigned, and Ford spent the money on Jaguar.

When T-Bird was built, from which today's Mustang is based, the Mark IX project car was proposed. It was never built, reason: Two door sales were in the basement. Why: few good two door cars were on the market. A Continental Mark IX, on that platform would have been a hit. Mr. Ford did not give us the chance to buy it. Chrylser 300's success is due largely in part because those gentlemen responded to a part of the market American companies had ignored.

Lincoln only recently passed Cadillac as the number one American luxury brand in America. Since then, Ford has done NOTHING to offer better cars to the buyers. Spruced up the Town Car, but no new platform; offered the LS, but did not develop that into a second generation---Ford scrapped that in favor of Zephyr, which is doing well. But Lincoln left the buyers no place to go but out. Cheap Jaguars based on Mondeos were not the answer. Granted the XJ, and new XK are wonderful...but they are not Lincolns. Ford spent $6.1 Billion on Jaguar, recently injecting the very same amount of capital it would have required to bring back a great Lincoln...

People still respond to the notion of the "Hot-Rod Lincoln"; and they still respond to the classic era of Lincoln design from the 1950's & 1960's---a market apart from the buyuers of the 1980's & 1990's---a market that today's money commands given the prices for vintage cars of that era. Ford Motor, and William C. Ford has walked away from the die-hard Lincoln customer. That he wants to close the home of Lincoln since 1958, and shift production of his grandfather's and Henry Leland's premiere American luxury car outside the U.S., and relegate it to being a tarted up truck, is an anathma to a great many people. If that customer wanted a Euro type car, he or she would buy one, and not everyone wants an SUV or CUV---but Lincoln has been ignored in favor of PAG.

Since 1998, it's as though the Reith Plan for 1952 had been re-ignited, with Lincoln competing against lessor marques. This time, Bill Ford forgot what his father tried to achieve with the Continental Mark II---make Ford Motor a Company that was not afraid to go head-to head with the competition---even Rolls-Royce.

Bill Ford today says: "It's time to go on the offensive" But in closing Wixom and curtailing the future of Lincoln as a 32% solution tarted up from other platforms---that may well be fine for the bottom end of the market, but where is his loyalty to the top of it? I think Edsel Ford might understand, but he would be horrified. Lincoln could easily have capture half of Chrysler's 300 sales---if they had only tried. Lincoln could have introduced a V10 or V12 powered luxury sedan. Or brought back the classic Continental in a modern idiom> The possibilities were all present, the materials and engineers accounted for. Close Wixom? Making Lincoln into the modern day Packard? Astounding!

Mr. Ford...please remember the words of your grandfather, February 4, 1922 when he became President of Lincoln Motor: "Now I want to make the best car in the world" It's not too late Mr. Ford.

DouglasR

irnmdn · January 2006

My friend rents every week becuase he is a consultant.
He has had Sonata and Ford 500 several times. According to him, 500 is no way in the same league as the Korean car. Shows that Fords problems run beyond UAW and management. They simply do not have the engineering talent to deliver a class leading engine or platform. Some of the best Fords recently has been rebadged Mazdas.

chicagodrive1 · January 2006

Ford has to do something to get rid of the UAW.

Yes, its call bankruptcy...with the warp core about to blow, this is the escape pod (or auto-destruct) for Bill and corp. Same goes for GM, bankruptcy will be the opportunity to deal with current UAW contracts.

viet3 · January 2006

I do not see any hope from Bill Ford speak. Let see, 6B cut in material costs. Please, it is not like Ford cars and truck now is over built with costly materials, nor these cars and truck is overly engineered. Ford since the 60 with a few exceptions has always been built with cheap materials, with below or average industry engineering. What Ford survived on were SUV and trucks cash cows. And amid the crisis, Ford are trying to build a recycleable cars while Lincohn is just came out with a V6 front drive to compete with the 300C. All these empty talks (a typical American executive talks, long on words but short in subtance) are not going to save Ford. As a Ford cars owner and enthusias, I feel sad because to me Ford is gone.

seminole_kev · January 2006

"while Lincohn is just came out with a V6 front drive to compete with the 300C"

Or to compete with the Lexus ES330?

sctoybox · January 2006

This is really very Very simple..... Build a better car.

Better reliability, better performance, better style, better functionality.

Price is not a major concern if you address those 4.

At this point, the Domestics have been unable or unwilling to do that..... plain and simple.

YMMV

bobw3 · January 2006

I think the more complicated psychological issue is changing the minds of Americans who will always think that a Japanese car is of a higher quality, no matter what the reality is. Foreign companies have newer plants and cheaper labor costs, so they can build a higher quality car for the same dollar as compared to Ford. I think it's going to be a long struggle for Ford. First to reduce costs overall, then slowly use those cost savings to improve vehicle quality, so maybe in 10 to 15 years, Ford quality will be at and perceived to be equal to the Japanese. It took the Japanese from the 1970s to the 1990s to become the leaders. Plus, not to be too cold, many of the Ford retirees will be passing away over the next 10 to 20 years, and this will really reduce the health/pension costs to Ford that Honda or Toyota never has to worry about. Think long, long term.

igor2 · January 2006

completely agreed...

What especially irks me is the fact that Corolla and Camry (especially) have nothing to offer except their past history.
People buy them because they are on par with other cars and previos generations had no problems... that is serious market deformation, especially in light of the fact the their sub par Camry is STILL best selling sedan. The same goes for Corolla. Everywhere else the non-USA Corolla which is whe same platform, drivetrain and interion as NA Corlla is considered dead in the water compared to cas like Mazda3, but here the auto media is lenintly letting is off the hook by not including it in any comparisons that would highlight how mediocre if not sub par that car is .

Igor

sctoybox · January 2006

If fuel prices stay hovering in the 2.50gal range, Ford nor Chevy have the luxury of a long, long term solution. They will be so weakened by the blood loss, they will be halved again in their market share. Both are banking on the truck segment to offset other losses and this is a risky gamble the way the market is changing.

If the domestics are forced to survive on cars they're in big big trouble if they don't start turning out something people want to buy. That means handing a pink slip to the the first guy that recommends putting drum brakes on a vehicle from here on out.....

YMMV

seminole_kev · January 2006

My 2005 Toyota Tacoma (the new style that first came out that year) has drum brakes on the rear....

mschmal · January 2006

This forum is so full of garbage and misstatements.

Once again, for 2005, Ford put over 900,000 F-series trucks into the hands of customers.

For 2005, Ford increased its cash reserves to over $25 Billion! (companies with enough cash on hand to pay off their debt do not commit bankruptcy).

Wixom should be closed. This plant was built in farm country outside of Detroit during the 1950s. This plant is now surrounded by high priced suburbs. Closing the plant is actually a service to the people who live around it.

Trucks fill a specific need for a great many people. For others, trucks represent a capability and an image that is essential to who they are, even if they never take advantage of that capability.

90 percent of Super Duty purchasers tow with their truck and 2-thirds take the diesel engine option.

No other company understands trucks the way Ford does. The japanese "full size" trucks are to the F-150 what the Taurus was to the Camry and Accord. Visit www.thetruthabouttrucks.com to see why.

The Japanese actually use PLASTIC bumper covers on their trucks!

The max payload of the Nissan Titan is within 50 pounds of the max payload of the Ford Ranger!

People here talk relentlessly about the dominance of the Camry/Accord.

What about how the F-150 has dominated all comers for the last 28 years?

The Ford Explorer is the best selling mid-size SUV since its debut in 1994!

The Ford Escape is the best selling compact SUV since its debut!

What Ford is now trying to do is to PICK its market. Its obvious that Ford is going to choose to build less cars in the future and may have a lower market share. This is insignificant if those fewer cars can be sold at a profit.

Is Mercedes a failure because the total of all the vehicles they sell in the US is less that the number of Mustangs Ford sells per year?

Mark

martian · January 2006

spend more time with its customers, and learn why people buy cars today. for the vast majority, cars are an appliance. people want appliances that don't break and don't cost a fortune to fix. having said that, the Japanese learned that ten years ago. So what should Ford do? Copy the japanese, and sell a Ford camry at an attractive price. It will take them 5-10 years, but the camry-buyers can be won back. I also think the US governemnet will lend a hand, when they see the effect of 300,000 unemployed auto workers on the national economy. Should the US government decide that the domestic auto industry is not worth saving, then get ready for WALMART to market chinese-made cars in its stores-$4000 cars witha 3-year service life.

What about the future of Ford Inc??

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