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I am amazed by truck resale values right now. My brother sold his 2014 Ram 1500 Crew to Carvana for $18k (82k miles and few options) and they turned around and sold it instantly after for almost $24k. I monitor my truck's value over time and my 2019 Ranger SCrew is actually worth more today than it was worth in the fall of 2019 (with 12k more miles). As inventory shrinks, the values are going to be inflated like this. Not a good time to be in the market for a truck (but a great time to be selling one)!

Thunderbird is a perfect name for a new electric luxury coupe crossover to replace the Edge. Some styling cues from the iconic car and you have a winner

I came across this photo yesterday in one of the articles in the automotive press. Ironically, this Mustang "Family" photo isn't available at Ford's Toolbox advertising site.

I wouldn’t be surprised is the 3.5eB goes away after the GT production run ends. Replaced with either a 4.0L +/- V8 ecoboost or I6. The 3.3L is also cyclone based, so that would need to go also. Could Ford use a single inline architecture to cover I3, I4, and I6 replacing most everything in the lineup under 4.0L? A 100mm bore spacing and they might be able to share with coyote also.

I can see Ford adding more vehicles to existing sub-brands but launching new ones? Seems like we will hit a point of diminishing returns pretty fast. Will Escape sell better as Explorer Scout? Will Edge see resurrection as Explorer Sport? As some point, it is about the actual product, not the name. F-Series: F150/250/350/450/550/600 - seems pretty saturated. The only logical extension would be going lower... F100 but Ranger is a much stronger name on a worldwide basis Transit: Transit, Custom, Connect, Courier - again seems pretty full line up already. Tourneo: Sub-sub-brand fun ? Mustang: Mustang, Mach E - I could see a performance sedan here but that market is dying. More "same but different" theme on Mustang is more likely e.g. GT500, Mach 1, Bullit, GT350 (if it comes back) etc. Bronco: Bronco and Bronco Sport - seems like Ford hit pay dirt here with all the interest in Bronco. I can see a Bronco Sporttrac truck being added but not much else. Maybe a 2 door Bronco Sport which will be kind of fun but probably too small of a market. Would Ford dare use the Bronco name for EcoSport replacement? That maybe going too far. Explorer: This used to be sub-brand when Sporttrac and Sport were sold as separate models under the Explorer sub-brand. I can see Ford going back to this idea if Edge continues to sink. For example, what if the mid size EV is launched as Explorer Sport instead of Edge (or some other name)? And instead of Mondeo Active or whatever name it was supposed to have, Ford names it Explorer Evos? I can see that working as long as Explorer Sport and Explorer Evos are good competitive vehicles like Mach E.

Heard the 3.5 was nixed due to torque handling limitations of the CVT. A mystery as to how management thought the Five Hundred powertrain was competitive. Notice how that CVT was confined to the dustbin of Ford history. (CVT for hybrid is completely different)

Production cuts due to the microchip shortage aside, it might not be that long until you see $15/share. The Bronco Sport is ramping up and doing well, the Mach-E for Dealer stock orders is shipping in volume now, the Michigan Assembly Plant (MAP) is already producing Dealer Stock orders of the all-new Bronco ahead of the Job #1 Date and the all-new F-150 is selling at a fast rate and at higher prices due to the low available inventory.

$12.16 right now. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/F?p=F&.tsrc=fin-srch

Great, creative series way back when for those of us old enough to remember watching it. It's back now on one of the streaming services.

The old 2100/2150 was called "the worlds cheapest carburetor". The VV (2700/7200) was called "the worlds most expensive carburetor". They were manufactured in Rawsonville, MI. Final calibration was done is "climate controlled" room. Temperature and pressure were held to close tolerances. When they worked, they worked well. When they did not work the service manual said "replace; can not the rebuilt". Segue - the 7200 was the electronic version. It had a stepper motor that controlled the A/F ratio. I actually wrote some of the software for the EEC-II/III that controlled that carburetor.

Especially if they're stopping every 10 minutes to pay a toll... at least prior to the all the electronic toll technology!

I will NEVER understand that move by Ford at the time. I remember I used to get MotorTrend all the time and they had an article comparing large sedans and they said the FiveHundred would have won if it wasn't for the anemic engine. I know the 3.5 wasn't ready but come on they were able to get more power out of the 3.0 with the LS at 232. Granted it was RWD but still. A couple years later the Fusion debuted with 221. Anything would have been better than 200. I think the most they ever got out of the 3.0 was 240.

Taurus X was also a rebadged Freestyle refresh, which itself was mediocre to begin with.

Yep! I love that line...

Yep...basically the middle to lower part of the state is nothing but forest.....the Pine Barrens. We just have alot of people crammed into smaller area, so we have an extremely high population density. I think OX1 lives down the street from me too...if he's the same guy on Bronco6G LOL...I remember the Probe in the Pool photos.

...With Edsel's arm around her shoulder consoling, "I know, I know..."

Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see inline engines come back but looking at how much investment Ford has made in the cyclone V6s, I just don’t see Ford trashing all of that before getting a return on things like Powerboost and the 3.3 Hybrid

I think it was Raylan on Justified who said if you run into one asshole, you run into an asshole, but if you run into assholes all day long, you're the asshole...

Agreed with this. But don't forget the Falcon, too, the namesake of your username.

Well, I think they're looking at Wranglers' lasting and increasing success and both forecast continued growth/sustainability and want a chunk of that pie. Also with the times of "everything crossover/SUV", it makes sense. And if they're looking to add other sub-models to the sub-brand, it makes some sense. I saw a good thought on 6g that some of these locations can be a good meeting spot for local Bronco clubs or car shows as well. Make it a destination/place to hang out (I do like the idea of adding a bar/microbrewery or something to it, but that's a whole 'nother thing) and build a culture and you'll have people always coming back for more if the product lives up to it long term. I do understand your skepticism, though.

you mean you couldn't get past the buzzwords and hyperbole either?

Mercury was the original "up-market" car created by Edsel Ford himself. Created as a "bridge" between Ford and Lincoln. It was less a "sub-brand" and more a separate marquee that at the end of it's span became nothing more than a Ford with a different grille.

*Mercury sits in the corner crying*

Even mainstream media is fawning over Farley as if he's some kind of savior. They’re giving him all the credit for everything coming out now that was started under Hackett. Don't get me wrong, Farley has impressed me so far and he's saying the right things. Let's give it until this time next year before we start heaping universal praise on the guy. Let his initiatives start coming to fruition.

Cyberdman- Thanks for all the updates over the past few weeks. Greatly appreciated!

Stop labeling things you don’t agree with as “irrational”.

They forgot the most important one. Chevy trucks are ugly.

Don't think there would be enough difference in power or economy to justify offering both a 6.8L and the 7.3L in the Super Duty. I think the 6.2L will eventually be replaced in the Super Duty by the lower power/higher economy 7.3L currently offered in the E series. Also, isn't the 6.8L supposed to have an aluminum block? Might not want that in a Super Duty.

I understand the shorthand, but technically the supply shortages are not due to Covid-19 impact, but to government shut-down policies intended to combat the Covid-19 outbreak but which also ended up wrecking economies, throwing people out of work, and disrupting global supply chains. It is heartening to see how fast much of the economy is coming back now that these policies are starting to be reversed, but undoing all of the supply chain damages will take time.

I6 should fit in CD6 without a sweat but it will require a new front subframe which is not difficult to do if you are talking about a mid cycle update or next gen model. But you are totally underestimating the volume. I6 will also fit in Mustang, Ranger, Everest, and Bronco. And most likely RWD Transit and E-series and whatever Ford decided to replace it. If Ford can get the 3.0 I6 to sip fuel like the 2.3 I4, it can also replace that one, in addition to 2.7, 3.0, and 3.5 V6. But yes, F-150 pays the bill for everyone else. Same situation as the 10 speed auto.

That was exactly the reason... V6 made more sense for Ford in the mid 2000s because it can be used in both transverse and longitude applications. With C2 not needing anything more than I4 going forward, the rationale for V6 is gone. For Ford's larger models, longitude drivetrain is now totally harmonized with same transmission and PHEV modules and there is enough volume on worldwide basis to continue investment. So I6 is definitely back on the table as an option. I6 also has added benefit of being able to share with more components with I3 and I4. The standard 500cc cylinder conveniently produce 1.5 I3, 2.0 I4, and 3.0 I6 - ideal displacements for their applications.

Inline 6 motors are much smoother than their V6 counterparts...

I think this bodes well for F150's future and I look forward to the day when the BEV version is considered a mainstream purchase while hybrids and PHEV are bridging alternatives for buyers.