jpd80

Ford Motor........

Ah, GM gets cash and still remains connected to Opel but the liability is significantly reduced. I wonder if the Saturn deal will be similar, that would make sense in the light of this agreement.

$40 billion or $50 billion is a huge amount of capitol to pull out of a company. I can't see the sanitizing of GM, floating a new company and selling down that stock inside two years as being anywhere realistic for the US government.

Remember, this was always about the impact an uncontrolled GM bankruptcy would have on employees, suppliers and the community. When the American people realize that GM is being divided into two, all the debts left behind with investors and suppliers so they can resume business as usual with taxpayers money, they're gonna be mighty pissed.

Thank you for that explanation and boy, what a confusing web! So it looks like vehicle emissions are even more CO2 centered now and CAFE limits calculated from that. I wonder if post 2016, there is some sort of harmonization with European CO2 limits in gm/klm, converted to gm/mile for US regs. That would make more sense for Auto makers selling cars globally. I still don't think it's a major issue achieving the limits, it's just the way it's done. Some of us remember how all the good cars went away forever in 1980 only to find performance returned by 1985. As bleak as these regulations seem, they force all of us to be more efficient in our vehicle selections and even though we will pay more for vehicles, the new engine alternatives could be quite exciting. The thought of less petro dollars flowing out of the US also says that this is the right thing to do, smashing OPECs hold over the US and Europe has to be the focus of all future governments.

I wonder if PDs now feel that the FWD Taurus with either the standard 3.5 or Lincoln 3.7 suits their needs. After having Crown Vics forever, it's a bit tough for them to make the quantum leap but give it a couple of years winter service in the Northern States and I'd say FWD will be a firm favourite. That would also give Ford the opportunity to then transition government and PDs to future Ecoboost and hybrid technologies, something fleet managers may be considering with CO2 on everyone's lips. Actually, a hybrid Taurus with it's battery storage may suit Police attending crash situations where they require additional power for lighting and communication systems.

Flex fuel engines were introduced in May 2007 on the 2008 model Crown Victoria and available to police.

Light Truck Project T6 = over 300 Engineers Ford have spent near $1.8 Billion on testing facilities in Australia Ford spent a shit load on FoA in 2006 making it a Centre of Excellence for Asia Pacific. The T6 Project will earn Ford Australia $700 million, they were going to reinvest that money into the GRWD and had begun the project when it was put on the back burner by Mulally this time last year. GRWD would not have been a cost burden on North America, Mulally and Kuzak wanted Taurus instead. You're now on Ford Jellymould's Christmas card list.

You really need to check out what Tom Cackette Deputy Director CARB says about that. He basically said that a vehicle like F150 with 21 highway sticker = 26 mpg on their rating. LINK Sure this is pre national regulations but is still valid. I think you are really over reading the regulations big time and I submit that Cakette's judgement is more accurate than yours.

Waste of time when the market has tanked so far, it's better to trend on adjacent months. May '08 was a bumper month, the Focus sold over 32,000 units and Fusion did over 18,000.

And the fun hasn't even started yet, I think a withdrawal from Iraq would be easier to organize.

Yeah, it's sad when you have to "American proof" your vehicles.

I'm getting tired of hearing about GM...period.

And then before we know it, all change hands to the C1 Kuga/Escape. Probably a much better mouse trap and possibly gets the 32mpg as well.

Here's what I like to see happen with the Capri: Give the Capri project to FoA and have them do a Focus based but RWD Retro styled Capri. complete with extended front rails and hockey stick body style Focus struts and falcon IRS. Ecoboost 2.0 and 3.5 engines are all that needed to complete the picture. What could be better than Capri, the European "Mustang", it would probably sell the house down...again.

The way the product mix is going, trucks and SUVs are being pruned for sure but not certain Sedan numbers will as great as Ford wants. I think Ford is emphasizing US Focus production ahead of the Mondeo/Fusion and wonder if this is a mis step..... Fusion,/Mondeo /Taurus should all be joined at the hip and built in one or two US plants, all Focus products should be built in Mexico.

The easier it is to build a car, the easier the quality comes. I'm sure the engineers could find lots more ways to make painful line jobs easier and quicker to accomplish, it starts with having design and production workers getting together on the job, not section heads at meetings.

Pretending that a 3-door Focus with Fiesta styling is a Capri won't work, there's not enough differentiation. it's the same problem that afflicts every sedan trying to be a coupe, think Mustang of a Falcon sedan

1) Opel is in the hole for $4 billion, predicted sales won't cover that. 2) Gm gets divided in to good assets which are sold off debt free to a new company in which the government becomes 75% stake holder in the new company. The new GM emerges debt free, sanitzed and ready to take on competitors. All the unwanted assets and debts stay with the "bad GM" in Chapter 11 until it's resolved or liquidated.

And the beginning of the end of the old GM is in sight.

And that's why Ford is resisting putting the Falcon and Mustang on the one platform just yet, weight and suspension. There's a lot the two can share but even true derivatives share less than 40% of parts, most of them are hidden.

Congradulations America, you're about to purchase a $40 billion money pit.

Business as usual. well, 86% of their export market went bust USA - Gone, Middle East - very slow. Abject lesson why Ford couldn't see Falcon exports as viable, Holden got stitched up big time with currency shift. Ford instead chose to go for Southern hemisphere RHD Focus contract and won it, looks like they may pick upa few S/E Asia LHDs as well. Holden will add a locally built Cruze to the production line in early 2010 - that's their viability plan, a Korean Opel.:rolleyes: Last true Zeta will be 2010 ZF Commodore debuting this time next year, after that the Holden goes to the lighter merged Sigma / Zeta platform sometime in 2012.

I think that was a given after Ford announced 14 plant closings in the original Way Forward. The emphasis has mostly been getting Ford North America back on its feet and in fact, the Way Forward was derived from successful restructuring plans used in Europe and South America.

And that's with the outgoing engine series. If Ford made a 4.6 Coyote, that would still towel up the V8 Camaro, how embarrassing would that be.....