jpd80

I love to know how a company with the profit margins suggest on this thread could be so terribly in the red. I know, I know, all eaten up in Special Items for restructuring but, you gotta wonder what's going on there...... Ford makes $10K per truck and still loses around $3 billion in North America? go figure...

That article has been witten as though Ford hasn't changed a thing since 2006. I guess it's easier to spill ink over past problems and mistakes rather than see the plan ahead.

It's not the control of Ford that I'm concerned about. It's the injury to stock prices he could inflict with his pump and dump schemes. Salsakincpa may have some wacky notions but he's right in saying there's a lot of loose A Stock out there in brokers hands, let's say at best Kerkorian gets hold of 25-50% of these A Stocks. While he will never have control of Ford, he can then sell that tidy block of Ford Motor to a competitor. The man is dangerous to Ford because of what his scheming could do to Ford's stock.

55% of ordinary shares in his posession is not enough for company control, he knows that. You started off saying he wanted to control the company but now you've changed your mind. Thank you for agreeing finally to what we've all been saying, Kerkorian will pump and dump. That has been his intent all along and you my friend have just told us how he intends to hatch his feindish plot. Depending on how much money he wants he could as you say, buy up to 55% of ordinary stock and flip for a tidy profit but to whom? Who would love to get 55% of Ford A Stock for oh, let's say $20 billion? That is a scary thought!!!

That may be so but, last year Ford sold over 1.5 million trucks and 570,000 cars At the moment, Ford North America is looking like a truck company that sells cars..... What cars do they have? Focus, Fusion, Mustang, Taurus and Crown Victoria - the latter not available to the public. Good things coming with Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus, hope Mustang /RWD Sedan play a part too.

He doesn't want to get there, with a hostile take over declared, the shares will increase in front of him. He will then need all of his $20 billion to make any sort of power play work. At that point with people speculating and buying Ford stock, he will cut and run with a big profit. A leopard doesn't change his spots, he's going 3 for 3 but Mulally and the Fords see him comin'.

The article does not recognise that Ford NA's primary market is Trucks and SUVs. Last year, Trucks outsold cars by a 3:1 ratio meaning, cars are 25% of business. Oh and btw, C1 Focus Sedan has 19 cuft trunk EUCD Mondeo Sedan has 18.9 cuft trunk I don't see a problem in the US designing sedan versions and Europe doing the hatches, each will have control of their dominant market models.

Hence, the call for unity amongst Ford family members. Why would they vote that weasel, York into the hen house. His motives are not for the good of the company, just short term pump amd dump.

Actually, Tracinda would need something like a 86% of ordinary voting shares to be assured of out manouvering the Fords. This would need to be alliance votes from disaffected share holders as even Captain Kirk doesn't have the cash to buy that many. I think he has a better chance of winning $350 million on the lottery. I think you'll find Special B Voting shares can only be sold back to Ford motor or other Family members.

I didn't say that What I meant was a $4 billion drop by Ford or GM would be written as devestating news by the press but for Toyota it a slow down.....

Welcome to play school. Today, we're looking through the round window.......

Volvo's profits were spoiled for years when Jaguar and Land Rover weren't performing and now that Volvo has a bad trot for 12 months and people are all over them. It's a case of changing their product mix around to suit the newer times, there's an opportunity for Volvo to do that far more cost effectively with Jaguar or Land Rover.

Just to put that in perspective Toyota make $16.54 billion the year just finished and predict only $12 billion this financial year! Ford and GM should be so lucky.

Interceptor.

I've since discovered the LPG/4-speed auto/Non-DSC decision was a carry over from the previous model. In 2010, the V6 will have an LPG option and 5 or 6-speed auto standard so the cost of changing the above system for two years on such a small run was not justified. The lengths that Ford Australia will go to in order to keep the Falcon on budget are well known, they now have a new engineering complex housing more than 350 engineers, that number is expected to grow significantly in the next two years. As for the 5 Speed Autos - our version has a completely different calibration and setup compared with the US Version. American versions don't have Sequential Sport Shift (SSS) , nor do they have dual modes. What has been achieved with the 5A is nothing short of remarkable, and Ford Aus should be proud of their work.

That's all you had to say, the article reporting BMW not interested in Volvo was discused at nauseum here this time last year. At least we're all on the same page with this one.

Police departments have prerequisites for purchasing police vehicles, the Crown Victoria serves a market need. When that need changes then maybe other vehicles are considered. Most police vehicles you think of are crusiers that travel about between 40 and 65 mph, at that speed an O/D 4.6 V8 will give 28-30 mpg and not really the gas guzzler you make out. Remember, petrol isn't taxed to the hilt in the US so not as expensive as England, it's still only about 50p/litre so the cost of catching bad guys versus Europe is about the same or less. Do yor Foci have bullet proof doors? I see that ratbag Ken Livingstone lost his election,

No, the 4-speed auto (Gransdson of a BW) lives on in the dedicated LPG models. Your answers also give a clue as to why DSC is not avaliable with LPG/4-speed Auto, I'm assuming that they couldn't find anyone to get the software to talk. Thanks for the interesting info, sorry you got such a hard time.

Curious, I'm wondering when your last contact with FoA was? I ask because the new FG Falcon's Auto trans is from FoE and the powertrains are going fron the local I-6s to FNA V6s in 2010. That would suggest that either FoE has done the power train work or FNA continued assisting? The FGII with it V6 engines is now signed off for 2010 so, do we have you to thank for the incredibly smooth FG Falcon? FoA is half way through T6 light truck project, they're lead engineers. FORD AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES MAJOR NEW PROJECTS

The incident was two years ago, imagine salt water attack by now? I wouldn't want one of them

The little hatch is nice but I hope Ford Global sells the sedan as well, it looks sweet! How could anyone want a Yaris over that beautiful little car? I hope the US gets to sell 7-8K/month, that would lift product numbers and profit a bit.

Back on Topic, Maybe Zeta and Sigma platforms merging is an indication of what Ford is planning with the GRWD. By that I mean high / low or Heavy/Lite series depending on intended market and size of the vehicle. For example, A low or light series might be a Mustang and mid sized 4-door sedan having strut front and SRA/IRS rear suspensions while a high or heavy series may use a more durable Falcon styled Front and rear suspension. The best part is both series would use common floor pan, frames, power trains and electrical systems. That way FoA and FNA have enough capacity to cover all required RWD vehicles.

But for all of that, Ford North America is pretty much holding its own now. Much better than 2006 and 2007 with less overall product sales.

Sorry, I though you meant the truckers were tossing them out the window at cars.....

That too and more distance between engine an firewall in a crash. Also, a Short I-6 only needs one turbo.