jpd80

Pioneer, what's changed for people to now call them excessive? Obviously, Ford agreed to them back then so with today's situation given all the workers are trying to increased efficiency/productivity, is there no room for management to be reasonable on this?

Toyota isn't about just gaining market percentage, they want to dry up Ford and GM's easy revenue. Let's say Toyota decides bank roll big ($5,000) incentives on 160,000-200,000/year Tundras. To Toyota, it's $1 Billion well spent particularly if they rob another 100,000 sales. The affect on Ford and GM had to lay $5,000 incentives on 500,000-600,000/year of their trucks, would be like $2.5 Billion in lost profit for each maker. Do you think Toyota would entertain using incentives to do that?

Mark Fields was formally with FoE, I bet they used them to benchmark FNA and develop "The Way Forward" strategies.

FordBuyer, What is more important to you than sales is the quarterly financial results, Ford's ability to increase its share price that's the test. Imagine if you listened to your broker and sold at the low point of $6.80? I'm no expert but I see Ford Motor edging higher every quarter, at about $9.10-9.60, they're a long way from the $6.80 low of last year, so you've recovered a little so far. I understand your skeptisim but it's your money and if the stock rises after you sell, maybe you take a worse bath than if you stay put. They had an extremely promising Q1 result, better than most analysts expected. Unless you expect Ford Motor shares to nose dive before 2008, it may be worth seeing the reaction to Q2 first, that's only a few weeks away. As with many here, I hate seeing Ford bleed money to save itself but take heart in Mullaly, he is leagally bound to make every effort to improve the value and stock price of Ford Motor. Don't forget, Ford has just spent $11 Billion in the last 2 quarters to cut staff and make itself more efficient to improve their bottom line. The stock market knows this and has reacted favourably. Hypothetical, if the stock is at $12.00 or there abouts by 2007 Q4, will you still sell? (concern yourself with stock price, not sales - stock price is your money)

The interesting thing I see with sales is Toyota in the Truck market offering strong incentives. Is Toyota about to slice the fat from GM, Ford and Chrysler's main profit earners, their truck divisions? As I see it, a cashed up Toyota could financially cripple Detroit with incentives in the right place and all it would only cost them is a couple billion to do it. Am I reading too much into only one month's incentives and results or are they on a mission?

People invariably downsize with high gas prices, large vehicles always suffer the most. Chev Impala is very important to GM, RWD Zeta Impala will need to be an instant hit. Screw that up and it's all over for them.

Edit, Reposted in 2007 June truck sales.

It's nice to see what is possible with styling, the reason I posted the two cars was to show the extremes in styling and to imagine all the in-between possibilities. The story goes that FoA had styled a different body for replacing the Crown Victoria. back in 2005, Tom Gorman was aluding to an export model same size as Falcon but with American styling. we know this was dashed but, I wonder if they're revisiting that proposal. Not to export from Australia but for common architecture.

I have no idea the depth of collaboration between FoA/E8 and Mustang/D2C platform engineers but it is happening now. I don't live in Disneyland but my frame of reference is different to all of yours in NA.

I remember something about a couple in a motel room and superman jumping out of the clost, Was that you?

Adam, Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your mum. John

I hope there is a back to Borat's "costume", I'd hate for the twins to roll out of bed. Borat: movie trailer

Our cultures are style sensitive, Falcon is ultimately tailored to maximise sales in European styled markets, I'm sure American stylists would develop a car that looked like the Linclon MKR concept. That car had similar length/wheelbase/width, as the Falcon: At the moment, as far as we're told Falcon and this car have nothing in common except two groups of engineers working together or at least sharing data and ideas. FoA and Mustang divisions coming together not as adversaries but friends developing an unbelievable line of cars. A mutually engineered platform would bring Mustang's bold ideas and FoA's practical problem solving to the fore. But for a missed opportunity in the 1990s, Falcon, Mustang, Thunderbird and Lincoln would all be sharing a common unitary platform that would be the envy of GM. Ford now has a second chance to put things right. John

Nothing intended by me regarding sending this Falcon to the US. Meerly to keep BON posters informed on Aussie products. Thanks guys, John

Again, it's styled for a country with European tastes so it will fit perfectly alongside Mondeo and C1 Focus on the showroom. What becomes of exports and the styling used is anyone's guess but knowing Ford if America wants it , the US will have all the say in styling that car. If we can get hold of that 7.0 Boss/Hurricane.....

The first article talks about the Falcon needs to succeed for Ford Australia: Why Ford's Falcon Must Fly - LINK Ford Oz plans third car for production - LINK

A lot of thirty somethings were at the showing I went to down here. About six yank marines sitting behind our row, loved all the explosions. Aussie designed Camaro will be a big hit.

Sacha Baron Cohen is a scream and he's dating/married to Australian actress Isla Fisher.

A prayer for your mum too from Downunder SVT _MAN

Those were boat people turning upfrom Asia and Middle East expecting to walk past customs into assylum. Most don't fit the criterion of refugees. We also have 120 Million strong Indonesia whose population are mainly Muslim sitting just to our North. We try to keep good relations there but sometimes the fur flys over independance in Dili.

Well that's obviously not happened down here, the ad has been well received for the light hearted pun that it is. I can tell you all of your fears about backlash haven't been true. I feel that you are trying to apply backwards logic of US perceptions on a different culture, one more accepting of peoples differences. We don't have the stigmas and issues you have with people in your community. Until the US have anything like the Gay Mardi Gras that occurrs in Sydney every year in February, and National Sorry Day, apologising for the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their homes, Then you cant begin to understand the differences between your adversarial and our concessional communities. Our strong national approach to legislating against alcohol and speeding would be unachievable in the US so from our frames of reference the ad is light hearted and everyone knows it's fantasy. Except you.

So far you are. Huh? Here's one we prepared earlier; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9ubtehD9Pk...ted&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoEtkSJ3o0M And a Fairlane Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5vl_9o13e4 I'm sure the Chaser comedians down here will sort that XR8 Ad out. This is hysterical:

GM Trucks seemed to have really sagged this month where Ford's F trucks maintained 2006 numbers. Did GM have big incentives on trucks this month too? I'm concerned the RWD Zeta Impala might lob right when GM needs a new FWD car for that segment, can anyone else see this going very pear shaped for GM?

I can live without concealed firearms in public, the trade off is a far less violent community, It's a bit more folksy and multi racial so we're more tolerant irrespective of what the media says. But then again there's only 21 million of us so there's far less ratbags on either side. I really love visiting your country every couple of years, most Americans are so friendly and polite to us. We share a lot but we are different. Happy Independence Day America.