7Mary3

Number 3 yes, but check the volume. Think they will break 5000 units this year? They won't be able to justify spending to meet 2015 emissions at that level. I think things will get better though. It's not Ford. Plant may not be new, it's new to this manufacturer. This manufacturer is currently selling 'white iron' in the U.S.. Can't say who it is just yet.... Other (non-related) news: GM will be selling gasoline engines to Freightliner. PACCAR's in-house DAF diesels look really good, lots of interest. Gas engined Ford F-650??? I doubt it. U-Haul waved a whole bunch of cash in the form of some BIG orders to Ford for a Triton V-10 powered F-650 2 years ago, and Ford (or Blue Diamond or International) wouldn't do it. Too much of a 'disruption' for Escobedo was the excuse. Unless something is about to change..... Got a ride in a brand new big Hino tonight. Very impressive! What wasn't impressive was the Hino was a wrecker sent to rescue me in a broken down Ford truck. That's what I call advertising!

There just might be some medium duty news next month. A 'dark horse' that hasn't done much lately could make an announcement about a new plant and a bunch of new models. Lots of truck dealers looking for new truck franchises now, and these guys know it. Could be interesting. As for Ford, let's hope the 6.7L Powerstroke launch goes smoothly. 650 and 750? Is there a business case? Has a decision been made?

Unbeliveable! According to this month's issue of 'Light & Medium Truck', Dodge outsold Ford in class 3 through 7 for January, 4,583 to 4,184. Amazing considering Dodge doesn't even build any class 6 or 7 trucks. I figure Ford's changeover to the 2011 Super Duty 350, 450, and 550 might explain some of it. Maybe some buyers are holding out for the 6.7L Powerstroke too.

Forget the article, the bottom line is the Mustang finally has a competitive V-6 base engine.

A Cummins ISB pushing around a 37,000 GVW truck? Good luck!

Remember that Kenworth and Peterbilt are both part of PACCAR, so that puts PACCAR in 3rd. place. Surprising considering what they want for those things and given the state of the economy. Hino currently does very little class 7 as you can see, but they should gain in that segment with their new tandems. More buyers will become aware that Hino competes in the heavier markets. Isuzu should be way off. They are selling off all the leftover GM built models (F series and W series gas models) which have not been manufactured since last July. They are running out of trucks to sell, and their future plans remain shrouded in mystery! I expect they will soon announce a new plant and some new products. I expect Ford to remain very strong in class 4 and 5 IF the new 6.7L Powerstroke turns out to be a good engine. International's new TerraStar could be a threat, and I expect GM to return to class 4 and 5 but probably not before 2012. Ford in class 6 and 7? No idea.

Look at this: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Navistar-Continues-to-Build-bw-4095807172.html?x=0 No mention whatsoever of 'Blue Diamond'. I think that is surprising considering Navistar owns 75% of Blue Diamond.

Rumor has it Jac Nassar was at the wheel. James Hebe tried to salvage what was left, but that didn't work out to well.

This is getting stupid. The new diesels have power far in excess of what the chassis and brakes in these trucks are capable of handling. It is scary for me to think (and I have been around heavy trucks and buses most of my adult life) of some knuclehead towing 30,000#'s with his pickup. It is now possible, and the type of idiot that would do something like that typically couldn't handle it even if he was driving a heavy truck with air brakes and sufficient GCW. That having been said, I do think it is important that Ford have the highest ratings with the 6.7L Powerstroke. Of course, GM will have a new 6.9L Duramax in a couple of years.......

The whole truck looks strange.

Kind of sad, the current Explorer is one of the 'last man standing' real mid-sized SUV's with some towing and off-road capability. It looks like it will become a 'tall car' crossover, yet another me-too offering in an overcrowded market. Oh well, can't argue the sales figures, if that is what the public wants to buy (this month) I guess Ford should make it available.

At least it is not just Ford, all light truck manufacturers will be charging at least that for a diesel engine option. And, that price is likely to go up in the future. I think Ford and GM are wise for developing diesel alternatives.

Let's see how the Mexicans do!

Simply playing the devil's advocate, throwing out hypotheticals. I have not been anywhere near an automotive stock in 10 years, and even then it was only through a mutual fund. Most of my investing has been in Southern California real estate, public utilities and energy companies. Been very successful. Will be looking at precious metals if the government keeps printing monopoly money.......

I am looking at the situation from an investor's standpoint. Starting to wonder if F will ever pay a dividend again. In the long run, significant dilution could affect Ford's ability to raise more capital. Not saying that is a factor now.

Dilution.

I don't want to see anymore debt to equity swaps. I think Ford has done a great job of managing the crisis, but I also think Ford's successes have been hyped up by the media. I don't think bankruptcy is on the horizon but there is still much work to be done.

Hardly a misstep on Mulally's part. Remember, these are low margin low bid fleet sales, and unlike rental car fleets by the time these cars are resold they will be at least 5 years old and beat up. I say little to no effect on Taurus resale values. The way some talk around here you would think police cars account for 3/4's of Ford's revenue.

That dog won't hunt! Only way this Taurus Police 'Interceptor' will be a success is if there is not an RWD alternative, period. Busts me up how some around changed their tune when they found out Ford was going to replace the Crown Vic with a Taurus. Like that was a surprise.

TWICE the squad ANY black and white Ford EVER was: http://www.allcarcentral.com/Dodge/Dodge_Polara_CHP_1971_cruiser_Rick_Feibusch_2009.jpg AND IT WAS A UNIT BODY CAR!!! Enough of the BOF garbage.

My guess is a @7L Boss, particularly if GM does introduce a 7L gas engine. Direct injection is also a possibility I think. I don't see a need for a 3 valve head. The 3 valve head was used on the Triton to overcome valve shrouding, caused by the engine's small bore. The 'Boss' bore is plenty large enough to accommodate big valves with no shrouding issues. The rumored GM 7L truck engine may not be an LS.

That's what the man said. I imagine it has been substantially modified. The TerraStar will be manufactured in Garland Texas at the old Marmon plant.

International debuted the TerraStar on the NTEA Work Truck Show in St. Louis on Monday. The truck is world class ugly, and it remains to be seen if the MaxxForce 7 (redesigned 6.4L Powerstroke) will be any good. Interestingly, the truck's chassis is based on that of the defunct Ford LCF. With International's strong dealer network, the TerraStar should be a contender if it is a halfway decent truck.

O.K., I have worked for municipal fleets in the past, and have a lot of family members in law enforcement. I know something about how law enforcement vehicles are procured, and what goes into the purchasing decisions. The 'great' FWD/RWD debate does indeed rage on, but so far no one posting here has hit on the REAL problem. It is not, in most cases, durability, or even performance. In fact, for many years the 3.8L Impala was actually marginally faster than the Crown Vic and did better in some department's handling tests. The issue is driver (officer) training. FWD and RWD cars handle differently in extreme situations, and no department wants their officers to have to stop and consider what kind of squad they are driving halfway through a high speed pursuit. That's the biggest reason FWD cars have not caught on, though they have been used with success in some north eastern metropolitan areas where inclement weather is a factor. My prediction is Ford will become a minor player in law enforcement if the next Police Interceptor is indeed based on the Taurus and Dodge continues with the police Charger and Chevy offers up the Caprice. That will be 2 RWD squads against one FWD squad. A Taurus (or other FWD) squad would have a chance should the Charger go away and the Caprice not come out. Forget about Carbon. That car is just too expensive, and it remains to be seen if Carbon Motors will even make a profit at $60,000. They have some interesting technology, but it will be very hard for any department to justify spending that much taxpayer money on just one car! If you know about municipal fleets, you might be inclined to bring up BMW motorcycles or Crown fire apparatus to support the arguement for an expensive specialized vehicle like the Carbon squad, but those situations were somewhat different. Now, if Carbon were to LEASE those expensive cars.......

Unfortunately, there is about a '0' chance Louisville will ever produce a medium or heavy truck again. If Ford were to produce a class 6 or 7 'in house' again, I would expect it to be produced in Mexico.