Joe771476

Unfortunately Ford and the other Big 2 were making so much money they figured it would last forever! Hence they caved in to the UAW's "pay us 95 percent of our wages while we're laid off." It's virtually impossibe to maintain that!

USA Today reports on its front page of the biz section about the sludge problem; AOL reports on its news link that Toyota has recalled millions since 2004 in its two major markets of USA and Japan. Yippee!

International probably told Ford to stop competing with us or we'll bow out of the Blue Diamond venture altogether! Ford won't ever get back to class 8. They'll just be happy with their little landscaper dumps. Sad, very sad. It's cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, but they just don't get it.

Then they'll roll out the Toyotas! What a joke! I won't be watching.

Jazzhead is correct: Eck-wuss

Jazzhead is correct: Eck-wuss

Thanks for the support Matthew!

The once mighty GM, once maker of locomotives, diesels (Detroit), buses, defense vehicles etc. is now down to its last mighty division.....Allison. I can't see how it does not make money since almost every heavy vehicle with an automatic transmission uses Allison! Now GM wants to sell it! Dumb! But you know DCX is going to pounce on that in a heartbeat! This will give DCX the ability to own the heavy vehicle drivetrain business lock, stock and barrel! They already own Detroit Diesel. I hope, at least, International Truck ends up with it, so Ford won't be left out entirely in the cold if they decide to re-enter class 8! Maybe they and Ford can kiss and make up and purchase it jointly. Am I dreaming?

It's a great looking car, but if they're going to use that name for the civilian vehicle, what will they call the police cruiser? I know; it's just a name for now. The door handles are mounted flat at the bottom of the greenhouse so you don't readily see them. But how about making a Lincoln model with the suicide doors with the door handles on the side like they normally are so you CAN see them? This is what Lincoln needs! It's always Ford that gets the glory! This concept car is needed by Lincoln!

What do you think a relative, friend and neighbor of a Ford employee thinks when he sees that Ford employee driving a non-Ford vehicle, especially a vehicle made by a foreign-based mfr.? If the Ford employee doesn't have the pride and confidence to buy what he toils to make 40 hrs. a week -- or more -- then why should anyone else? Until the Ford employee parking lot is filled with Fords or Ford brand vehicles, there can be no turnaround for Ford! EVER! This was touched upon before in here. The Ford employee has to sell his product! It has to be a grass roots effort starting from within the company! If you work for the cable company, you don't buy AT&T internet service! Let's wake up!

Yes Richard, I know the Volvo truck line wasn't for sale, I was just saying they would have been better off with it! To 7Mary3, let me say this: The Hartford CT area water operation as well as the CT and MA state highway depts. used to be almost 100 percent Ford vehicles, from cars to pickups to mediums and heavies. They even had -- and still do -- Ford mowing tractors and payloaders! But when they sold the heavy truck unit, these municipal entities as well as thousands across the nation found they couldn't buy the beloved L-series any longer. So Ford lost that "we can sell you everything edge." Once these operations were forced to go non-Ford it opened the door for competition to get in the door. Now, when you go by these operations, you see Chevy and Dodge pickups, International, Freightliner and Sterling heavies AND mediums! You don't see any Ford mediums there. The cars are no longer all-Ford. Do you know how much Ford lost? In my opinion, hundreds of millions! My belief was that when you had school bus, construction vehicle, vocational, fire apparatus drivers etc. driving Fords they might have thought to themselves, "Gee, Ford makes a pretty good big truck, maybe I should buy a Ford car or pickup."

I don't understand how you can patent this. This is just a vehicle with a normal front door and a rear entry with doors opening like several pickups "4-doors" do now similar to the mid-60's Lincoln Continental suicide doors! This is a joke!

The article says that the Big 3 have dozens of firewalls for their various models while Toyoya only has a few, with all the holes for wiring etc. in the same location. The only difference is the width of the firewalls. You mean to tell me the Big 3 couldn't think of this a long time ago?! Hell I did! Do you think they would have listened to me?

Gee, I can tell if it's a Ford anywhere in the world right now. It's called the blue oval on the front! Morons!

I got blasted the last time I said this, but to me the door handles on a car contribute an awful lot to the appearance of the car. Do you know what some Jaguar door handles would do to the Crown Vic? It would make it not only different looking, but elegant. Have you looked at the door handles on the Escalades and Tahoes? Those vehicles look sharp!

If I'm not mistaken, Ford paid $6 billion just for Volvo cars! They would have been better off with the trucks, marine engines, highway diesel engines, buses and construction equipment!

VW was first, forgot #2 (Peugeot maybe?). Also sixty percent of Chrysler dealers were unprofitable in 2006.

Coming up in October, they will do a chronology of Toyota's rise to success. They started in an old Rambler delaership in CA in 1957. In 1958 they sold 288 vehicles. It's amazing how two models looked just like late 50's American cars.

What is really sad is that Ford, up until recently the second largest auto/truck mfr. in the world and still (so far) the second largest mfr. in the US never really manufactured their OWN diesels. The real shame was installing in the 60's thru early 90's GM-owned Detroit Diesels in their heavy trucks! Add to that the cylindrical GM-owned Frigidaire AC compressor (R6?) that was fitted on their cars!

Yeah 7Mary3, since Ford gave away the heavy truck lines Ford just makes candy ass light duty and mediums! The only thing the F650's/750's are used for is landscaper dumps! Shame on you Ford! Jerks! They've lost so many medium and light sales because of their stupidity!

I'm glad to see someone gets it! But I said this on here many months ago. As long as you keep letting Asians in this country they are going to turn the tide and give Toyota the edge! They don't know Chevies and Dodges over in Asia, although GM and Chrysler are finally correcting that. The reason why Ford maintained their 25 percent marketshare for many years while GM lost heavily was because Asians DID know the Ford brand because it is known world wide!

Yes Toyota will surpass GM as long as some of you Ford and GM workers buy Jap cars! How many are in the parking lots? How many of your children and grandchildren drive Toyotas? Morons all! Just like the RCA and GE workers lost their jobs making electronics because THEY bought some Sony junk to save $20! Again..............morons! More on this coming soon. Stand by!

The article states that Arab Muslims came to Dearborn 80 years ago to work at Ford. After 9-11 they've anglicized their names. They thought their future was cinched but I guess not now.

Maybe they're going to buy the Chrysler arm! Heheheheheh

Let's see: My father's 53 Ford around 200K, his/my 68 Torino 190K, my 74 Lincoln Mark IV around 175K (only because I got a tank of water and replaced it instead of having to replace fuel pump, carb etc.), 85 Ford LTD 250K. I inherited an 85 Cadillac -- don't laugh, I NEVER would have bought one! -- with the infamous 4.1 and I have 197K on it but it's on the second engine. Still, GM should give me an award! Don't you think?