GearheadGrrrl

While Peterbuilt brags themselves up as a premium brand, they'll underbid every competitor at times like they did to get a Postal Service contract for straight trucks a few years ago.

There's still the issue of fragility- Both the Volvo/Mack and Daimler automated manuals are easily damaged by even short tows unless the driveshaft or axles are pulled. If a trucks broke down blocking traffic in a snowstorm, the police will want it towed immediately instead of waiting for driveshafts or axles to be pulled, assuming the tow truck driver even knows that's needed.

Author Mercedes does some excellent research for her articles, especially given that she was born about the time Ford abandoned heavy trucks. As for sales volume dropping, the numbers don't lie but Ford was still doing well in the vocational market in the 90s but the regulated common carrier fleets that bought thousands of day cab tractors were dropping like flies in the 80s and 90s and Ford was slow in bringing out sleeper cab conventional L series to sell to the deregulated fleets that replaced them. Mack had the same problem in the market as the R model didn't have the greatest sleeper options, but they solved it in the late 80s with the CH and CL conventional with integrated sleeper cab options.

Gotta compare fruits to the same species to be accurate, the Corvettes are street legal and entering production and the Mustang GTD Comp ain't (yet) and may not be the same exact car when it gets street legal. In the Mustang's defense, in most variations it has a back seat and the 'Vette don't.

Most of the ROW automakers don't bother with BOF trucks because it's a NA niche market that's fiercely loyal to the big two and a half. Toyotas spent decades trying to crack this market with a damn good full size pickup that's barely selling enough to keep a plant busy. As for mid size BOF, that's Toyota's specialty but still a niche market primarily in developing countries. So no surprise most of the ROW automakers have mostly ignored the BOF market. Meanwhile, Ford don't even have a 4 door sedan left, despite the fact that a $40K and up sedan can't help but be profitable.

Agreed- Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia and others have been selling 6 figure volumes of sedans and hatches while GM poorly served this market sector and Ford ignored it.

But there's a wave of us sedan and hatch buyers returning to the market and were driving 5-10 year old cars that aren't available anymore. GM's poor sedan/hatch sales were also shrunk by their limited offerings- Just a 3 cylinder Malibu for the rental car companies and $50K and up Caddies. Add some well equipped versions in the $30-50K range and GM will sell enough to keep a plant busy.

I'm in the market for a car to Autocross, Rallycross, and maybe track days too... And I'm underwhelmed. Did the online "build" and with nothing but the required options the MSRP came to $45K. That means RTRs ordered for dealer stock with more options will be around $50K. Miata isn't quite so fast straight line but better MPG, Toyota 86 damn near as fast, GTI just as fast and brings the practicalities of FWD and a hatch to the party- And they're all priced in $30-40K range. At $50K off the lot the RTR can't compete with the Golf R and Corolla GR hatches that add AWD and Costco cart swallowing capacity and can run away from the RTR and give the Mustang GT a race. After flopping in the market maybe next year the RTR will be rebated and discounted to $40K and I'll maybe take a test drive.

Half a century ago when Ford had to pay premium prices for the engines, transmissions, and axles that went in to its heavy trucks most of the profit went to the suppliers of those components. Ford's solution to that "problem" was to pretty much exit the heavy truck market. Meanwhile, truck makers with a longer term view like Daimler, VW Group, Volvo, and Paccar invested in their own powertrain components and reaped the profits Ford forsake. Nowadays with a mass produced gas engine and transmission under a cab that was amortized decades ago, Ford is the low cost supplier in the market for cheap Class 6 and 7 gas powered trucks. But just one chassis component that has to be moved or a missing essential option and Ford ain't so cheap...

Farley and the Fords are in Melbourne for the F1 race with AU Supercars races thrown in too. The Fords seem to love Australia, not the first time they've come over for a Supercars race. Besides newcomer Toyota and Ford's Mustangs, GM is still racing the outa production Camaro in Supercars and Nascar too. And here in the USA. in Nascar Toyotas look like Camrys again, the "Camaro" looks like a Malibu again, and the Mustang seems to look more like a sedan again too... Whatsup? GM has been first to show it's cards, announcing that the CT4/5 that shares a platform with the Camaro will live to see another generation. GM ain't gonna build a platform for just Cadillac, so another generation of Camaros and rear/all wheel drive sedans for Chevy and maybe Buick are coming too. Ford is already hinting at a future sedan, and it ain't gonna be a Fiesta/Focus replacement- something sharing platforms with the Mustang with rear/all wheel drive is a profitable product. Adding line extensions like wagons and Utes just helps add more volume to profit off the investment.

Daihatsu and Hino are Toyota brands, and they make around 800,000 Tacoma/HiLux pickups a year and several vans that Ford has no competitor for. Traton is VW Group's truck builders and they build hundreds of thousands of vans, including the Transit Connect for Ford. Hino builds a full line of real trucks that eclipse Ford's limited offerings as does MAN's and VW's own truck brands. And Scania is the world's best truck, revered by even diehard Mack fans.

"Now tell me how Toyota and VWs commercial business compares to Ford Pro......." Ever hear of Daihatsu, Hino, Scania, MAN, and International right here in our own back yard?

1. Look at the shrinking size of garages and parking spaces and you'll realize that the F series is a dinosaur, but a profitable one (for now). 2. Toyota and VW can earn a profit on small cars, Ford doesn't know how.

I mean real seats that are with the vehicle when it is delivered to a customer.

I mean real back seats with windows next to them.