If Ford bought MINI....

[TStag]

I was just thinking, if Ford was able to persuade BMW to sell them MINI then it would make a lot of sense financially.

 

MINI is UK based which would mean that it's engine manufacturing plant, body pressing works and manufacturing facilities would all join PAG. The next MINI could then platform share with the next KA/ Fiesta and would be able to expand production by using some Ford facilities. Design and Engineering would move to Land Rover, who could design the MINI SUV. MINI would sell from combined Jag/ Land Rover dealers, vastly improving dealer traffic. PAG would then make more cars in the UK which give them better economies of scale.

 

Land Rover, Jag and MINI would all fit nicely together. Shame it won't happen really.....

[Deanh]

If Ford bought Mini.......Deanh could actually support the company he worked for!

funny ba$tard.....actually I a huge ford advocate...ESPECIALLY compared w the domestics...it's just their alternative at the time was the SVT Focus which made one look twice to see the difference.....now if it was similar to the cosworth Euro version I may have been swayed....ps...good one Pioneer

Edited May 10, 2007 by Deanh

[focalxplosion]

I was just thinking, if Ford was able to persuade BMW to sell them MINI then it would make a lot of sense financially.

 

MINI is UK based which would mean that it's engine manufacturing plant, body pressing works and manufacturing facilities would all join PAG. The next MINI could then platform share with the next KA/ Fiesta and would be able to expand production by using some Ford facilities. Design and Engineering would move to Land Rover, who could design the MINI SUV. MINI would sell from combined Jag/ Land Rover dealers, vastly improving dealer traffic. PAG would then make more cars in the UK which give them better economies of scale.

 

Land Rover, Jag and MINI would all fit nicely together. Shame it won't happen really.....

 

Ford can kill a brand like nobodies business. Besides, part of the allure with Mini is that it is woned by BMW and some of that fairy dust must have rubbed off, right? I mean peaple are paying just south of 30k for a B/C segment tweener.

[ANTAUS]

I read an interesting article years ago, of how Ford (compared to GM) has done a good job of letting each specific brand they have bought, perform independently, and not run it into the ground...they used GM as the alternative...And how Ford has taken Volvo and improved it, and sharing synergies while GM just let Saab limp along with lack of product and killing any originality it once had.

 

Ford has demonstrated that it has allowed it's Euro brands to keep their identity, so if there's any company that CAN do it, it would be Ford. Granted, many of us have not been happy with Jaguar's performance, or lack thereof. But take into account all those brands , Volvo, AstonMartin, Jaguar, LR, and you would have to agree that ALL of them received many more products, improved sales and improved reliability all around after Ford acquired them than prior to.

 

As for Mini, I don't believe Ford needs to spend it's sources there. Other than that ONE product, I dont believe it's enough to justify it. IN other words, they won't be teaching Ford anyting on producing a viable product for that niche...rather, it's about how much effort Ford wishes to place upon improving and/or introducing something of their own that's class leading.

[silvrsvt]

Ford can kill a brand like nobodies business.

 

Uh like what brand? Jag was fucked from the get go..but Volvo and LR are excellent examples of Ford's hands off approach vs GM fucking up Saab

[wescoent]

Mini Cooper has absolutely ridiculous brand equity, and it would benefit from Ford's excellent small car business. Mini probably makes money hand over fist from selling their cars at gigantic margins. Most people buy what is basically a B/C tweener for in the mid-20's, just because of the image. The Mini has performance, a strong design language, and name recognition. Hence, the brand would be too expensive for Ford to buy.

 

From a design standpoint, the next generation Fiesta, if the track is wide enough, could be conducive to performance mods that would put the Mini to shame. A nice turbo engine a little too big for the chassis, fat tires, body-kit, and stripes, and you're set.

[focalxplosion]

Ford, Lincoln, and/or Mercury. North American operations exclusively, of course.

 

Beat me to it. Besides, I would hardly call PAG a resounding success. They rarely turn a profit and the strongest brand was just sold off.

[Traveler]

I still think that a Scion-like line of cars would make since for Ford. Three similiarly sized vehicles, similar powertrain/drivetrain layouts with three distinctive styles. All three very affordable, yet safe with youthful zeal and economy in mind. Ford, in my opinion, needs to begin to restore faith in the American public and it should start with the youthful buyer just starting out.

[NickF1011]

Beat me to it. Besides, I would hardly call PAG a resounding success. They rarely turn a profit and the strongest brand was just sold off.

 

Aston Martin? The strongest brand?? Brand equity of LR, Jag, and Volvo are all way more significant than Aston Martin. AM will never be a multi-billion dollar profit machine. It's far too small. The other PAG brands, given the proper product, have that potential easily.

[Edstock]

I still think that a Scion-like line of cars would make since for Ford. Three similiarly sized vehicles, similar powertrain/drivetrain layouts with three distinctive styles. All three very affordable, yet safe with youthful zeal and economy in mind. Ford, in my opinion, needs to begin to restore faith in the American public and it should start with the youthful buyer just starting out.

 

That would be the forthcoming B car.

[falconman13]

If Ford wanted to buy a British name, they should have bought MG. They could have had it for a song and it could have been the Scion of Ford. JMO

[silvrsvt]

If Ford wanted to buy a British name, they should have bought MG. They could have had it for a song and it could have been the Scion of Ford. JMO

 

 

And your typical American car buyer would be going...WTF is that? Not a good idea

[falconman13]

I would guess more Americans would recognize an MGB before an original Mini

 

Ford already has an MGB in the form the Miata, so its a natural platform to develop a coupe and possibly a hatch, but probably wouldn't want to cannibalize Miata sales.

 

And maybe a littel

What is that

! is exactly what Ford needs

 

Its all moot anyway as MG has already been purchased and MINI isnt for sale.

[RichardJensen]

I kind of like the MG as Ford's youth brand idea. But unfortunately, it's just so much pie in the sky. The effort required would not pay off--you'd have to get cash strapped Ford dealers to agree to purchase MG franchises, and then you'd have to figure out a way to get MG customers to step up into Fords (which, it would seem, would be more difficult than getting Scion buyers to trade up into a RAV4, FJ Cruiser, Prius, etc.)

 

You couldn't sell MG from L-M dealers, that would be too much of a stretch.

 

I mean, the Ford fan in me thinks that would be cool. But in the real world, I don't see it working out.

[NickF1011]

I think Ford needs a B-car for itself before it even thinks about starting up another brand of any sort. Tap, tap, tap. We've been waiting......and waiting......and waiting......

[Deanh]

Ford can kill a brand like nobodies business. Besides, part of the allure with Mini is that it is woned by BMW and some of that fairy dust must have rubbed off, right? I mean peaple are paying just south of 30k for a B/C segment tweener.

Cooper S 2003, 23 k. Sports package, sunroof, Harmon Kardon...2k wheels tires, 2 k to bump horsepower to about 225....and the engine was a joint developement with Chrysler of all people....shhhhhhh, this years nmodel went with a turbo instead of a supercharger........car sold on character and driving dynamics..ergonomics suck but are "gimicky"....and you get used to them

[LSFan00]

Or, Ford could just save the billions and build it's own really wonderful tiny little car priced in the mid 20's and up. And make the engine in Brazil just for fun.

[SVT_MAN]

I agree with the people who are saying that Jaguar had problems from the get-go. In a way it kind of pains me to hear that, much less how much Jaguar struggles currently. My family owns a 1996 Jaguar XJ6 and a 2000 Jaguar XJ8L .. both are fantastic cars. They have been super, super reliable (never any mechanical problems) and just are plain awesome cars to drive and look at. But, they just plain didn't sell well.

 

Before you go making assumptions about how rich my family is, we play the depreciation game on them. We didn't buy them new. We bought bought cars about 6-10 years old. (My dad is a mechanical designer and my mom is a Spanish teacher at a middle school, you do the math .. not that much money even combined. Did pay cash for both Jaguars, however.)

 

Mark my family down for one family that is happy Jaguars have some of the worst resale values of any car out there. Most people still think Jaguars are the troubled, unreliable cars they were back in the 1980s. Ford really cured the reliability woes in the 1990s. What they never did cure was the sales crisis. Whether it's just the old skool look or the not-so-revolutionary, but ever-reliable mechanicals, Ford never seemed to sell the cars. The X-type was the worst thing Jaguar could have ever done. It hurt the brand image a ton and made people see Jaguars as "not so special." Even my aunt when she found out we bought a Jaguar immediately said "Oh, those cars aren' that fancy anymore though." (She found out she was wrong when we pulled up ).

 

I think they're fantastic cars (the XJs), even by today's standards. You haven't felt a smooth, SOLID ride until you ride in our 2000 XJ8L. It makes my 95 Sable's chassis feel like I'm riding on a piece of rubber. (Driving our 99 Mustang GT feels downright punishing after driving that car .. still fun as heck though.)

 

It's kind of sad in a way. I can't even ride in other cars and be impressed anymore. My one friends' parents purchased a new Infiniti they were all excited about and I was not impressed at all. Terrible ride, fit and finish was poor. Engine was pretty good though.

 

 

I really think Ford's problem was that they didn't seem to understand how easy it is to fall down. Ford went from penthouse to outhouse in less than 20 years. Sucks.

Edited May 12, 2007 by SVT_MAN

[RichardJensen]

Actually, the XK8 and XJ8 sold very well compared to the models they replaced.

[TStag]

Ford should have bought MG just to stop the Chinese getting it. MG is now backed with a lot of money, it still has a UK R&D facility, factories in China and the UK and factories set to come on line in Vietnam and possibly Oklahoma. Lotus and ARUP are helping with all the engineering so the cars could be pretty exciting. Did Ford miss an opportunity? Well yes, but only in the sense that one of the worlds big car makers should have intervened to stop the Chinese aquiring all the assets. The Chinese are now planning to use the MG brand and UK styling to storm the US and European markets. Bearing in mind they have one of the most advanced car factories in the world in China, japanese production methods and heavy European inffluence then I wouldn't bet against MG being the new Toyota within 20 years....