Michael Reynolds Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Nevermind, I guess it has been confirmed :banghead: http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...NESS01/70612011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Wow, so we're going to go back to Ford-Lincoln/Mercury now??? Ford doesn't make anything exciting short of the Mustang, and Mercury/Lincoln's are just re-baged Ford's.. Definitely "bold moves", I bet they' sale em for change compared to what they paid for em too.. :titanic: What's pitiful too is that Ford will probably lose more money this year than what they'll get for LR/Jag, they should just fucking keep them, there is the C-XF on the way and a new XJ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 (edited) Wow, so we're going to go back to Ford-Lincoln/Mercury now??? Ford doesn't make anything exciting short of the Mustang, and Mercury/Lincoln's are just re-baged Ford's.. Definitely "bold moves", I bet they' sale em for change compared to what they paid for em too.. :titanic: What's pitiful too is that Ford will probably lose more money this year than what they'll get for LR/Jag, they should just fucking keep them, there is the C-XF on the way and a new XJ... For once I agree with you 100%. Even if Lincoln came out with a flagship sedan that put the Germans to shame no one would buy it. Why? Because no one wants a Lincoln that is willing to spend that much money on a car. Look at how long it took Lexus to get where it is now, and it was an upstart. Lincon is sitting under decades of tranished mishaps....... Again who's fault is it that Jaguar is in the shape that it is in now? Edited June 12, 2007 by Michael Reynolds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 What was your opinion of Ford before they bought Jag and LR? I've always been a big fan of Ford Europe. There are only 2 models in the last 30 year's I've been disappointed in (last version of the Ecot and the stupid Scorpion). Having said that I've always bought classic cars or Premium models. Once Land Rover and Jag go I doubt I will every go near a Ford showroom. The crazy think is the XF is 90 days away from being launched. Why sell Jag now? Why not kill the X type, launch the XF and then proclaim that only Ford North America needs fixing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01FOCI Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 To me, the balance sheets must be looking bleak to sell off a majority of your (foreign)assets, having just mortgaged a significant portion of your core (home) operations. The national economy is going (has gone) global, so lets sell of ones global brands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 For once I agree with you 100%. Even if Lincoln came out with a flagship sedan that put the Germans to shame no one would buy it. Why? Because no one wants a Lincoln that is willing to spend that much money on a car. Look at how long it took Lexus to get where it is now, and it was an upstart. Lincon is sitting under decades of tranished mishaps....... Again who's fault is it that Jaguar is in the shape that it is in now? Jag was fucked before Ford got its hands on it and well Ford never really had a good game plan for it in the past 15 years it owned it. They seriously screwed the pooch on that purchase.. LR seems to be doing good, but its pretty limited in what it can do for growth outside SUV's Another thing to consider is that Volvo could be grown into a bigger luxury player then it is now, since I think selling Volvo is next to impossible at this point... As for a German beating Lincoln, if Ford can come up with 5/7 series sized car and offer the same amenities and luxury at a 50-60K price point, people will snap them up... One last thing that people might be totally missing here...UAW negitoagtions start in September for a new Contract...this could be just position by Ford's Management to get more concessions from the UAW if they become the strike target... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inteller Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 remarkable....the only SUV segment not feeling the gas pinch and ford sells it off. Look for the company called 'Ford' to be sold off in pieces come 2009. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 I wonder if GM will make an offer for Land Rover and Jag. GM have always fancied Land Rover (tried to buy it once already) and having missed out on Jeep so they could be tempted. Land Rover and Jag would also dove tail neatly with Vauxhall in the UK. Vauxhall has a volume car plant (unlike Ford) so lots of potential to get more out of the relationship. Don't mind putting a small bet on that one. In addition GM has a strategy of rolling cars out gloabally. GM would get the Rover brand to whack on the front of either Buicks or Pontiacs so in actual fact this would be a good strategic move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 If the new Ford management figures that it's in the long-term best interest of the company to renegotiate these loans, they will do so. The 'new' Ford management negotiated these loans in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inteller Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I wonder if GM will make an offer for Land Rover and Jag. GM have always fancied Land Rover (tried to buy it once already) and having missed out on Jeep so they could be tempted. Land Rover and Jag would also dove tail neatly with Vauxhall in the UK. Vauxhall has a volume car plant (unlike Ford) so lots of potential to get more out of the relationship. Don't mind putting a small bet on that one. In addition GM has a strategy of rolling cars out gloabally. GM would get the Rover brand to whack on the front of either Buicks or Pontiacs so in actual fact this would be a good strategic move. sure why not...they didn't bite off on the TURD known as Chrysler, so let them get ROVER instead...they can merge land Rover with Hummer and drive the whole thing into the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suv_guy_19 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 sure why not...they didn't bite off on the TURD known as Chrysler, so let them get ROVER instead...they can merge land Rover with Hummer and drive the whole thing into the ground. hopefully you'll be riding shotgun.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Holy cow...talk about all kinds of different stories on this subject. One says nothing is for sale at this time and that they are only looking at different options...one says that Jaguar and Land Rover are on the auction block...one says that Volvo is for sale...one says that Volvo is NOT for sale...and on and on...anyone else feel confused by all the conflicting reports????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKII Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 (edited) The crazy think is the XF is 90 days away from being launched. Why sell Jag now? Why not kill the X type, launch the XF and then proclaim that only Ford North America needs fixing? I heard through the grapevine the XF has been put on hold due to the circumstances of the sale. Edited June 12, 2007 by MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKII Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Press Association Tuesday June 12, 2007 6:03 PM The Government is coming under pressure to intervene if car giant Ford sells its Jaguar and Land Rover operations to a private equity firm. Union leaders are seeking urgent talks with the US-owned carmaker to warn against any takeover by "asset-stripping" private equity buyers. Labour MP John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington) tabled a Parliamentary motion against the sale of the two marques to a private equity company. The moves came as leaders of the private equity industry were accused of being evasive after being on the receiving end of an hour-long grilling by MPs on a Commons committee. Controversy over the effect of private equity-funded takeovers on jobs, pay, pensions and working conditions sparked an investigation by the Treasury Select Committee into the regulation and tax regime of the sector. Three officials of the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) were involved in fierce exchanges with MPs over the tax advantages of private equity executives and the involvement of workers in takeover deals. Ford briefed MPs on Monday night on the sale and is expected to give more details later this week. The motor manufacturer bought Jaguar in 1989 for £1.6 billion and Land Rover in 2000 for £1.7 billion and the two firms employ about 19,000 workers in the UK. Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the Unite trade union, said the Government should step in to protect Land Rover and Jaguar if there is any suggestion they face a takeover by "asset-stripping" private equity buyers. Mr McDonnell said: "For almost 20,000 staff today's announcement will come as a massive shock. I am calling on the Government to intervene to prevent this sale which could result in huge job losses and the consequent impact on those local communities affected." Ford is believed to have handed three investment banks a mandate to sell the two businesses as it steps up a group-wide restructuring process aimed at stemming record losses. The company sold Aston Martin earlier this year and there has been increasing speculation about further sell-offs. Jaguar employs about 10,000 workers in the UK at sites in Coventry, Birmingham and Liverpool, while Land Rover has about 9,000 employees, mainly at Solihull in the West Midlands, Halewood, near Liverpool, and Gaydon in Warwickshire. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the Government is in touch with Ford over the planned sell-off. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6703400,00.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Holy cow...talk about all kinds of different stories on this subject. One says nothing is for sale at this time and that they are only looking at different options...one says that Jaguar and Land Rover are on the auction block...one says that Volvo is for sale...one says that Volvo is NOT for sale...and on and on...anyone else feel confused by all the conflicting reports????? I agree that it's been quite the roller-coaster ride. And to add to the confusion, here's the latest on Volvo from Amy Wilson of Automotive News (published late today, June 12). "BMW reportedly considered buying Volvo, the last piece of the PAG. But there are no active discussions regarding the sale of Volvo, Ford says. That said, all options remain on the table for Volvo, as well, a Ford source said." You tell me if Volvo is for sale or not. I sure don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 Ford are willing to sell all of PAG for the right price. Personally I think BMW are still looking at this but both Ford and BMW are spinning things to let them get on with the process of due dillegence quitely. BMW admitted recently they were looking at a fourth brand. Volvo fits the bill. Face it. Ford is selling off anything it can right now. I woudn't even bet against Mazda and Ford Europe being sold. Personally I think they should split the entire company in two and let Ford America go it alone. We are only at this point because Ford America can't fix itself. Why should the rest of Ford suffer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 "Ford is selling off anything it can right now" And your basis for this allegation is? Oh, that's right. There is no basis. Here at BON, we love to pass off opinions as facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 "Ford is selling off anything it can right now" And your basis for this allegation is? Oh, that's right. There is no basis. Here at BON, we love to pass off opinions as facts. Well fair enough CNN have now changed their mind after persuading most people that Ford had got the for sale sign out. Here is the latest installment: MARKETWATCH FIRST TAKE: Ford's Awkward Ties To The Old Order June 12, 2007: 06:09 PM EST SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) -- Last month it was Volvo. Today it's the entire Premier Automotive Group. Rumors are racing across Northern Europe that Ford Motor Co., deep into a painful restructuring, is about to set free Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar. Ford (F) acquired the three back when gasoline was cheap, SUV sales were booming, and the company had the cash to snap them up like trophies. Europeans and American aficionados rued the day, predicting Detroit would destroy the magic that made these independent nameplates special -- warts and all. But true believers never gave up hoping that Sweden's Volvo and Britain's Land Rover and Jaguar somehow could get out from under Ford's yoke. That dream got a boost in March when Ford sold Aston Martin to investors with the passion and money needed to revive the legendary sports car line. Last month, Swedish papers reported Ford was about to cut loose Volvo. Today it was Land Rover and Jaguar's turn, surfacing in the British press as spin-off candidates. Ford fueled the optimism, confirming it is indeed "exploring strategic options" for at least Jaguar and Land Rover. So is a sale imminent? Not likely. In the group, only Jaguar is truly in need of a major overhaul. Land Rover is sexier and selling better than ever while Volvo continues to hold sway over a loyal following of well-heeled, safety-minded buyers. The bottom line is that Ford needs models that offer attractive, high-end alternatives to its home-spun pick-ups and SUVs, whose sales are slumping almost as fast a gas prices are rising. And then there's the question of finding buyers willing to offer more than nostalgic support. So those dedicated to the restoration of the Old Order would do well to wrap themselves in patience. Members of the Premier Automotive Group could very well find themselves entwined for years to come in the financial lifeline Henry Ford's company needs to stay afloat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 Ford need to make their mind up one way or the other, they need to kill stories, etc. This is destabalising all of PAG and Ford Europe. It's a joke. Does Mullaly have a plan or does he make a new one up each morning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 persuading most people WHAT? Persuading people that let hack reporters do all their thinking for them, maybe. Good LORD! You come from the land of the Sun, the Mirror, and the Daily Mail! Why on God's green earth do you believe the CRAP that gets shoveled out by the ton in THIS country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 WHAT? Persuading people that let hack reporters do all their thinking for them, maybe. Good LORD! You come from the land of the Sun, the Mirror, and the Daily Mail! Why on God's green earth do you believe the CRAP that gets shoveled out by the ton in THIS country? I dunno Rich...just this morning the front page of the National Enquirer caught my eye...apparently Bat Boy has his name down for the new S replacement.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Does Mullaly have a plan or does he make a new one up each morning? I repeat, WHAT? Do you think that just MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE, the endless parade "Ford is selling this" "Ford is selling that" stories is NOTHING MORE than a bid to DRUM UP NEWS? I mean, might you possibly, possibly, concede that perhaps, there's the slightest chance that these 'unconfirmed reports' are nothing more than water cooler chatter and outright fabrications? The inability of REPORTERS to get THEIR stories straight is hardly an indication that Mulally doesn't know what HE'S doing!!!! I mean for crying out LOUD. Do you believe that everything that you read on these news sites comes straight from the mouth of Mulally, Fields, or Booth? I would LOVE to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, if ONLY I could get CNN to run a story reporting it for sale, so you'd believe it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 (edited) I repeat, WHAT? Do you think that just MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE, the endless parade "Ford is selling this" "Ford is selling that" stories is NOTHING MORE than a bid to DRUM UP NEWS? I mean, might you possibly, possibly, concede that perhaps, there's the slightest chance that these 'unconfirmed reports' are nothing more than water cooler chatter and outright fabrications? The inability of REPORTERS to get THEIR stories straight is hardly an indication that Mulally doesn't know what HE'S doing!!!! I mean for crying out LOUD. Do you believe that everything that you read on these news sites comes straight from the mouth of Mulally, Fields, or Booth? I would LOVE to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, if ONLY I could get CNN to run a story reporting it for sale, so you'd believe it. Completely off topic...apparently contrary to CNN's initial reports...the Pakistani Cricket coach WAS NOT murdered as initially thought......... for 2 WHOLE weeks it was reported...he died of natural causes.....that and there is hope for us all...Tommy Lee wears a prosthetic..... ... Edited June 12, 2007 by Deanh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Look TStag, I'm sorry for the rants, but you have GOT to stop taking what you read on these news sites as legit. Most of it is nothing more than watercooler chit-chat. Yes, Ford did brief MPs about a possible sale of Jaguar and Land-Rover, but at the same time, this is occurring a YEAR after Ford first admitted that they were 'considering' a sale. I would hardly take this as evidence that a sale is imminent, or that Ford would completely abandon these two marques to their fate if a sale should occur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_the_limey Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 From one englishman to another, for the love of god TStag please stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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