Enough

[F250]

I am not UAW and have never worked for Ford Motor Co. But I am a Ford enthusiast and what I read around here is aggravating!

 

When the North American operations earned Ford big profits years ago Ford wasted the money by buying a bunch of looser foreign car makers and then dumped more money and resources to bring those foreigners up to some level of modern manufacturing. That money should have been put back into Ford/Linclon/Mercury here in America. Because of years of bad managment decisions from it's millionaire executives Ford finds itself in serious financial trouble so their answer is to close American plants and put Americans out of jobs while continuing to bail out certain foreign operations.

 

This is not acceptable.

 

It is my understanding the UAW has worked with Ford and has made sacrifices but good plants have still been closed and Americans are loosing their jobs. The UAW used to have a tough reputation, how far will the retreat be before the line is drawn? Obviously it is not 1955 and the union needs to work with Ford to assure the survival of the company and change is necessary.

 

But the UAW should never allow Ford to continue to pour money into it's foreign operations while closing American plants. If Ford announces one more American plant closing, just one more, then the UAW should strike Ford nation wide! If Ford wants to close plants to save money then they can do it in Europe and Mexico. As a second option if Ford wants to keep it's status brands like Jaguar and Rover then re-open American plants and build those cars here.

 

Ford is an American car company with a proud 103 year heritage, it seems they need to be reminded of that. As far as I am concerned Ford should sell off every foreign brand and put everything into Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, make the stand here in America and put every resource into making these 3 brands the best in the world.

[Guest Sixcav]

Amen!!! Lets make America great again!! Better than it ever was!! We'll need to start with the rank and file American citizen placing emphasis on education and knowledge and not watching WWF and drinking beer. But surely the corporate execs get to share some of the blame for their shit decisions. The whole damn country needs a revamp, from the automotive industry to the punk ass kid working the drive through at the local burger joint. Not that there isn't a lot of great things about this country, but we are capable of so much more.

 

My little soapbox speech. lol

[robertlane]

Even if Ford wanted to get rid of Jaguar and Land Rover, who would the sell them to? Asian companies have a tradition of starting their own divisions and the Germans certainly don't need either Jag or L/R. At this point, Ford is kinda stuck with them, unless they close them down.

 

I don't know if the solution alone is to build the models here - what kind of signal does that send to EU consumers? I think you could have a mix of US and EU built products though - MB and BMW do this today.

[F250]

Even if Ford wanted to get rid of Jaguar and Land Rover, who would the sell them to? Asian companies have a tradition of starting their own divisions and the Germans certainly don't need either Jag or L/R. At this point, Ford is kinda stuck with them, unless they close them down.

 

I don't know if the solution alone is to build the models here - what kind of signal does that send to EU consumers? I think you could have a mix of US and EU built products though - MB and BMW do this today.

 

Think about that first statement. Ford wasted billions of dollars and years of work buying and rebuilding these loosers and even after all of that investment no one else would be interrested in buying them. Conclusion: Ford's executives screwed up! And now American plant workers are forced to pay the price for their stupidity.

 

If Ford is stuck with them then build them here and who cares if the EU doesn't like it. You make a good point about BMW and Mercedes..

 

Hey Ford, Toyota is in a very strong position right now because they did not waste their money buying outside looser companies. Are you learning anything yet! Here is a simple KISS plan: When Ford Motor Company makes big profits again reinvest it in Ford Motor Company!

Edited April 5, 2006 by F250

[retro-man]

Jaguar is fine. They make some gorgeous cars (the British ones). The problem is not Jaguar. The problem is the expectation that they would be a mass-market commodity brand. The result is the "Forduars" (the 'S' Type, and the 'X' Type, which could barely conceal its Contour underpinnings) - crimes against Ford, Jaguar, and nature alike. Jaguar is a boutique brand for the beautiful people, and fine with me if it stays that way.

 

Using the PAG as a rationale for relegating Lincoln to stale cars and re-badge trucks is unforgiveable. I don't know that it was a bad investment, but it was a bad marketing strategy. Of course, that assumes that Lincoln could ever be salvaged in the court of public opinion.

[PolarBear]

Unfortunately, there's a point in every losing investment where you cut your losses and run. I'm not sure where that point was with Jaguar and land Rover, but I am sure it was a few billion dollars ago. I'm also convinced it's going to take a few billion more before this story comes to it's ultimate conclusion.

[J-150]

Jaguar is fine. They make some gorgeous cars (the British ones). The problem is not Jaguar. The problem is the expectation that they would be a mass-market commodity brand. The result is the "Forduars" (the 'S' Type, and the 'X' Type, which could barely conceal its Contour underpinnings) - crimes against Ford, Jaguar, and nature alike. Jaguar is a boutique brand for the beautiful people, and fine with me if it stays that way.

 

Using the PAG as a rationale for relegating Lincoln to stale cars and re-badge trucks is unforgiveable. I don't know that it was a bad investment, but it was a bad marketing strategy. Of course, that assumes that Lincoln could ever be salvaged in the court of public opinion.

 

 

where have you been for the past 25 years?

 

EVery Lincoln I've seen has been a half-assed, rebadged Ford.

Edited April 6, 2006 by J-150

[NickF1011]

Unfortunately, there's a point in every losing investment where you cut your losses and run. I'm not sure where that point was with Jaguar and land Rover, but I am sure it was a few billion dollars ago. I'm also convinced it's going to take a few billion more before this story comes to it's ultimate conclusion.

 

Jaguar yes. Land Rover? Where have you been? LR has been fully profitable for the past year. With their sales increasing rapidly (should only improve more when the new Freelander arrives) their future looks quite robust in the luxury SUV market.

[PolarBear]

Jaguar yes. Land Rover? Where have you been? LR has been fully profitable for the past year. With their sales increasing rapidly (should only improve more when the new Freelander arrives) their future looks quite robust in the luxury SUV market.

 

 

 

Being the business person that I am :rolleyes: , I'm guessing the only way to get out of Jaguar in one piece is to package it together with LR. Betcha lunch it ultimately goes down like that too.

[NickF1011]

Being the business person that I am :rolleyes: , I'm guessing the only way to get out of Jaguar in one piece is to package it together with LR. Betcha lunch it ultimately goes down like that too.

 

Once again though....who is in any position to buy it? The Japanese don't NEED it, the Europeans already FAILED at it, and the Americans can't AFFORD it.

 

Maybe China?

[PolarBear]

One thought- Korean investment group bought Lotus. If I were shopping them around, that's geographically, where I'd be looking the hardest.

[NickF1011]

One thought- Korean investment group bought Lotus. If I were shopping them around, that's geographically, where I'd be looking the hardest.

 

I thought Lotus was still owned by Proton, which is Malaysian. Maybe I'm just behind the times...?

[J-150]

Lincoln LS never had a Ford model, nor did it share a platform with one.

 

 

I'll give you that one. A rebadged, halfassed Jaguar. So in this case, the Lincoln was the better of the 2.

 

 

But what happened? Its being killed.

 

 

Lincoln hasn't been managed properly in over 25 years. The only thing PAG has done, is accelerate what was a death by Ford already happening.

[PolarBear]

I thought Lotus was still owned by Proton, which is Malaysian. Maybe I'm just behind the times...?

 

No- you're spot on. My bad.

[dr511scj]

I am not UAW and have never worked for Ford Motor Co. But I am a Ford enthusiast and what I read around here is aggravating!

 

When the North American operations earned Ford big profits years ago Ford wasted the money by buying a bunch of looser foreign car makers and then dumped more money and resources to bring those foreigners up to some level of modern manufacturing. Ford is an American car company with a proud 103 year heritage, it seems they need to be reminded of that. As far as I am concerned Ford should sell off every foreign brand and put everything into Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, make the stand here in America and put every resource into making these 3 brands the best in the world.

 

Dude? If Ford dumps Volvo and Mazda, who will design the next big "hit" for Ford? Other than the Mustang (built at a half-Mazda plant) what recent Ford car has been anything other than a warmed-over Mazda or Volvo?

 

I'm waiting for the answer, you Bill Ford Club Members! Take a big gulp of that Fantasy Management Kool-Aide and give it your best shot . . . .

[NickF1011]

Dude? If Ford dumps Volvo and Mazda, who will design the next big "hit" for Ford? Other than the Mustang (built at a half-Mazda plant) what recent Ford car has been anything other than a warmed-over Mazda or Volvo?

 

I'm waiting for the answer, you Bill Ford Club Members! Take a big gulp of that Fantasy Management Kool-Aide and give it your best shot . . . .

 

 

I think you just answered your own question: The Mustang. Where it's built is irrelevant - oh the wonderous joys of flex plants!! I don't recall seeing any Mazda or Volvo hardware on the Ford GT either.

 

Platform-sharing is the way of the industry. If you're not going to utilize the engineering abilities of your subsidiaries, why acquire them in the first place?

[Ovaltine]

Want a foolproof recipe for success at Ford? I'll even offer it up here for free.

 

(Note: Some of these may be impossible to accomplish, BUT I hold tight to the opinion that these would enhance Ford's chances at success if they could be enacted.)

 

 

1. Build a NON-hybrid car that gets class leading MPG. We're talking 35 mpg+ here. Make it attractive and tough looking. Make it with high quality. Get it on the market in the next 3 years.

 

2. Sack the dealership network. Make all dealers pass a series of sales experience and service tests and opinion surveys to retain or acquire their franchise. (The QCP data, or its descendant, would be a good start for this process.) Make sure that nearly NO customers walk away from any dealership disgruntled. Ford should acknowledge publicly that their dealership network was a problem, and that the problem has now been fixed. Fund and provide the new dealer body with a program of customer spiffs so inticing that it gets hardcore Ford dealer-haters into the showroom.

 

3. Bump the vehicle warranty to *at least* bumper to bumper 5 year/60,000 miles across all models. The Hyundai/KIA model of 5/60k bumper-to-bumper and 10/100k powertrain coverages would be better, but the 5/60 would at least be a good start.

 

4. Find a good source of opinion on styling. Eliminate styling faux paus like the current Fusion taillights, conservative 500 styling, etc. Follow the model of the team that performed the most recent Mustang redesign.

 

5. Give the customer more than they expect for less than they expect.

 

6. Market the hell out of the above changes once they're put in place. And do it without insulting the viewer/listener by having to hear the word 'WART, WART, WART' repeated fifty times (aka "Life in Drive" campaign).

 

 

 

Does anyone else have some recommendations?

 

-Ovaltine

Edited April 7, 2006 by Ovaltine

[F250]

Dude? If Ford dumps Volvo and Mazda, who will design the next big "hit" for Ford? Other than the Mustang (built at a half-Mazda plant) what recent Ford car has been anything other than a warmed-over Mazda or Volvo?

 

I'm waiting for the answer, you Bill Ford Club Members! Take a big gulp of that Fantasy Management Kool-Aide and give it your best shot . . . .

 

Dude?

If Mazda and Volvo were always so superior how was Ford able to buy them? Yes I know Ford does not own Mazda outright like the rest of it's foreign brands Japan's protectionist laws prevented that. Mazda was weak and circling the drain and needed a bailout so Ford bought them. Now you imply Mazda is superior to Ford when without Ford Mazda would have gone the way of Daihatsu. Volvo! Before Ford all Volvos were 3-box style with 50 horsepower, Ford has definately turned that company around. That's the point you missed, Ford should have used all of those resources here at home.

 

All of those foreign companies were weak and failing that's why they were up for sale in the first place. Any success they have today is because of Ford.

Edited April 8, 2006 by F250