Can Ford survive without trucks?

[Fatso]

Overall Ford sales are down 28.1% It breaks down like this;SUV down 54.7%;Trucks + Vans down 35.6%;Crossovers down 17.8%;cars down 12% Ford profits have come mostly from sales of the F-150 without those sales what happens next?I predict Ford will need bankruptcy protection and a Government bailout of it`s pension obligation.It would help tremendously if the housing market picked back up but our government seems to be heavily involved and committed to War in the Middle-East.Half a trillion taxpayer dollars spent.We could all be driving a Hybrid Vehicle and have solar panels installed on the roof of our homes and best part is that no one would have to die.Ford may have to go bankrupt.Too many truck plants.What do you think?

[NAP wife]

Overall Ford sales are down 28.1% It breaks down like this;SUV down 54.7%;Trucks + Vans down 35.6%;Crossovers down 17.8%;cars down 12% Ford profits have come mostly from sales of the F-150 without those sales what happens next?I predict Ford will need bankruptcy protection and a Government bailout of it`s pension obligation.It would help tremendously if the housing market picked back up but our government seems to be heavily involved and committed to War in the Middle-East.Half a trillion taxpayer dollars spent.We could all be driving a Hybrid Vehicle and have solar panels installed on the roof of our homes and best part is that no one would have to die.Ford may have to go bankrupt.Too many truck plants.What do you think?

 

Truck sales are down 41%. Some cars are up actually. Ford will be fine, after some bumps in the road, they will be back on top.

 

Here are silimar but a little different sales figures:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080701/ap_on_...e/auto_sales_36

[Explorer4X4]

I love the Americanism of people on the topic of the Ford Motor Company.

 

Firstly, Ford has been worse of before and came out on top. Not only that, but came out as the leading car manufacturer in North America.

 

Secondly, everyone seems to think all that matters is Ford sales in the U.S. Believe it or not, there are countries outside of America. Where in Ford builds cars, and mainly cars. For example this little known continent called Europe, Ford builds 1 truck, primarily for commercial use. Then you have over a dozen compact and mid-size cars.

 

Thirdly, last I checked Ford was the worlds third largest automobile manufacturer.

 

Fourthly, there are numerous reasons for poor truck sales besides moderately, ever so slight fuel price increases. I hope you are all able to figure out what those reasons are for yourselves.

 

Fifthly, I could have sworn Ford was doing better then other brands (financially). I do believe both Chrysler Corporation and the Mitsubishi brand are doing far worse, and hey, they're still fighting.

[pbp9298]

I love the Americanism of people on the topic of the Ford Motor Company.

 

Firstly, Ford has been worse of before and came out on top. Not only that, but came out as the leading car manufacturer in North America.

 

Secondly, everyone seems to think all that matters is Ford sales in the U.S. Believe it or not, there are countries outside of America. Where in Ford builds cars, and mainly cars. For example this little known continent called Europe, Ford builds 1 truck, primarily for commercial use. Then you have over a dozen compact and mid-size cars.

 

Thirdly, last I checked Ford was the worlds third largest automobile manufacturer.

 

Fourthly, there are numerous reasons for poor truck sales besides moderately, ever so slight fuel price increases. I hope you are all able to figure out what those reasons are for yourselves.

 

Fifthly, I could have sworn Ford was doing better then other brands (financially). I do believe both Chrysler Corporation and the Mitsubishi brand are doing far worse, and hey, they're still fighting.

Good post!!!!!!

[Fatso]

Hello Explorer 4X4 Well the 'Americanism' that you appear to be biased against, may have to do with the fact that Ford Truck Plants are located in America and Ford is historically at least an American Company.It is not a recession unitil you are personally laid off.It is not a depression until you personally lose your job permanetly.I hope that every UAW member that reads your post realizes that American workers must now compete globally against Socialist nations and in some cases that means even against 'slaves'.Democrats and Republicans have arranged this situation.That is not the 'meat' of this topic.Yes I agree with you Ford will exist in some capacity on a global level.Kentuck Truck is down to one shift.They make the commercial versions F-250,350 those customers cannot make due without a truck.Kansas City and DTP produce a similiar product and Ford may not need both plants.Louisville and Michigan Truck both make SUV`s.Ford may not need both plants.I think Ford declares bankruptcy protection in 2009 or 2010

[whereswaldo]

Too many truck plants.What do you think?

Ford cant survuve w/o trucks. Because they don't have a full lineup of cars. If they had pushed to lead and not follow, they may have had more hybrids and such. Mullaly will allow lack of investment in U.S. to continue until UAW is beaten down and Ford,USA is but a shell of a global company. Corporate America wants our money but not us. Enough of the rambling , time to get a cold one..........

[Fatso]

I love the Americanism of people on the topic of the Ford Motor Company.

 

Firstly, Ford has been worse of before and came out on top. Not only that, but came out as the leading car manufacturer in North America.

 

Secondly, everyone seems to think all that matters is Ford sales in the U.S. Believe it or not, there are countries outside of America. Where in Ford builds cars, and mainly cars. For example this little known continent called Europe, Ford builds 1 truck, primarily for commercial use. Then you have over a dozen compact and mid-size cars.

 

Thirdly, last I checked Ford was the worlds third largest automobile manufacturer.

 

Fourthly, there are numerous reasons for poor truck sales besides moderately, ever so slight fuel price increases. I hope you are all able to figure out what those reasons are for yourselves.

 

Fifthly, I could have sworn Ford was doing better then other brands (financially). I do believe both Chrysler Corporation and the Mitsubishi brand are doing far worse, and hey, they're still fighting.

Markets outside of the USA fluctuate as well.Ford is heavily dependent on profits from the F-150 the World`s leading selling vehicle for revenue and profits

[Fatso]

Ford cant survuve w/o trucks. Because they don't have a full lineup of cars. If they had pushed to lead and not follow, they may have had more hybrids and such. Mullaly will allow lack of investment in U.S. to continue until UAW is beaten down and Ford,USA is but a shell of a global company. Corporate America wants our money but not us. Enough of the rambling , time to get a cold one..........

I agree with you.Then why did investor Kerkorian buy the stock at $8.50 a share?You know he has a well thought out plan.Bankruptcy?United States Government bailout.After Explorer 4X4`s 'Americanism' post I hope that cold one is a Coor`s Silver Bullet.Enjoy,,,,,got pizza?

[Explorer4X4]

Hello Explorer 4X4 Well the 'Americanism' that you appear to be biased against, may have to do with the fact that Ford Truck Plants are located in America and Ford is historically at least an American Company.It is not a recession unitil you are personally laid off.It is not a depression until you personally lose your job permanetly.I hope that every UAW member that reads your post realizes that American workers must now compete globally against Socialist nations and in some cases that means even against 'slaves'.Democrats and Republicans have arranged this situation.That is not the 'meat' of this topic.Yes I agree with you Ford will exist in some capacity on a global level.Kentuck Truck is down to one shift.They make the commercial versions F-250,350 those customers cannot make due without a truck.Kansas City and DTP produce a similiar product and Ford may not need both plants.Louisville and Michigan Truck both make SUV`s.Ford may not need both plants.I think Ford declares bankruptcy protection in 2009 or 2010

 

Now I'm wondering, what does this post have to do with anything? I fail to see the difference for workers at manufacturing plants if Ford is building 50,000 Super Duty's a month or 50,000 Fiesta's. If anything you should be agreeing with me in the sense that Ford, and Americans, should stop focusing on trucks. All this "Ford is nothing without the F-150" bs is just extremely tiring to hear. Ford needs to start building cars (not trucks and SUV's) on a quality level higher then the "Asian Big Three". Which they are close to achieving, but its going to take a while to convince the soon-to-forget American consumer that their products are better then what Toyota or Honda offer.

 

Thats just it. Americans are so easy to forget and only focus on themselves. In Britain gas has reached the equivalent of over $14USD a gallon. We are complaining about $4 a gallon. Yet we are complaining a hell of a lot louder then them, and continue focusing only on 5.4L Triton V8 equipped Ford F-250's. Gotta love that.

[Critic]

Because you failed to first check, your in the employee forum.

[Fatso]

Explorer 4X4 If you really are 15 years old I am impressed with your maturity.I am also not going to say anything mean or nasty assumming that you are only 15.I am equally confused.I get your point that Ford is a global company.As far as Americans think only about themselves,,,,uh,,,you are digressing from the topic and confusing me.The F-150 is the World`s leading selling vehicle.The profits from the F-150 sustain the entire company.Ford has mortgaged all of it`s assets.It is a real bad situation for the company its investors its employees Nationally and Globally.Might I just tell you a little something about UAW workers at Ford.Many of them have showed up with perfect attendance for decades working in strict and inhospitable conditions.We supported the company by buying stock in Ford.We buy only Ford vehicles.Human beings all around the world must think about themselves.That is called survival.I am glad you mention the U.K. it reminds me of Ford`s purchase of Jaquar after which the British union informed Ford that if Fords had the foggiest notion of moving production overseas then Mr.Ford`s name in England would be mud.Ford had tooling in place at Wixom Assembly to produce both a left hand and a right hand{for Europe}version of the L.S. Sedan.When Ford purchased Volvo part of the agreement with the Swedish Union was that Ford would not export Lincoln`s to Europe.The 'right hand drive' tooling was paid for but never used.Explorer 4X4 only the strong survive in this world and one way to be stronger is to stick together.You are from Alaska,I always wanted to go there it looks beautiful.Have a nice day

Edited July 1, 2008 by Fatso

[Fatso]

Housing market [American Housing Market] does not pick up soon it does not look good at Ford.DTP and KCAP are in competition as is Louisville and MTP.Kentucky Truck makes F-250`s and 350`s for Commercial customers like farmers but they have gone from three down to one shift,I heard.The Companies bottom line has to be getting racked.It will be dismal results for the third and fourth quarters.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Fatso

[whereswaldo]

Thats just it. Americans are so easy to forget ............................. and continue focusing only on 5.4L Triton V8 equipped Ford F-250's. Gotta love that.

Um, last I looked, this thread was about TRUCKS. Sooooo when the majority of your NA sales are Truck/Suv, I would say we have some digging out to do.

[Fatso]

Um, last I looked, this thread was about TRUCKS. Sooooo when the majority of your NA sales are Truck/Suv, I would say we have some digging out to do.

I doubt if Explorer 4X4 is really a 15 year old living in Alaska as his/her profile suggests.If he/she is I might suggest to him/her to pay more attention to the opposite sex instead of the automobile industry .You are only young once.Anyways I think what Explorer 4X4 is getting at in a roundabout way is that Ford Motor may have the desire and capability to move manufacturing offshore and become an exporter back to the USA of cars.Nafta is the Shafta for American workers.The 'Americanism' remark is grating because as an American I feel we as a nation are too nice and accomadating to the rest of the world.Don`t believe me?Well Israel loves us.I know because I have Jewish friends.Don`t mess with the Zohan.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Fatso

[simplesituations]

How is it we cry with gas getting and staying over $4 a gallon and in Europe, the gas is over 10 dollars Us money. Isn't there a ton in the price compared to the USA?????

I keep hearing how much we cry about gas from other countries and they wish they could pay what we pay.

So again, from my understanding, gas overseas is heavily taxed. Am I right????

[Fatso]

How is it we cry with gas getting and staying over $4 a gallon and in Europe, the gas is over 10 dollars Us money. Isn't there a ton in the price compared to the USA?????

I keep hearing how much we cry about gas from other countries and they wish they could pay what we pay.

So again, from my understanding, gas overseas is heavily taxed. Am I right????

I assume that the difference is taxes because the oil is bought on the same international market.Look what does the price of gas in Europe have to do with truck sales in the USA?In Kuwait gas is less than a dollar a gallon.Europe and South America and Asia have their economic ups and downs too.Geographically the three largest nations on earth in order are;Russia;Canada;USA maybe that figures into what the government can get away with as far as taxes on gasoline are concerned.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Fatso

[simplesituations]

Referring to Explore4x4 on the gas prices as he mentioned in the UK

[Fatso]

Maybe people will eventually get use to $4-5 dollar a gallon gas.I am digging trying to find out what percentage of Ford Motor Company profits currently come from F-150 sales.I know that DTP has delayed the launch of the newly redesigned 2009 F-150 until the 2008 F-150`s can be sold off dealer lots.Long term maybe Ford does want to say,forget the UAW worker we are a Global Company and now we manufacture in places like Mexico and Brazil and Canada and export back to the USA.That would not surprise me one bit and only in America are the people so diverse and hateful and disrespectful of their own heritage and jealous of each other that the idea would even be considered.I would not call it an automatic success however as a matter of fact Ford is usually wrong.Do foreign workers pay taxes that support the United States Government?Foreign countries hate us Americans but love our dollars and 300 million consumers.This topic is about current $$$$$$ revenue the Ford Motor Company has at stake in Trucks.Before Ford can export American Jobs in the future it needs to make money,today!

Edited July 1, 2008 by Fatso

[Explorer4X4]

Please, nobody take my previous posts as offensive. They are not intended to be in any way. I am merely posting my view on this subject. I will post more on my reasoning on this subject soon, but for now, look at it this way. Honda. Like Ford, a global company that sells cars in numerous countries and continents.. Unlike Ford, they have 1 truck line. According to Jalopnik.com yesterday, Honda is projected to be the only mainstream manufacturer to have sales increases for the month of June. A couple weeks ago Edmund's InsideLine.com published an article on their prediction that Honda is on its way up in the world, and could very well replace General Motors and Toyota as the leading automobile manufacturer.

 

Now, one will argue that Ford =/= Honda. Especially when you look at the sales numbers of the Ford F-Series trucks. The best selling motor vehicle on the planet for 31 years (or so I have read/heard). However in May, the F-Series lost that title to: Honda's Civic. If you add up sales of the Toyota Matrix and Corolla, the F-Series was bumped from #1 to 3rd.

 

Sales of trucks all over have been falling. Even Toyota, they are not going to set records this year because their new Tundra pickup isn't selling as predicted. Fact of the matter is gas is only going higher, and our technological advancements are simply too slow to save the pickup. Its not going to die, oh no, its still going to be one of the biggest segments. But more and more people are buying cars, and less and less are buying trucks. I feel its one of the reasons people are opting for Toyota and Honda (who have been focusing on compacts and mid-size cars for decades) then Ford (who have been putting too much weight on truck and SUV sales).

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think I am, and looking at sales, and just general consumer and media popularity and favoring it just seems that cars (especially the compact economy sedan and the mid-size family sedan) should be the main focus of all mainstream brands. Also, let me clarify what I meant by "Americanism" on this topic. We seem to be looking at what is happening now in the U.S. We aren't looking at the future, or at other countries, or at real long term alternatives. We are also not looking to the past. I wasn't alive in the early 1970's but I have read numerous articles, seen plenty of pictures and videos, about the oil crunch of the 70's. Now, in the 00's, we are complaining twice as loud and doing half as much. Then look at the 80's. Ford owned the car market with models like the Tempo and Taurus. Now, I know competition and the economy are different in modern times. However, you can't deny the facts. Ford's lucky to sell 200,000 Fusion's in a year. Tempo was Ford's third best selling sedan, and they were selling 400,000 or more a year. Yet nowadays, Tempo is a bad word. What happened??

[Fatso]

Explorer 4X4 if you really are 15 years old one day you are going make one heck of an executive.I am not really here to argue with you.You are free to see it any way you want.Examine your own statements and you will see that your logic is good but your agruments are weak.For instance "Ford is still the No.3 vehicle manufacturer in the world".That is great if only, previously Ford was No.4 not No.2.What I am trying to ascertain is the current damage to Ford`s bottom line as a result of F-150 sales grinding to a halt.You seem like a smart person.There are people both salary and hourly who may lose their jobs at Ford.2 million USA manufacturing jobs have been lost in recent years.The USA has the world`s third largest population and it is the strongest car market in the world.Ford is in a struggle for survival right now.A truck can do lots of things a car cannot.Hey know what? A 90 year old billionaire named Kerkorian must agree with you.He bought millions of shares of Ford Common Stock at $8.50.Keep Smilin!