Blue Oval Staff Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 click here for the article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 It's a slow news week, so we get more of the same old. The sky is falling! Meanwhile, Ford has new product coming over the next 36-48 months that will transform the company. Ford will be a smaller company than it is now, but it will survive — and thrive again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 It's a slow news week, so we get more of the same old. The sky is falling! Meanwhile, Ford has new product coming over the next 36-48 months that will transform the company. Ford will be a smaller company than it is now, but it will survive — and thrive again. what product? I haven't heard any new product news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 It's a slow news week, so we get more of the same old. The sky is falling! Meanwhile, Ford has new product coming over the next 36-48 months that will transform the company. Ford will be a smaller company than it is now, but it will survive — and thrive again. 2010 is extremly far away, Ford should not be so willing to crumble in their home market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 (edited) Ford's product drought hampers recovery efforts. detnews.com Now Ford wants to speed up restructuring efforts, with talk of taking waste and cost out of the product development process. My immediate reaction to such statements is that we have heard them many times before, and if the main sources of 'waste' have not already been uncovered, then something is clearly amiss. Of equal concern is the question of the personnel involved; where are the product experts, the real car people, among Ford's top ranks? Judged from outside, at least, the bench does not seem that deep. After seeing product droughts hit Ford more than once in the past, one has to ask why it has been allowed to happen again. WE have reason to be skeptical of Ford. Edited August 4, 2006 by Biker16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 what product? I haven't heard any new product news. Within the next 36-48 months? Hell, just about everything in the lineup will be freshened or new in that time span...everything except probably the Ranger and Panthers. Plus you'll get the addition of at least 2 new B-cars in that timeframe. Plus the Edge, MKX, "Fairlane", and more than likely a Lincoln MKS and Mercury "Freestyle". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 what product? I haven't heard any new product news. Ummm, right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bystander Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Ford's product drought hampers recovery efforts. detnews.comWE have reason to be skeptical of Ford. The author is correct in his assessments (of course, he isn't alone in pointing these things out). Not enough truly 'new' stuff coming quickly enough. You'd think that the unpleasant restructuring in 2002 would have been a kick in the butt to Ford management. On the other hand, I think some of you would keep drinking the cool-aid right up to the point when someone turns out the last light at Ford... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 I think the biggest problem we have here is the whole "new" Product vs updated products debate. People who are anti-ford believe that nothing short of a major new product like say the Edge, is "new" where as supporters believe that a major update to say the Super Duty qualify as "new"... The both sides have their issues, first off the "new" product thing harks back to the old home run adage where a car manufacture lanuchs a new product and bets the future of the company on it (well at least in the press)..which is what Ford is getting away from On the flipside, the updated products don't have the same punch as a brand new product, mostly due to the press and the American's general infatuation with the latest and greatest with something. Overall I think its the press over hyping things (go figure) and making a mountain out of a mole hill to a point. If Ford can launch new products and the "not-so-newish" cars keep sales flat or countune to grow new sales (which isn't really going to happen in the SUV market with the way gas is) they will be fine. The author is correct in his assessments (of course, he isn't alone in pointing these things out). Not enough truly 'new' stuff coming quickly enough. You'd think that the unpleasant restructuring in 2002 would have been a kick in the butt to Ford management. Uh I think it was, but the problem is that both the Fusion and 500 where in the pipe at that time and they are just starting to bear fruit in the past year or two.. Ford was far worse off in 2002 with future development of new products then they are now and in addition the time it takes ford to bring out new product has gone down from 4 years to about 2 years. No matter what they do now, its still going to take 2 years for it to hit the market. I'm sure some projects that are in development now can be pulled up, but they are still at least a year or so out. You can just shit out new product, unless you want a repeat of the T-bird, Escape and Focus launches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retro-man Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Meyers, CEO of struggling American Motors when Chrysler bought it in 1987, thinks Ford should go private: "The stock is cheap. It wouldn't take much to buy all the (shares the Ford family doesn't own). Then they could repair to their inner sanctum and work out their problems out of the glare of the press and the SEC," and without relentless demands for short-term profits from shareholders. Well, the source gives me pause - "CEO of struggling American Motors" - but I have to agree: Ford is in a unique position to go private, get the Wall Street monkey off its back, and prevent the potential of other hostile takeover if it wanted to. This would tie them back more strongly to their heritage - which is unmatched in the American automobile industry - and clearly differentiate them (guardian of the torch) from GM (bride of Wall Street) and Daimler/Crysler (foreign-owned). Course, the end question is whether they will have the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Some expect all new cars every single year, like the 50's and 60's. Others think Ford should be all Panther cars. The only hole is the B segment, minivans, and small pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bri719 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 It's a slow news week, so we get more of the same old. good lord it must be - you would have thought this article came out 9 months ago... old news, bring on the new news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 good lord it must be - you would have thought this article came out 9 months ago... old news, bring on the new news I think the fact that there IS NO new news coming from Ford lately that is part of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BT Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 Well, the source gives me pause - "CEO of struggling American Motors" - but I have to agree: Ford is in a unique position to go private, get the Wall Street monkey off its back, and prevent the potential of other hostile takeover if it wanted to. This would tie them back more strongly to their heritage - which is unmatched in the American automobile industry - and clearly differentiate them (guardian of the torch) from GM (bride of Wall Street) and Daimler/Crysler (foreign-owned). Course, the end question is whether they will have the product. Between the Ford Family and employees Employee owned stock I don't think Ford would have to spend that much to do it or maybe a joint UAW/CAW/Ford and we'd own the company. Fuck wall street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 I think the fact that there IS NO new news coming from Ford lately that is part of the problem. But wasn't the product review done by Mark Fields just completed a couple months ago? Why lay out what you have planned for the next 4 years so your competition can adjust? I'm sure we'll have a much better idea where Ford is going in January of 2007, when you'll see 2008 Preproduction models of what will come out between January 2007 and December 2008. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.