PREMiERdrum Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 (edited) Internally, Flex's mission has been viewed as brand outreach since before it's 2013 MCE. That isn't necessarily a forever-type of investment, and the returns of such have already peaked and have been diminishing. Flex is staying alive long enough to bridge the atypical-Ford customer into the fold until the new Explorer arrives. The CD6 utility program was absolutely conceived with those buyers in mind. Edited November 6, 2016 by PREMiERdrum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 What?! After the two huge plugs it got in the Will Farrell movie "Daddy's Home?" I'm not a huge Will fan, but he comes off okay in this movie. His character narrates and touts the advantages of the Flex. His co-star Mark Walhberg drives a Boss 302 Mustang mid-movie. At the end he also touts the advantages after purchasing a Flex. Farrell's Flex has a motorcycle land on the roof and he drives it with the dented roof throughout the movie. Despite the title, at least one part in the movie is not suitable for kids in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 It had (has?) higher ATPs and lots of conquest sales especially in California. And that tired mantra meant zero for keeping the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 And that tired mantra meant zero for keeping the product. Right, but it was an important vehicle at the time, and has served its purpose. That purpose was to get people looking at / thinking / talking about Ford again. I think it had a much higher importance than its sales numbers would indicate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 And that tired mantra meant zero for keeping the product. It's not a mantra, it's a fact and that's why it wasn't killed years ago. That may not be enough to justify an all new product but it certainly makes a case for keeping an existing vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 What?! After the two huge plugs it got in the Will Farrell movie "Daddy's Home?" I'm not a huge Will fan, but he comes off okay in this movie. His character narrates and touts the advantages of the Flex. His co-star Mark Walhberg drives a Boss 302 Mustang mid-movie. At the end he also touts the advantages after purchasing a Flex. Farrell's Flex has a motorcycle land on the roof and he drives it with the dented roof throughout the movie. Despite the title, at least one part in the movie is not suitable for kids in my opinion. Pretty sure that's a play on "I drive a Dodge Stratus!" sketch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Ford is not in any hurry to end Flex, makes me think that it's existence serves to give a small ROI while placating UNIFOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Ford is not in any hurry to end Flex, makes me think that it's existence serves to give a small ROI while placating UNIFOR Well, at this point, the tooling and especially platform (thanks largely to Explorer) is paid for, so they may as well keep it around until they phase out the platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 It's not a mantra, it's a fact and that's why it wasn't killed years ago. That may not be enough to justify an all new product but it certainly makes a case for keeping an existing vehicle. It wasn't killed years ago because the costs were sunk, and throwing more good money after bad did nothing to help the company. Ford is not in business to build a product in this class that sells 2-3,000 units a month. The rationalizations to justify the failure of the Flex in the marketplace are just that: rationalizations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 It wasn't killed years ago because the costs were sunk, and throwing more good money after bad did nothing to help the company. Ford is not in business to build a product in this class that sells 2-3,000 units a month. The rationalizations to justify the failure of the Flex in the marketplace are just that: rationalizations. So explain why the SS hasn't been killed off when it only sells 200 units a month and has to be imported from Australia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 It wasn't killed years ago because the costs were sunk, and throwing more good money after bad did nothing to help the company. Ford is not in business to build a product in this class that sells 2-3,000 units a month. The rationalizations to justify the failure of the Flex in the marketplace are just that: rationalizations. Nobody said it was a market success and you don't keep something like Flex around at low volume unless there is some benefit. If they had to put big incentives on them to sell them at lower ATPs I suspect it would have been killed years ago. Conquest sales are gravy. So while they would probably not build a Flex today targeting 2000 units per month, once it was built there was ample reason to keep it around. 2000 is not a magic number either Fordbuyer. It depends on the vehicle. Higher ATPs on a shared platform in a factory that has spare capacity can support lower volume and still be profitable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailhiker Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 (edited) The reason the SS is still here...NASCAR Edited November 8, 2016 by Trailhiker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 The reason the SS is still here...NASCAR There is no relationship between the production SS and the NASCAR chevys except the name. They could call it malibu or impala or camaro or corvette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 (edited) The Flex probably doesn't earn much money at their low volumes, especially since Ford hasn't been able to increase prices on the Flex like they have on Explorer. The lack of investment should probably give you an good indication that the product is not returning much for them. It always concerns me when I see so many neglected and future-less Ford products just hanging around selling terribly, this has always been a symptom a sick and troubled Ford. I don't think that's the case here because I think we know where this is heading, but It's troubling to see how long it's taking Ford to sort out it's platform inefficiency. Ford today really looks like a company that has been rudderless since Mullally left and the new leadership is starting over and it's taking years to redraw the map so there is this enormous gap with the promise of a new Ford at the end of it, so 2018-2020 better be the most epic product blitz this company has ever seen. Edited November 8, 2016 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 The Flex probably doesn't earn much money at their low volumes, especially since Ford hasn't been able to increase prices on the Flex like they have on Explorer. The lack of investment should probably give you an good indication that the product is not returning much for them. It always concerns me when I see so many neglected and future-less Ford products just hanging around selling terribly, this has always been a symptom a sick and troubled Ford. I don't think that's the case here because I think we know where this is heading, but It's troubling to see how long it's taking Ford to sort out it's platform inefficiency. Ford today really looks like a company that has been rudderless since Mullally left and the new leadership is starting over and it's taking years to redraw the map so there is this enormous gap with the promise of a new Ford at the end of it, so 2018-2020 better be the most epic product blitz this company has ever seen. Dude what the hell are you talking about? Ford went through a major product integration effort for the past 5-6 years with unifying all its products around the world for the most part. The only "hanger on" is the D4 platform which will finally be put to rest after 15 years or so on the market...which is nothing compared to the Fox or Panther platforms. Outside of the Explorer, the D4 is in a market that is rapidly shrinking because large sedans are passe (Taurus) or niche product (Flex) that didn't really take off, but also didn't hurt the company either. So waiting 4 years for a D4 replacement while other products (Fiesta,Focus,Ranger, Bronco and I guess Ecosport) are introduced in the next 18-24 months is an enormous gap.....I think the only enormous gap is in between your ears. Do you even think before you start spouting off your pontifications? jeeze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Do you even think before you start spouting off your pontifications? jeeze Pontifications? I do declare! ::swirls hoopskirt around huffingly:: ::storms up front steps of southern mansion:: ::sips sweet tea:: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 So explain why the SS hasn't been killed off when it only sells 200 units a month and has to be imported from Australia? Comparing GM business decisions with Ford business decisions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 (edited) The Flex probably doesn't earn much money at their low volumes, especially since Ford hasn't been able to increase prices on the Flex like they have on Explorer. The lack of investment should probably give you an good indication that the product is not returning much for them. It always concerns me when I see so many neglected and future-less Ford products just hanging around selling terribly, this has always been a symptom a sick and troubled Ford. I don't think that's the case here because I think we know where this is heading, but It's troubling to see how long it's taking Ford to sort out it's platform inefficiency. Ford today really looks like a company that has been rudderless since Mullally left and the new leadership is starting over and it's taking years to redraw the map so there is this enormous gap with the promise of a new Ford at the end of it, so 2018-2020 better be the most epic product blitz this company has ever seen. What "neglected and futureless" Ford products are there? Taurus and Flex are it. Edited November 8, 2016 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted November 8, 2016 Author Share Posted November 8, 2016 What "neglected and futureless" Ford products are there? Taurus and Flex are it. C-Max? Or is it getting another US version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 C-Max? Or is it getting another US version? In theory, if not in exact execution (or name). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Comparing GM business decisions with Ford business decisions? not quite...thus the 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Pontifications? I do declare! ::swirls hoopskirt around huffingly:: ::storms up front steps of southern mansion:: ::sips sweet tea:: Hahahah I wanted to break out the vocabulary today I actually looked Pontificate and its perfect for him! Pontificate: express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 just me , or does it seem strange Ford is announcing the demise of a vehicle line FOUR YEARS before its happening....I cant recall them ever doing this before.....4 years is damn near an eternity... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted November 8, 2016 Author Share Posted November 8, 2016 just me , or does it seem strange Ford is announcing the demise of a vehicle line FOUR YEARS before its happening....I cant recall them ever doing this before.....4 years is damn near an eternity... Ford didn't announce it. It was mentioned in the labor contract (so the plant knows when it will actually have product). News picked up on it and here we are. Same thing happened with the Lx car news with FCA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 thx Anthony...its no surprise its going away, that rumor has been around for a while...just found jumping the gun somewhat odd...thankyou for the explanation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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