Understood. You've made this point before, and it is a good reminder. Your final comment is also well made, which underscores the series of bonehead decisions that is going to leave their huge Oakville assembly complex idle for up to 3 years.
I recently transitioned to on-screen controls for climate (from a 2019 Nautilus to a 2024 Nautilus), and while the relocation doesn't totally suck they are frankly a pain to use when driving (for adjusting when stopped they are fine). While driving, as I keep having to glance down and keep poking at that barely-visible tiny carrot icon I think of them like of low-flow toilets, which in practice are often better named two-flush toilets.
Those other platforms made sense when Ford had Mazda and Volvo, they were economical use of existing platforms and provided Ford with low cost options. After the rework required on C170 Focus and CDW 27 Mondeo/Contour, Ford wasn’t keen on switching to C1 and EUCD (C1 plus) but those were probably much better choices missed by North America
The T6 Ranger development made sense because at the time Ford was breaking up with Mazda and getting Ford Australia team to do development was a major coup. You’re right because at the kickoff meeting, it became apparent that North America really wanted what amounted to a smaller lighter more fuel efficient Ranger pickup (something like Maverick off C1 Transit Connect). Such a shame they couldn’t convince Mulally to do Maverick years early but he was bent on getting rid of Ranger. Even Bronco was a bad word and everything was all about reusing existing vehicles to get rid of “outdated BOF vehicles” like Ranger, Panther and BOF Explorer.
When Mulally vetoed Ford Australia 2008 proposal for Falcon/Territory/Mustang to coalesce and become Global RWD, that didn’t sit well with Fields who green lit CD6 as soon as Mulally left Ford. He could see the benefit of sharing modules but by the mid twenty teens, it was getting too late to justify the huge expense of a massive all new platform.
Sorry for the big reply but it just shows how Ford’s rather blinkered view of the world and focus on cost savings, walled of some sound, logical vehicles that would have played well for increasing sales and profits. Ford constantly made everything an either or decision to justify the result it wanted, a lot of that worked in delivering recurring savings but I have to wonder if the 2008 cuts were too deep due to an overly pessimistic view of the future. Ford not realising that in a few short years, FSesries sales would be back on top and profits rolling in.
Which is why Ford would be foolish to not offer at least some car form factors with this affordable EV platform. Not only would they sell ok, but because the platform is cheap to build, in theory, they would also turn a profit unlike other Ford sedans of the past.
Not lucid, but with rivian, Ford was gonna use some of their platforms for some sporty models. The Continental EV, which was apparently a large crossover and not a sedan, looked fantastic according to people who saw it. The fact that they canned that is insane.
Ford just hates the idea of doing neat things with Lincoln. The Lincoln three row was apparently also a great product, very futuristic and attractive looking apparently. But they killed it, yet they're keeping the fugly Ford three row. These decisions blow my mind.
I personally don’t have a problem with this strategy, as long as the base platform is sound. In respect to Toyota, whenever they had a new model, the changes were sufficient enough to look like a model. Most people could care less about the frame of the vehicle. If Ford could have stuck with one platform for all their sedans maybe they could’ve realize more cost savings over time and there would still be a Ford sedan. As you say, C2 is more than sufficient to last a long time and underpin multiple models.
I have a Continental with the 2.7T and have had almost no issues so far (currently at 50K miles) other than having all four electric door handles replaced under warranty (some handles started working intermittently, LED lights were burning out--apparently there was a recall for them). I would be more worried about electronics (door handles, rear sunshade, panoramic glass roof motor, rear taillight bar, etc.) than I would the engine. I'm on a Continental FB group and it's generally recommended to get an extended warranty through Ford because when some of the electronic things fail, it can get very expensive.
You can contact guides from this Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/tourguidesandtourmanagers/ I have seen plenty of tour guides on that group.