Third world is defined as...  " one that is economically underdeveloped, often characterized by high poverty rates, economic instability, and limited access to basic necessities like healthcare and education"

Oh I know it's more complicated than that.  Just saying.....   They definitely shouldn't be considered a "3rd world country" at this point.

I would say that's much more than moderately successful.  $500k/year is a very large sum of money, and something even most very successful self-employed business owners don't touch.

I guess jacking up / lifting a Legacy is no longer part of the design process....

Work backwards from what we know. Europe is stuck with MEB for one product cycle only and will then want replacements for Explorer and Capri. Europe will also want a BEV Transit Connect Van and passenger version,  plus a BEV pickup to take some load off T6 Ranger. On top of that, Europe also supplies vehicles to loads of other markets. Huge potential.   Even though CE1 appears limited with the three vehicles originally mentioned, there is a lot of potential there for what I’d call aggressive regionalisation……if you follow that thinking, Europe and North American vehicles could have a lot of differentiation style wise  so there’s a lot to be positive about.

So we know as a result of both your comments, and those of others that CE1 is gonna be pretty limited at first, a truck, utility, and maybe a van. But do you believe if the platform turns out to be a smashing success that they'll use it to spin off off models, maybe things that are more enthusiast oriented over time? 

The point being that Ford went to VW as a way of getting those affordable BEVs that it simply couldn’t do itself. MEBs turned out to be both expensive to make and uninteresting blobs than Ford knows are boring to buyers. There is nothing aspirational in these vehicles and now Ford wants to add ST or RS to them to help push sales… That I believe is the main thrust of the linked article, nothing to do with the coming CE1s.

I filled up at the Murphy Oil at the Walmart in Sapulpa for $2.40/gal for E10/87 earlier this evening. I had a feeling gas prices were falling when I saw the QuikTrips were at $2.79 (QT’s gas prices are usually higher than Snoop Dogg on Willie Nelson’s tour bus).

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/tesla-makes-its-cars-lie-about-their-mileage-lawsuit-claims/?comments-page=1#comments    

I think Ford botched the execution with the VW based Capri, and to a lesser extent, the explorer, but the fundamental idea of trying to create more expressive, aspirational EVs itself is a good one. The mach-e is one of the best selling EVs that isn't a Tesla because it stands out from the crowd. If they apply the ST and RS badges to future, entirely Ford EVs, and actually give them better styling and driving dynamics than the competition, that can truly differentiate Ford from it's rivals.    These basic bitch 10k Chinese EVs are gonna dominate the super affordable EV market, not much Ford can do about that. 100 grand EVs with 1,000 hp are also a dime a dozen, and that's such a small market that it's not really worth the investment unless you want to do a high end halo product.    But aspirational, fun, charismatic EVs 25-35 grand with 300 miles of range, and maybe 250-400 hp, that's a market in the EV world that's pretty underserved right now.    I can totally see a market for EVs that are a lot nicer than some 15 grand Chinese shoebox, but a lot more obtainable than a 100k model s. Something that's fun and engaging to drive that doesn't need a 1,000 hp and a mid 2 second 0-60.    If Ford botches the development of these additional EVs, yeah, it's not gonna be great. But they got their ass kicked with Capri. Maybe that experience makes them step back, and reevaluate how to do future nameplates justice instead of making more half assed nostalgia grabs. Ford of Europe fucked up with this new Capri, but Ford of Europe throughout the ages has also given us some of the best historical Ford's ever.