Ive heard on the rumour mill that Ford might discontinue there mini van line because of a lack of sales after 2007. Sales have been dissapointing this yer. Lower then last year. Seems like Ford cannot compete with the vans from Dodge an other makes. There are more apt to promote there crossover vehicles like the Freestyle. I kind off like the Ford minivan but I guess its a hard seller.

 

Car & Driver even said in their Freestyle road test that the Freestyle would be one of the death nails for the Freestar. . .

 

I hadn't read the C&D report, but they pretty much nailed it. Not that this is the first time Ford brought out a new product that hurt one of its own:

First, the 1965 Mustang killed the Falcon hardtop,
then the 1970 Maverick hurt the base Mustang sales,
then the 1971 Pinto took sales from the Maverick,
then the 1975 Granada killed the Maverick LDO...

 

The ideal goal of any manufacturer is to offer new products that will take away sales from the competition AND from their own older product lines. This is a good thing when this happens. Their cut-over point is within their R & D for the old verses the new… This is how cash cows come into play…I wouldn’t say that the Windstar/Freestar are cash cows, but I would imaging that they have recouped their fixed costs in development.

If you are the market leader, taking business away from yourself -- continues the legacy and helps keep you the market leader. If you are the market ‘me-too’, then price becomes a feature and demand is not so much based on form or function, but how much does it cost.

I would suspect that Ford would enjoy more growth within the crossover category instead of the crowded mini-van category, particularly since the majority of the soccer moms and dads are turning into empty nesters.

However, Ford has to either 1) rightly innovate the segment to keep the interest moving forward and the buying public sees some intrinsic value and favors their offering within this segment or 2) they need to find the next “go-to/must have vehicle” Chrysler “lucked out with the “hemi” as a way to charge more $$$ for a car/truck/jeep that costs about the same to build as their other V-6 models: Ford needs to find their niche`as well.

 

Outside of the points made already, the mini-van market is dominated by Chrysler (still), with Honda (Odyssey) and Toyota (Sienna) in hot pursuit. Neither Ford nor Chevy ever fielded a serious competitor in this segment.

 

And just wait 'til the HEMI Grand Caravan to hit the streets!

 

...and watch 'em call it a "Challenger" or a "'Cuda." Wonder what a mini-van's gonna look like with bumblebee stripes.

 

It would be a "Valiant" effort on their part, don't you think?

 

It would be a "Valiant" effort on their part, don't you think?

Yep!!! "w/ Genuine Corinthian Leather" --- Ri"Cordoba" Montalbahn

 

Too funny... yet I was watching tv a month or so ago...I think it was the Travel channel -- and they did a segment on automotive design...and within that segment was a motorcycle built around the Hemi... so a minivan... a piece of cake!

 

Have you ever seen the bike built around the Viper V10?

 

I think you're right... it think it was that 'cycle' that I saw...

http://www.hotrodphotos.co.uk/pages/...ned%20bike.htm

Well da... see...they've got me saying "thing gotta Hemi?"

I stand corrected....thanks!

 

I noticed on another website that there is talk of Chrysler bringing back the Challenger name plate. Could be the "hemi" van.