Not good. Continued slips in market share and the last two quarters of poor performance are still hurting the big two auto makers.

And though this Employee pricing scheme did boost sales, profits are down.

With Toyota and Nissan agressively attacking the truck market (Ford and GM's biggest sellers), there's little margin for error.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aHutpgSZL09k

 

Hmmmm, Might be time to speculate a little and pick up some Ford stock.

 

The gas price situation sure hasnt helped with lower SUV sales. Fords introducing a bunch off new product line an hopefully will be increasing there sales. Fords been in financial trouble several times in its history an hopefully will turn around like before. Stupid Toyota is really hurtin GM an Ford. I still cant imagine people buying a Toyota. Are they really that much better. I have my doubts. Buy american.

 

I wouldn't even think of considering buying a Toy Truck. The few I've been in were just so flimsy feeling...No frame stiffness, rattles everywhere, cheap, lightweight parts, etc. Ever close a door on a toyota truck?...There's nothing to it, just light, hollow and weak.

 

I think part of the problem is that truck prices in general, have gotten completely out of hand. Who would have thought, a few yrs ago that a P/U would sell for over $50k
Now that they are no longer just work vehicles, but also yuppie status symbols, thats the case. but drive by any Ford dealer and they have tons on the lot they they cant give away. Mabye the average family is starting to realize thay they really dont need a huge crew cab dually to go food shopping or to take junior to soccer practice.

 

I don't know about their full size trucks because they're on the market for a short time, but their cars are awesome. I have one Toyota car in the family, 1994 Camry with 3.0L V6 engine. Currently at 125,000 miles that car runs like brand new. Its much better than my 1997 Intrepid which, at 90,000 miles, is ready for junk yard and even 2000 Mustang, even though Mustang have only 31,000 miles. We bought it back in 2002 with 90,000 miles for $5,300 and since then other than regular maintenance no problems at all. While Intrepid is falling apart and Mustang had problems with theft system, Camry is still running like brand new. I was never fan of Toyota and I will never be, but I do have a lot of respect for them and Camry is reason why. I will never buy another domestic sedan, only Toyota and maybe even Honda. They are awesome car, maybe little ugly and little too borning to drive, but their engines can last forever. That's why its best selling car.

 

I've got a bridge for sale you might want to consider. Ford fell .10 after closing up .12 yesterday. 1000 shares could have made you $20 before costs.
Dono

 

Buy low, sell high. Or better yet, DCA on the down side, sell earlier on the up side.

Do you believe, I mean REALLY BELIEVE that Ford is going to shut their doors forever? If so then don't buy.

Where's the bridge?

 

Toy's in general may not be *that* much better, but if nothing else, they aren't pinning their hopes on their upcoming SUV redesigns!

All I see are Toyota commericals pimping the cars that get 30+ mpg's....about all of them, whicle GM has the Malibu and Impala (can you say, "fugly") to brag about in that regard. (Why not the Aveo? That's pretty American, right?)

Toyota = smart. Give the people what they want, be they treehuggers or just temporary treehuggers with gas being what it is right now.

(Hell, I'd support Toyota if it kept Ford from building a plant in China.....with the profits that allegedly come back to the USA.)

 

It's not matter of shutting down. It is a matter of profitability, market share and the probability that the stock will be flatter than the Bonneville salt flats.
You called me on the bridge and I must admit that the only bridge I own is in my mouth and not for sale.
Dono

 

Read an interesting story recently about a reporter for a local paper in Michigan. He wrote an article on the purchase of his new car. He wrote that it was interesting that his new Toyota was built in Indiana and his Chevvie trade-in was built in Mexico. He was fired 2 days after the article was printed.
Dono

 

For every Japanese car a friend or family member has had that runs great, someone else has the same car that puked after the warranty was up.

Wrist-pins, tranny's, computers, you name it. That's Toyota, Honda, Nissan, whatever. I don't see the attraction especially after riding in them, they feel like tissue paper, rattles, everything. I'm 5' 8" and felt claustrophobic riding in a 2002 Camry, while my '97 Cougar feels luxurious in comparison.

I don't get it.

Anyway, Ford's not going anywhere.

They could do a good sight better by engineering a little better - examples: Do NOT run a hot wire to the cruise-control shutoff switch on the master cylinder. Better yet, use a switch that won't leak brake fluid, avoiding fires even with the key on. Train the dealers and techs and change those darn door stickers that specify tire pressures to reflect REAL-world tire loads, speeds, etc and use GOOD tires in the first place (as in, tire recalls).

Can you imagine if I was stupid enough to try to tow a 10K trailer or carry a large load in the bed with the 50 pounds of air they put in my tires brand-new? And why not, the dealer said 10K towing, about 2000+lbs in the bed, and THEY set the tire pressures... Even then, at 15K miles and real-world tire pressures, one of the General tires had lost a chunk of tread the size of a silver dollar and if I hadn't checked them before a long trip probably would have blown a tire?

And, any other legal liability moves they screwed up on... Recalls, etc. etc.

They will recover. Ford's layed out a lot of cash to buy other companies (Jag, Volvo, etc), one reason their stock is rated at what it is. They need to recover some of that cash and stop engineering things that cost millions in liability and parts.

 

Stupid Toyota? why? for making great vehicles?, i´ll tell you something, my father owns a 95 Corolla 1.8L w/auto. The car drives daily more than 50miles (all around), from a 900m elevation (Caracas city) down to sea level (at "La Guaira"´s docks) with all that salty air, and back to Caracas (with the A/C on all the way), it might not be the fastest car out in the high-way but it has 250,000 miles on its engine and it´s still going strong (while doing awesome MPG reads), THAT´s quality.

 

If Ford could have dealers that didn't treat customers like total morons, it would increase my chances of buying a new Ford. The arrogance, dismissiveness, etc. is incredible. Yes - Phil Long of Colorado Springs, in case you wondered.

Just sold my 203K mile '89 Toyota 4Runner to buy a '99 Super Duty.

I'm from Michigan, and I find it disappointing that while many Toyotas have a higher domestic content than so-called 'American' cars, the newspapers, etc. only refer to the Big 3 as the 'auto industry' in the US. I guess all those Toyota, Subaru, and Nissan employees are just working for free in this country and aren't really building vehicles at all, right?

Steve

 

The Big 3 are publicly traded US companies. The "others" are not, their profit goes back overseas. Even the "Big 3" is not really the Big 3 anymore, it's the "Big 2" since Daimler bought Chrysler.

I know, that's simplifying matters greatly, but the key point is, only GM and Ford are US-based companies.