Polarbear, where you been? Where are the sales numbers? I have been missing them.

 

These suits at the top have no idea of what the American public wants or should I say they don't care and they surely don't have any long range planning. It seems obvious to me that these guys were more concerned about taking home huge pay checks, rather than giving their customers a reliable vehicle and a vehicle that appeals to the masses. To answer your question, you need to know why FORD and GMC are suffering at the hands of Foreign auomakers. While these American companies are closing factories and slashing personnel levels, Toyoto is adding factories and people. I'll have to say it all boils down to a strong QA program. Brand loyalty is only going to carry you so far especially when your expensive auto spends a huge amount of time in a service bay. How many times have you seen or heard of a incident that could have been fixed for a small fee but the company decides to play the odds at your expense ie fire hazard etc. I'm afraid that the American Automotive Industry has sleep to long on this one and will never regain the top of the mountain anytime soon. It's like having a wife or girlfriend that you've treated like crap for years. After waiting and waiting for you to get your act together, they finally decide it's better to move on and no matter what you do after that move is made and even if some do return it's never the same. You've ruined it! Best of Luck!

 

The Ranger is little changed since 1983, The basic Crown Vic dates to 1979. Ford/GM/DiamlerChrysler (DC) gave away the car market to the Japanese...so now what?

Ford/GM/DC need to focus more on cars...truck sales will continue to decline as gas prices rise..and they will be back to 3 bucks a gallon within a year. Plus, new Tundra will draw off sales, restyled '08 Titan coming out in the spring of '07, with a diesel to follow shortly will hurt Ford sales, too.

The Fusion...a good car...but how long will the popularity last? People who have had excellent service from their Camry's and Accord's will not be trading them in on a (to them) unknown entity.

The 500...also a decent car, but why oh why offer it only with the 3.0 Taurus engine that dates to 1986, and is underpowered compared to the Japanese? I seem to recall the 3.9 V8 engines used in some Tauruses...why wasn't that engine added as an option? (Yes, I'm aware the 3.0 is also used in the Fusion).

The styling of the 500 is bland...I'm quoting several well known auto rags on that opinion.

Ford needs to restyle the Focus...yesterday...it's the same look since introduction.

Crown Vic/Town Car due for replacement soon...whether Ford contines the Grand Marquis is anyone's guess.

Speaking of L/M...come on Ford...give those lines something unique to draw in customers (a nice Cougar convertible for one) instead of rebadged Fords with different trim.

As a long tme Ford fan...I hate to see the way the company is heading. Let's all hope the slide ends soon.

 

Been busier than all get out. The short form- the Impala's on track to hit 300,000 units this year. The Cobalt about 200,000, the Malibu just shy of that, the HHR a little over 100,000. Big SUV's will hit somewhere around 300,000-350,000 units- in a down market. That's a lot of iron.... but where are the profits?

 

Ford is back in the car business. Fusion, Milan, Zephyr all are selling well. Sales numbers are up over 23% from a year ago. Good in anybodiis book. The 500 is bland. I have heard that comment so much it makes me sick. Toyotas look pretty bland but nobody compains about them. Ford is updating the Focus. The Fusion is an excellent car an yes people are trading in there Hondas an Toyotas. I heard that lots off Fords car sales are conquests from the foreign makes.

To harp on tha all the negatives when there are so many positives out there for Ford is really counter productive. Most people that critisize Fords cars dont own one. Get in to a Fusion or 500 an your opinions will change fast.

Popularity well look at Fords Mustang. 42 years an still going strong an I might say selling like hot cakes. That car alone has brought more people in to Ford showrooms then any other vehicle they have

Ford has the Mustang an GM,Honda, an Toyota have nothing to compete with it. Score a huge victory for Ford. GMs coming back with the Camaro only an only because off the Mustangs success.

Consumer reports is really influential on what people buy. I can see Fords cars like Fusion really gaining in sales ground with there recomendation. Ford has the advantage in cars over GM an other makes because off all the new models. If you want to talk about bland an dull cars I think GM wins the award here. Ive seen some off the newer models they have an they look way worse then the older ones. I noticed there car sales are down vs Ford. I can see why.

 

You've rehashed a lot of what I've said in the past........but if I may make a few corrections;

The DOHC 4 valve Duratech 3.0 in the 500 and Fusion shares NOTHING with the pushrod Vulcan 3.0 used in the '86 Taurus. (and still used in the Ranger)

There was never a 3.9L.....it was a 3.8 (which is now the 4.2 used in the F150's) and as unrefined as the Duratech is compared to the Japanese competition, it is worlds better than the 3.8.

Even though the the CV still uses an offshoot of the Panther chassis, it has gone through many changes bringing it to current standards....aluminum control arms, rack & pinnion steering, hydroformed frames, watts linkage rear...etc.. Probably my favorite Ford car........being RWD and V8....add a 6 speed and the Shelby supercharged 5.4 (or even the Cobra's S/C 4.6) and you'd have a halo car that would bring people to the showrooms IMHO.

Basically what the Marauder COULD have been!!!

 

There was never a 3.9L

He said V8 - I assume he is talking about the 3.4l Yamaha V8 used in the later SHO's.

Which funnily enough has found its way under the XC90 as of late in a 4.4l iteration. And the XC90 is built on the same platform as the 500...

Join the dots

 

Dang it.........They say reading comprehension is the 2nd thing to go!!!

 

I think it goes a little deeper than that. Foreign auto makers have built their business around a business model better suited to today's worker, using the American's as an example of what NOT to do: They pay their employees a good wage, but don't offer them a pension plan- instead, they encourage employees to plan for their own retirement by offering decent 401k plans. When workers retire, you don't have any added cost of paying pensioners that are no longer an asset to the company. Ford and GM are both in this predicament. How many workers in Ford/ GM does it take to support the pension of each retired UAW worker?

I appreciate the numbers, PB, can you (or anyone) provide some of the Mustang's sales numbers? Are they as good as Ford hoped they would be?

 

Actually, that's not entirely true. Foreign companies have a business model that works around the idea that their government will pick up the pension plan and healthcare costs. In the case of unemployment, the government picks up that tab too. Huge difference- US workers are the only ones that are expected to run without a defined pension or healthcare plan. On the other hand, US taxes are lower than anywhere else in the world as well.

re: Mustang. Should hit about 200,000 units. Yes, a solid winner there.

 

I read in the paper this morning that the "Big Three" has high hopes that the Democrat takeover in congress will help them get out of their healthcare liabilities for their current and retired workers. They said the fixing of the drug "doughnut hole" will save the auto companies 200 million (?or billion?) a year. They also think the federal government will cover their catastropic healthcare cases (at the very least).

 

Interesting....


Democrat= Govt. bailout, more social programs, higher taxes.....EXCELLENT!!!


not to happy with the current admin. either...

 

Oh man, don't get me started.

 

Um... so... cars????

 

Whats bad is that in Nascar the Toyota team will running the only car built in the USA.