It's Official: Ford's Killing ALL of Their Cars--Except Mustang

[vintageracer]

If ALL these companies and industries that you work for or in are so damn bad QUIT THAT JOB, find something else to do and quit COMPLAINING!!!!

Of course that will never happen as you will start that cycle all over AGAIN complaining about the new industry and job you took.

LIFE MUST SUCK for a lot of you guys!

[2nd chance cobra]

You have all layed out perfectly why I will not be buying another new vehicle... from anyone. I'll drive my rusty clunker till the end of time.

[gr79]

We auto workers all knew what we got into.
Said it to others and myself. "Can't hack it? Stuck in wrong line of work? Gotta tough it out or move on."
It's disgusting how personal time off, full company paid benefits, job security, has eroded since the 80's.
Fixed monthly costs in general have risen substantially, eating into disposable income.
In 1999, Direct TV was 13/mo. Phone bill was 20.

[4-barrel Mike]

Ford played it very well:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/finan...e1C8?ocid=News

Mike

[gr79]

Good article. Makes one wonder the point of it all this.
Flat Rock (Mustang Plant). "Building its new self-driving car there in 2021."
A car? What car? Who wants a self driving Mustang?
200,000,000 divided by 100,000 units is 2000.00 per unit to pay for tooling alone.
Add new tech parts cost and everything else. Minimum 10,000.00 price increase?

Some people want self driving. Bet they are not willing to pay the price for it. Or electric.
Has Tesla sold that well? Electric cars? Are Robo vacs in every household? Home automation?
Time will tell.

[ZephyrEFI]

I think Ford just got lucky this time. GM is still much more bloated than it has any right to be: too many brands, too many models. Ford started out smaller, so it has less to cut.

I'd be interested in hearing what some of people who are being shifted to different factories really think about it. Ford's #1 concern is staying off Trump's radar. In fairness, that whole Mexico fiasco was pretty unfair (many manufacturers have a large presence there, Ford was just one of many), but it's clear what their motivations are now. #2 is maximizing profit at the expense of anything and everything. Crossing lines they never would have in the past: manufacturing in China, cutting entry level models abandoning lower income potential customers, abandoning the strategy of winning customers for life at the expense of making/saving a quick short-term buck.

Making customers happy? Treating employees fairly? Making a good product? Those are WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY down the list of priorities.

I keep coming back to Alan Mullaly, but from what I understand, the only thing that he did "wrong" was push through too good of a product. It was such that they had to charge more than the market allowed for many models, potentially hurting sales. I mean really? That's the biggest complaint about him? Wanting to put a good product out there? I'll happily take advantage of that by buying those products, which I have been! In this current situation, one can't help but wonder WWMD? What Would Mullaly Do?

[vintageracer]

We auto workers all knew what we got into.
Said it to others and myself. "Can't hack it? Stuck in wrong line of work? Gotta tough it out or move on."
It's disgusting how personal time off, full company paid benefits, job security, has eroded since the 80's.
Fixed monthly costs in general have risen substantially, eating into disposable income.
In 1999, Direct TV was 13/mo. Phone bill was 20.

NEWS FLASH!!!

The same thing has happened to everyone else in every other industry and job description in our economy.

Welcome the the "Modern Family"!

[ZephyrEFI]

Awww, what a shame. The investment community is unimpressed by Ford's direction...

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/30/lege...in-future.html



Hell, I don't even care about getting cars back at this point. That train has left the station. I'm just glad what they ARE doing isn't working! Is it too soon to say "I told you so"?

[4-barrel Mike]

FWIW: https://insideevs.com/ford-mach-e-mustang-electric-cuv/

Mike

[webestang]

FWIW: https://insideevs.com/ford-mach-e-mustang-electric-cuv/

Mike

YACK! Scotty no like.

[kfxmatt]

Terrible! That thing serves no purpose.has anyone on this website said “man! How nice would it be if I put my mustang body on my wife’s escape!”.im starting to like new cars less and less every year..and I doubt the v8 is alive another 10 years.

[DougTx]

Yeah buddy!

[ZephyrEFI]

Yeah, that thing is horrible. And "Mach E" is a horrible name. It's a wonder they got the message people didn't want them to call it "Mach 1". But still not quite that the vehicle itself is a stupid idea. I'm surprised they didn't think it was okay to just call it "Mustang"! Why the hell not?! Nothing is sacred over there anymore! You watch though, they're going to roll out a whole line of "Mustang" vehicles. With the Mustang having moved upmarket, they probably think it can be a new sort of premium brand. They can charge more for them because the Mustang is fast becoming a premium product. It's a way to get around the blue collar image the Ford brand has. Can't charge enough for a Ford sedan? How about a Mustang sedan (which is actually happening)?!! Ugh.

See Ford? This is why your stock isn't doing well.

I saw a '95 or so Chevy Blazer today, and it made me think of the new one. Nothing about that new one AT ALL says "Blazer" to me. Like they designed the thing to fill a segment first, then way down the line, decided to slap the name on it. Yet, the powers that be at Chevy are sticking to their guns despite the confusion with Ford's Bronco revival. So weird. I wonder what the bowtie fans think about it. I wouldn't be happy.

[James2488]

YACK! Scotty no like.

It looks like a lifted 4x4 Fusion with a Mustang nose...

[ZephyrEFI]

Oh, and one more thing!! I love how Ford was trying to tie that crossover thing to the Fox hatchback. Come on!! That thing couldn't be farther away from what the Fox hatch is. That is a premium, quiet, electric powered family vehicle pretending to have off-road cred, pretending to be a Mustang. A Fox hatch is a rough, tough, tire smoke belching, no frills, affordable everyman's performance car! The Fox didn't even have the "Mustang design cues"! It wasn't pretending to be anything!!

[4-barrel Mike]

At least they're not reusing "Fairmont" for some AWD 4-door s***box!

Mike

[gr79]

Read this today:
Christopher Williams
Co-Founder at Brainstormers United
"The relentless push for technological progress has been seen before, a perfect example of which was the Manhattan Project. Without going into excessive detail, the scientists were so consumed with the theoretical problems, the challenge and the love of discovery, they didn't actually think about what they were doing until after it was used (and more importantly, in the control of people who didn't share their love of science). Human nature remains the same today where some people cannot see beyond their own discovery. While every creation has positive and negative attributes, there is often a tendency to only focus on the positive. Any discussion of the drawbacks is seen as being negative or not supporting the project. Any objection from an individual without the same credentials or education is brushed off as not knowing enough to have an opinion. This attitude is completely at odds with the purpose of a company, which is to provide a solution to a customer. Mentioned earlier, there is a severe disconnect in many people where it's believed that "technology" can only be related to apps, AI and phones. Technology is actually anything developed from the application of scientific knowledge. So if someone comes up with a more efficient method of producing light bulbs or a unique hybrid plant, those developments still count as technology. Many of the world's problems cannot be solved with code alone, but need a physical aspect or human touch to actually affect change. Digital is part of a solution, not the entire solution."
Another comment made by another:
"1. Currently the tech necessary to make most of our latest and greatest ideas work correctly is unaffordable. We set tech in place that cannot do what it was designed to do then attempt to tweak it to an acceptable level that is still below its intent. 2. Globalization will only reduce everyone's standard of living to the lowest common denominator (countries) not raise the lower countries higher. They must pull themselves up on their own initiative. 3. To believe you can combine the two is delusional."

[vintageracer]

The scientists at Los Alamos Manhattan Project knew EXACTLY what they were doing with some scientists even trying to sabotage the process.

This also included 1 spy for Germany who was there from the beginning along with several others!

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histo...ets-127922660/

[kfxmatt]

Hahaha...exactly

[ZephyrEFI]

Don't worry, we're headed for a technological dark age anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uihwQRmBOvg

[gr79]

pretty good rundown
simple facts in color
One thing that has not changed is how annoying, disruptive, and distracting advertising can be.

[gr79]

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/v...uild-cars-u-s/
https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/...es/1267176002/

[ZephyrEFI]

Wow, I never saw that coming about Vee-dub. Interesting. Could gain Ford some credibility in the car critic community. They think if it's not a Vee-dub, Bimmer, Honda or Mazda, it's not worth a crap.

The thing about Michigan Central Station is going to hurt. Man, that was stupid. Keep shooting yourself in the foot, Ford. It's what you're best at.

[xctasy]

With the birds I'll share this lonely viewin'

Scar tissue

Misheard lyrics...

With the Mach Ete this's a lonely viewin'

It looks like a lifted 4x4 Fusion with a Mustang nose...

Doesn't matter...if its not a Jet Age lowrider sedan, it'll still sell like hot cakes....

[gr79]

Auto industry assy plants have an interesting and long complex history.

VW has past connections mostly with the now FCA, talks as recent as last year. Co-production or merger.
Same with Mazda and Ford in the past. GM same, sharing plants, products, joint ventures.

One current FCA plant in Sterling Heights MI (SHAP) has bounced around. Tie with VW included.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Heights_Assembly.
VWoA had the former Chrysler New Stanton Westmoreland Assembly in Pennsylvania 1978-88.
Later, plant was Sony Pittsburgh Technology Center. Made TVs there 1990-2008.
https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/1...burgh-facility
Westmoreland survives. Another tenent:
https://triblive.com/local/westmorel...s-company-says

VW now has Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksw...oup_of_America.

GM to close one, FCA to open another couple miles away:
https://www.freep.com/story/money/ca...uv/2230555002/