FORD - VICTIM OF IT'S OWN SUCSESS
17 January 2003, 11:23 PM
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Is Ford a victim of it's own sucess?
Questions are now being asked over Ford's future as a leading car manufacturer world-wide.
With mounting debts and profits last year of minus six billion dollars. Ford could quite easily go bankcrupt if it didn't own other large corparations such as Mazda and Jaguar. After Bill Ford took over as President he tried to turn round the companys falling profits and awful finances.
Problems started brewing in the late 80's but hit when Ford stop listening to what the consumer wanted in the mid 90's. Then a further blow to the troubled companys finances in the late 90's with the Ford - Firestone disaster killing thousand in America alone. Ford was already losing money but was still making respectable profits until billions of dollars had to paid out to replace affected tires and pay out courtcases, problems started spining out of control. Just months after one disater had passed American spec Ford Focuses were being recalled in there thousands for faulty and dangerous brakes with hundreds people already serious injured or dead the company had to pay out more money leaving last years profits non - exsistant.
Bill Ford tried to recoup money and become closers to it's worried work force by selling it's $50 million mansion and buying a more "reasonably" priced mansion in the region of $15 million.
Ford has to make future models better than ever, but with a poor entrance to the Fiesta, Fusion and the New focus MPV which does nothing new but at a higher price, all are which dull and only fixes the old cars problems. More has to be done to stay ahead of the competion, will it happen? Not likely if current concept cars are anything to go by.
Continuing from the point that Ford failed to give the European customer what they wanted. Ford got the biggest kick up the **** in 1996/7 with the arrival of the new Volksawagen Golf and Passat, sales plumeted of the now very dated Mondeo and Escort which had no real competion until then.
Also back in 1994 Ford got the another kick up the ****, with the arrival the new Volksagen Polo. In 1996 Ford released the new Fiesta which only bettered the Polo on driving dynamics. Volkswagen came and bettered Ford once again with the release of the revised Polo in 1999. Although all this time since the mid eighties Ford dominated the sales charts except for one car and only one car the Golf, which was and still is the best selling car in the world, ever.
Vauxhall/Opel until this time wasn't really any competion apart from the Nova from 1982 until 1993/4. And the last generation Corsa from 1993 - 2000. And also the Cavalier which dominated sales charts for much of the mid 80's.
Ford's worst mistake was introducing the 1993 Mondeo as a slightly different styled Ford sedan in America. Ford by now should have by now learnt that American model cars don't suceed in a UK market, but what did they introduce the dated Probe, which had been selling in the states since the late eightes and then the Cougar.
There still is only one reason, Ford continue to sell cars at the rate they do - Price, cheap as chips but poor quality, service and deprecation.
Ford unless it changes how it does business, and sells cars amd reduces the price even more, or improves quality they will not suceed much longer. With companies such as Seat and Skoda othering lower cost, VW Quality. It WILL FAIL!
Ford needs to change and listen to the consumer.
Questions are now being asked over Ford's future as a leading car manufacturer world-wide.
With mounting debts and profits last year of minus six billion dollars. Ford could quite easily go bankcrupt if it didn't own other large corparations such as Mazda and Jaguar. After Bill Ford took over as President he tried to turn round the companys falling profits and awful finances.
Problems started brewing in the late 80's but hit when Ford stop listening to what the consumer wanted in the mid 90's. Then a further blow to the troubled companys finances in the late 90's with the Ford - Firestone disaster killing thousand in America alone. Ford was already losing money but was still making respectable profits until billions of dollars had to paid out to replace affected tires and pay out courtcases, problems started spining out of control. Just months after one disater had passed American spec Ford Focuses were being recalled in there thousands for faulty and dangerous brakes with hundreds people already serious injured or dead the company had to pay out more money leaving last years profits non - exsistant.
Bill Ford tried to recoup money and become closers to it's worried work force by selling it's $50 million mansion and buying a more "reasonably" priced mansion in the region of $15 million.
Ford has to make future models better than ever, but with a poor entrance to the Fiesta, Fusion and the New focus MPV which does nothing new but at a higher price, all are which dull and only fixes the old cars problems. More has to be done to stay ahead of the competion, will it happen? Not likely if current concept cars are anything to go by.
Continuing from the point that Ford failed to give the European customer what they wanted. Ford got the biggest kick up the **** in 1996/7 with the arrival of the new Volksawagen Golf and Passat, sales plumeted of the now very dated Mondeo and Escort which had no real competion until then.
Also back in 1994 Ford got the another kick up the ****, with the arrival the new Volksagen Polo. In 1996 Ford released the new Fiesta which only bettered the Polo on driving dynamics. Volkswagen came and bettered Ford once again with the release of the revised Polo in 1999. Although all this time since the mid eighties Ford dominated the sales charts except for one car and only one car the Golf, which was and still is the best selling car in the world, ever.
Vauxhall/Opel until this time wasn't really any competion apart from the Nova from 1982 until 1993/4. And the last generation Corsa from 1993 - 2000. And also the Cavalier which dominated sales charts for much of the mid 80's.
Ford's worst mistake was introducing the 1993 Mondeo as a slightly different styled Ford sedan in America. Ford by now should have by now learnt that American model cars don't suceed in a UK market, but what did they introduce the dated Probe, which had been selling in the states since the late eightes and then the Cougar.
There still is only one reason, Ford continue to sell cars at the rate they do - Price, cheap as chips but poor quality, service and deprecation.
Ford unless it changes how it does business, and sells cars amd reduces the price even more, or improves quality they will not suceed much longer. With companies such as Seat and Skoda othering lower cost, VW Quality. It WILL FAIL!
Ford needs to change and listen to the consumer.
17 January 2003, 11:36 PM
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Agreed, my old fella bought a new Sierra in 1989, three years later the drivers door split in two due to corrosion.Bit annoyed obviously he went to the local breakers to get another.Hence to say the breaker LOL'd... 'no chance, they all do that...'
Dads never bought a Ford since, and swears he never will again.
Dads never bought a Ford since, and swears he never will again.
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18 January 2003, 07:28 PM
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The would be only coz toyota name just about every car they make a 'corolla'. If you included Vento, bora, Scirroco, jetta, the pick up thingy, the corrado etc. then the 'golf' figure would be even higher.
07 June 2003, 04:20 PM
#9
Agreed. But Ford's are a hell of lot better than 10 years ago.
My 1992 XR3 breaking in every way it could was a good example. But stuff like the the Focus and the latest Transit are good competetive vehicles.
And at long last they've dumped that flipping X-flow (Endura?). heavy cast iron engines have no place in this day and age which dates back to Anglias yet they still stuck it in KA's and advertised them as technoligcally advanced!!
They do have good ground to make up, as VW are not as good as they used to be and more expensive. And GM cars (in Europe anyway) are as bland as ever. It's just the Japs they need to worry about.
If they carried on making Sporty brands (XR's RS's etc.) Then its popularity would be maintained. Not just with sporty cars, but people buying standard variants because the image made by the performance variants has influenced them.
I doubt Subaru could deny that some of its standard Impreza sales were boosted by the image created by the Turbo
[Edited by ALi-B - 7/6/2003 4:22:41 PM]
My 1992 XR3 breaking in every way it could was a good example. But stuff like the the Focus and the latest Transit are good competetive vehicles.
And at long last they've dumped that flipping X-flow (Endura?). heavy cast iron engines have no place in this day and age which dates back to Anglias yet they still stuck it in KA's and advertised them as technoligcally advanced!!
They do have good ground to make up, as VW are not as good as they used to be and more expensive. And GM cars (in Europe anyway) are as bland as ever. It's just the Japs they need to worry about.
If they carried on making Sporty brands (XR's RS's etc.) Then its popularity would be maintained. Not just with sporty cars, but people buying standard variants because the image made by the performance variants has influenced them.
I doubt Subaru could deny that some of its standard Impreza sales were boosted by the image created by the Turbo
[Edited by ALi-B - 7/6/2003 4:22:41 PM]
07 June 2003, 06:34 PM
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Well I like my Focus runabout and after being in a few VWs I think I will keep my Focus as I prefer the overall package. May be tempted at an Octavia RS though as a runabout though seems good value for money.
[Edited by chrisp - 7/6/2003 6:35:40 PM]
[Edited by chrisp - 7/6/2003 6:35:40 PM]
06 July 2003, 10:08 AM
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I am a true ford nut.I love em,I am currently driving a K plate 219 000 mile VW passat estate that has no rattles and the engine sounds like new still.Although I love my fords(I own 4 at the mo,Escos,xr2 rally car, mk2 escort rally car,xr2)but if I had to drive to russia and back I'd take the passat,another 3000 miles won't be a problem when you've done 219K allready!
Just don't tell anyone though!
Just don't tell anyone though!
06 July 2003, 02:46 PM
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I loved my old Fast Fords, i had XR2,XR3, Rs Turbo's, And An RS 1800. I would have loved to carry on the afair however after years and years of making Fast (Ish) cheap (ish) cars Ford went ***!
I was forced to buy a 306-GTI-6 a bloody awrful car, than i bit the bullet and and brought a new Honda CTR. Ford tried to regain ground with the ST 170 (Joke) and the ill handling RS Focus, which was nether Fast or good handling or well built.
Ford worried that it might have a hign profile RTA pulled it from production.......leaving the CTR as King of the Hill. Rummors for Fast CTR EVO and Turbo Vauxhalls make me think that Ford will never make it back, the bar is now set so hign!
Even MG are making moves in the right direction, Nope i am sorry to see Ford out of luck but if they had got on with making good fast cars they be better off today.
People want FAST Fords.....Not *** Fords
Mega
I was forced to buy a 306-GTI-6 a bloody awrful car, than i bit the bullet and and brought a new Honda CTR. Ford tried to regain ground with the ST 170 (Joke) and the ill handling RS Focus, which was nether Fast or good handling or well built.
Ford worried that it might have a hign profile RTA pulled it from production.......leaving the CTR as King of the Hill. Rummors for Fast CTR EVO and Turbo Vauxhalls make me think that Ford will never make it back, the bar is now set so hign!
Even MG are making moves in the right direction, Nope i am sorry to see Ford out of luck but if they had got on with making good fast cars they be better off today.
People want FAST Fords.....Not *** Fords
Mega
06 July 2003, 04:52 PM
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Ford do make some good cars now, mondeo seems to have VW build quality and is a good drive.
But people seem to want interesting or "premium" cars.
Now when Ford have bought premium brands they don't seem to be able to make them work too well, bringing out the lower jag models hasn't been a commercial success and might even be responsible for the fall off in the big jag sales.
Wait till they bring out the small city hatch back Aston Martin based on the Fiesta
But people seem to want interesting or "premium" cars.
Now when Ford have bought premium brands they don't seem to be able to make them work too well, bringing out the lower jag models hasn't been a commercial success and might even be responsible for the fall off in the big jag sales.
Wait till they bring out the small city hatch back Aston Martin based on the Fiesta
06 July 2003, 06:01 PM
#21
Ford, all that technology and money at their disposal and they manage to design a 2.5 litre V6 with such little power, If you want to slow down turn the air con on. Just about sums them up these days. LOL
Just about sums them up these days. LOL
06 July 2003, 09:40 PM
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Thats a fair opinion but they really are not aswell built and don't have as good dealers - plus it makes a **** up of everything they buy!
Edited because I can't write sentances which make sense!
And again! lol
[Edited by GTI - 7/6/2003 10:38:32 PM]
[Edited by GTI - 7/6/2003 10:39:18 PM]
Edited because I can't write sentances which make sense!
And again! lol
[Edited by GTI - 7/6/2003 10:38:32 PM]
[Edited by GTI - 7/6/2003 10:39:18 PM]
10 July 2003, 05:43 PM
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LOL the air conditioning comment, its like a big hand in the sky.
To be fair though weren't most mainstream V6's around the 170Bhp level when Ford bought out the Duratec. By mainstream I mean Vauxhall 2.5 Sri , The VW VR6 lump and also the 2.5 BMW lump used in the 323i.
Rgds
Neil
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