Report: Ford still considering sale or partnership

omarrana submitted on 04/17/2007 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 4:03 PM
from: www.egmcartech.com

[31] user comments | category: Misc News

Tags: Ford

Ford

As the company struggles to recover from a $12.7 billion loss in 2006, Ford has not ruled out considering a possible sale or partnership as it closes plants and cuts jobs. In an interview with Portfolio magazine, Ford’s Executive Chairman, Bill Ford Jr., said that the company has considered every possible option to bring the company back up on it’s feet.

“Merge with another company, go it alone, sell off the brands, have the family pull out and get rid of their B stock — there are a billion things that could’ve happened,” Ford told Portfolio.

Ford has cut about 45,000 jobs and closed more than a dozen plants and gave compensations that valued at a total of $39.1 million. That’s the way to do it!

Our take: Get rid of the Taurus, sell Lincoln, being ALL European models to the US, put the Ford Interceptor into production, advertise the hell out of Ford Edge and give the Mustang a totally new competition killer look. And if you’re CEO really cares about having the respect and reputation of a ‘turnaround man’ stop paying him more than he needs to live his lifestyle. Read Article

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aeyjay - 4/17/2007 5:05:35 PM

+3 Boost

Ford should sell off Lincoln for that would be like GM selling Cadillac. The first step would be to get rid of the Mercury brand (as we've discussed in other posts). It's that simple FORD! Damn, I'm so sick of seeing all of their copy-and-paste products on the road.
Escape-Mariner-Tribute
Fusion-Milan-MKZ (the Mazda6 is the exception here)
f-150 - Mark LT
Expedition-Navigator
Crown Vic-Grand Marquis-Town Car
500-Montego-Freestyle/ Taurus-Sable-Taurus X
Freestar-Monterey

I wouldn't be surprised if Mercury doesn't get a version of the Mustang to add a coupe' to their line (Cougar?)

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aeyjay - 4/17/2007 5:06:22 PM

+3 Boost

correction: Ford should "not" sell off Lincoln...

GTR35 - 4/17/2007 9:45:37 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

I agree completely on selling Mercury or simply kill it (since no one will notice). I never understood the need for Mercury

aeyjay - 4/17/2007 5:23:43 PM

+1 Boost

LOL, I agree

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aeyjay - 4/17/2007 5:22:11 PM

+5 Boost

Ford, listen to us here on autospies...

Kill Mercury

Redesign the Town Car and give it more technology than the DTS... Do not rename it just because everyone else is going alpha-numeric.

If you must make the Mark-LT, then make it look different from the f-150. Give it xenon headlamps, LED mirrors and tail lamps, monochromatic premium paint, a huge sunroof to highlight the interior... you get my drift... anyone can put a new grille and chrome on an f-150 and call it a Lincoln.

Lose the retro-style guages in all of your cars. It's not working.

So Ford, isn't that easy... Lose Mercury. Make all Lincolns have standard xenon headlamps, and for the hell of it, LED 'front' turn signals along with the rear. You must do something unique that makes a Lincoln recognizable even at night. (Just don't put the LED signals in the bumper a la' Kia Amanti... Kia copied your Town Cars design so don't repeat that)

whew, am I the only one that doesn't want to see Ford waste away?

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aeyjay - 4/17/2007 5:25:42 PM

+4 Boost

The image of Cadillac will be up there with MB, Audi, BMW and Lexus while Lincoln and Chrysler become like GM's Buick... just old school cars for AARP members.

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aeyjay - 4/17/2007 5:42:46 PM

+2 Boost

It would be so nice if they could revive Lincoln though, you know. Ford to Lincoln is like Chevrolet to Cadillac. Ford just needs to scrap Lincoln and Mercury for a while and bring Lincoln back in 2 years with a brand new line of cars that will make people rethink what they used to think of Lincoln.

It would be nice to see our 'Big 3' survive... Cadillac (looking good... go GM!)
Chrysler (surviving... thanks DaimlerBenz)
Lincoln (treading water)

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S4cabriofoxone - 4/17/2007 5:53:34 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

Chrysler is on Mercedes's chopping block, though. It's being sold soon! I wonder who will buy...?

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stevenv1999 - 4/17/2007 5:46:23 PM

+1 Boost

The problem with Ford is the product is only average and the quality is below average. Also, Ford has shown time and time again that it will not stand behind it's product and the customer gets stuck with a piece of crap vehicle and a car payment. I will never buy a Ford again, EVER!!!!

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jt716 - 4/17/2007 6:44:39 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

I agree with aeyjay to keep lincoln mercury out of for a while.Create a whole new line of prducts for ford but with the same names (flex's interior is what i expect for them to compete)Then they can focus on jag and used the lincoln mercury dealerships for jags. Then once all losses are profits and they are making billions they shld bring lincoln back and make its the best ever keep pushing it and keep it in the same dealerships as the jags. Then do the same with mercury but put it with fords, but they shld be totally different not a few changes here and there.While they shld bring Volvo and Land Rover reliability to one of the highest to compare with toyota and lexus. And they shld try to fight fierce with mazda even though its doing good but it shld get bigger and be a direct competition. Most people often forget mazda its mostly toyota honda or nissan when buying a japanese car.

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urbansouljah - 4/17/2007 7:20:12 PM

+3 Boost

Linoln and Jaguars should not be sold at the same dealers. It will only kill Jaguar's brand image more. The current setup of Jaguar sharing dealers with Land Rover and Volvo is much better.

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chuck717 - 4/17/2007 7:35:35 PM

+1 Boost

Ford, the next 4 letter word that will get a shock jock fired?

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jt716 - 4/17/2007 7:58:39 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

urbansouljah i said after ford made lincoln have a come back or the cud just sell it with mazda mercury and ford

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urbansouljah - 4/17/2007 10:14:27 PM

+1 Boost

Even if Lincoln made a comeback it would be a bad idea. Putting them on the same lot wouldn't help either brand as they would compete against each other. The only brand Jaguar should be closely tied to is Land Rover and to some extent Volvo for safety and the inline 6. Lincoln should get new designs like the concepts that they always showcase. The MKR would be a good start. Lincoln could be a great brand if they are run seperately from Ford.

jt716 - 4/17/2007 8:01:36 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

ooh i just thought of useless cool thing they can ut on a jag..how about a small spotlight underneath the leaping cat hood ornament..well just for fun

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Agent63 - 4/17/2007 10:03:40 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

I say sell every brand except Lincoln and Land Rover. This gives them the house brand to worry about but also still have two luxury brands to keep. With the sales of all those companies they have more than enough money to revive the Ford Company.

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S4cabriofoxone - 4/17/2007 10:09:41 PMView My AgentSpace

-1 Boost

What about Jaguar? Of their luxury brands, Jaguar is the most promising (short of Land Rover, which is thriving already). The XF is looking hot, and it would be a slap in the face if Ford sold Jaguar, and the XF became popular immediately after.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/17/2007 10:19:49 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

I have a lot to say about Ford... and not all of it is necessarily good.

IMO their recent (Ford brand) products are utterly mediocre. GM's efforts have been much better, and have proved to be fruitful. Compare, for instance, the Ford Edge to the Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia.

The Acadia is, arguably, better-looking. Both have better interiors than Edge. Both have more powerful engines as standard (and as options). Both have more innovative standard and optional features. Both have better fuel economy in FWD versions (equal to Edge in AWD versions). Both are more versatile, with more seating options. The GM crossovers have opened to very good reviews, praising their nimble handling- the Edge is seen as simply average by most magazines. I could go on.

However, they are doing some things right: their European operations are still successful, Land Rover is doing well (thanks to BMW), Volvo is thriving and they are basing their bread-and-butter cars on sporty Mazda platforms. However, the European cars aren't coming here, Land Rovers are still extremely overweight and unreliable, and the great handling on Mazdas doesn't translate to Ford's products. Lincoln is in need, Mercury is useless, Jaguar is faltering (although there is a star of hope in their future) and Ford is losing more cash than Toyota is taking in.

There's so much to do, so much to be fixed... wow, am I glad I'm not Alan Mulally!

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cdoke - 4/17/2007 10:44:30 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

"Land Rover is doing well (thanks to BMW)"

How's that?

Agent63 - 4/18/2007 7:29:25 AMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Because Ford used to own Land Rover. Range Rovers used to be powered by BMW's m62 V8 petrol with 282 hp and 6cyl diesel engines but here in North America only the V8's were available. With a BMW power plant IMO their cars ran better. Now I believe Ford has stopped relying on BMW's engines and now use Jaguar engines.

cdoke - 4/18/2007 1:00:14 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

That is correct Agent 63, Ford replaced the BMW engines with more powerful and faster Jaguar engines. This will not endear me to any BMW fans, but in the Range Rover in particular those BMW engines had Conestoga Wagon like acceleration.

I remember reading the article about the engine replacement and was shocked at the ludicriously long acceleration times for the BMW engine: it was something around 10 seconds to 62mph. Hell, strap four horses to the front, put the car in neutral, and get out you whip- it will be faster. By replacing the engines they cut a full second off to 62 mph for the normally aspirated engine, and by 2.5 seconds for the supercharged variant to around 7.1 seconds. this replacement occured in 2005.

They also replaced. or are phasing out the BMW sourced diesel, which had a truly glacial acceleration to 62 time of 13.6 seconds. The new engine, I don't know where it comes from cuts a full 4 seconds from that time.

lexusis350 - 4/17/2007 10:47:45 PM

+1 Boost

I used to think that Ford was going down, but now I predict they'll make a strong comeback. I don't know why, though. Their vehicles aren't that good looking, but I'm pretty sure they're going to shock everyone and become a successful company again.

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WickedRabbit - 4/18/2007 3:38:20 AM

+1 Boost

Lincoln AND Mercury. While Lincoln may be Ford's "luxury" brand (still funny to consider ANY Ford 'luxury anything') the fact is that it doesn't sell anything. Hell, I think I may have seen like 2 lincoln cars on the road in the last 2-years. Why? probably because most people - like myself - just look at it and all it is, is an overpriced Ford. It's a brand that people might miss seeing because it's "Lincoln", but it's not a brand people would miss seeing. They could easily cut both of those and save themselves a ton.

Lastly, i agree that they need to pay the CEO way less. The amount he got was just immense considering the dying nature of the company. Gotta love Americans and how they want to do business. He probably doesn't plan to stay with the company anyway... just make a quick hundred mil and could care less if the company dies.

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Westside7th - 4/18/2007 11:29:37 AM

+1 Boost

Lincoln has increased sales this year. Obviously they are doing something right.

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chuck717 - 4/19/2007 3:27:43 PM

+1 Boost

Yes Lincoln is hanging in there, the dealers believe it or not actually listen to problems now and try to solve them that is good, The products are looking better at Lincoln.
As far as Ford corp goes this new Edge is a cute trick, i hope they don't screw up and get impatient like all US auto MFG do they are quick to pull the plug on what looks like a promising little vehicle.
they still have huge problems of course but in the world of cars Rome really wasn't built in a day, maybe they can salvage some respect and sales also lets hope, the USA needs some good news?

rocker - 4/18/2007 2:57:59 PM

+2 Boost

My main focus would be to ensure that Bill Ford had no part in any decisions made. Idiot Executive Chairman. Also I would demand that they kick Matt Millen out of running the Lions. Idiot General Manager.

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aeyjay - 4/22/2007 11:59:57 PM

+1 Boost

Give us the Interceptor... not a watered down version either!

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aeyjay - 4/28/2007 2:12:09 AM

+1 Boost

Let's keep this one going guys...

GM and Ford need all the advice they can get.

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