Dear Mr. Ford (a modest proposal)

Wasn't any more a piece of crap than any other Ford sold here... just boring, who wants a slow, FWD convertible?

nate

Mike Hunter wrote:

I've prefered Ford products for a variety of reasons despite their annoying habbits. Since I purchased my '97 mustang new ford has done one thing after another to drive me away. I am not the only person who feels this way. Ford is apparently going to repeat the nonsense with the only car they will be building for the US market that interests me with a price tag within the bounds of what I'll spend, the GT500. (I'd love a GT, but I'd prefer not to be poor with a car I wouldn't dare drive most of the time)

Ford appears as if they will treat the GT500 the same way as they have with their other better vehicles and rarify them such that dealers can mark up the price significantly. If this should happen, ford will automatically be crossed off the list. I will buy a vehicle worthy of the additional money, none at all, or something different entirely.

Is that a long way of saying that among the U.S. based manufacturers GM with all of their brands is first in total sales while Ford with it's far fewer brands is second and the Chrysler division of Daimler is third? If so it's been that way for a long time. Of course as we all know Toyota is poised to overtake GM in worldwide sales.

Well...H'm. Leading? I guess, contextually, though objectively it would seem that "least backward" would be more accurate than "most forward".

McDonald's sells more Big Macs than Ruth's Chris sells steaks.

It could scarcely have gone the other direction; there wasn't much room for it to drop!

Think you mean Nasser.

"Daniel J. Stern" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@alumni.engin.umich.edu:

why, Yes... Yes I did.

Maybe *later* Ford will buy out Renault and take over from Ghosn!

In other words, Ford (and GM) should do what Chrysler is doign: put out RWD cars with powerful engines. How hard can it be?!

| In other words, Ford (and GM) should do what Chrysler is doign: | put out RWD cars with powerful engines. How hard can it be?!

Pretty darn hard. What will the price of gasoline be two years from now? If it is six dollars a gallon or more (which it could be), and the Asian cars that get 30 mpg and more are speeding off the lots, while the big RWD cars with powerful engines sit there, someone will come on USENET and write: "In other words, Ford (and GM) should do what the Asian marques are doing: put out small cars with great fuel economy. How hard can it be?!"

john cline ii, who, for the record, drives a large Ford with AWD (that ought to limit it) which doesn't have a "powerful" engine, but will be trading for one when they become available, provided we all can afford and get petrol

"Jon R Patrick" wrote: | "Daniel J. Stern" wrote in | | >> Mr. Ford had a LONG way to go when he took over from Ghosn | >

| > Think you mean Nasser. | >

| >

| | why, Yes... Yes I did. | | Maybe *later* Ford will buy out Renault and take over from Ghosn! | | J

Actually, Mr. Ford has already tried to hire Mr. Ghosn, who wasn't interested. And to get Mr. Ghosn by corporate acquisition, one would also have to buy Nissan.

john cline ii, who hopes that helps

I'll say it again, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but the fact remains no manufacture, except GM comes even close to the number of vehicle sold by Ford, none. My current daily drivers are a 2005 Mustang GT convertible and a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr. Not a day goes by, when I am using them, that somebody does not comment and ask questions about those vehicles .

mike hunt

I'd like to see that Ford Reflex diesl Hybrid for sale. That would get me to buy a new car. Unfortunately, Ford's marketing department will probably not be interested and use the improvements from that car to make slight improvements to a truck or SUV.

I have been buying Mustang GT convertibles, four so far, and I find the price quite reasonable compared to any of it competitors. A 300 HP Mustang GT drive home prices are $5,000 to $7,000 less than Toyotas or Chrysler convertibles with only a V6 which are powering the wrong for a sporty car ;)

mike hunt

You have been reading Toyotas press released I see. Worldwide, perhaps, unless GM starts to use its partners like Suzuki, in low cost production counties, to build the small cars to compete with Toyota in third world countries. In the US that is another story, Toyota is a distant third. GM and Ford sell more trucks alone than Toyota sells cars and trucks combined. The top selling vehicles in the US are not cars in any event, they are trucks from GM, Ford and Chrysler Half of the vehicles sold in the US for the past six years have been trucks and Toyotas truck are only a very small part of total truck sales. Toyota strong suit is cars, yet GM and Ford both sell more cars than Toyota but not with the same brand name on the hood. Although Toyota has the number one selling car in the US, the Camry, Chevrolet sells more cars with the same name on the hood than Toyota..

mike hunt

Does that explain why the Camry is the number one selling car in the US? ;)

mike hunt

Better do a bit of research before you comment on a subject on a subject of which you apparently have little knowledge, WBMA The domestic auto makers sell many small and medium sized car today that get great fuel mileage. American buyers however prefer to buy the safer larger cars and SUVs. GM, for examples, sells more vehicles in the US that get over 30 MPG than does Toyota.

mike hunt

Given the number of other nameplates they own, there would seem to be a simple solution to that problem.

You talking about aveo and cobalt fleet sales? I can't think of another GM model that does over 30MPG, and most of the aveo and cobalts sold are fleet sales, as individual buyers of econocars are mostly after the corolla/matrix and civics. OH, I guess if you count the Pontiac VIBE, you might have something. Too bad that's a Toyota, though. -Dave

It's not hard at all in a technical sense to put out a car of almost any design. The question is whether consumers will be willing to shell out money for the that particular configuration. Car makers generally make a decision to sell cars that sell well no matter whether they are SUVs or Hybrids. Short of government mandated minimum milage standard you can expect to see a mix of cars from each car maker that hopefully maximizes their sales. The mix will differ company to company.

Guess wrong too often or be sluggish in responding to changing consumer demands and you will join the many other auto makers who disappeared.

GM and Ford are tops in losing money, too. LOL.

Sure. Like: "Why would you buy such a piece of junk?"

"Why are most of Fords' cars so ugly and the rest so dated? Can't they get a new idea that doesn't suck?"

"Doesn't the legendary low Ford resale value bother you?"

"Did I tell you about all the troubles I had with Ford and why I switched to Toyotas?"

"Look, the interior of yet another new Ford reminds me of the interior of the '57 Fairlane!"

"Hey, look, the Festiva lives again!"

"What's that funny noise? That rattle-squeak-rattle sound... Is that normal?"

"Is this another one of those Fords that explodes if something hits it from the rear?"

"Do you keep a small car in the trunk for backup? I used to own Fords and I'd recommend it."

"I see you've been to the gas station again."

sincerely, A guy with 5, 6 and 7 year-old Toyotas that are actually worth lots of money and which never go into the dealership except for routine service.

You seem to be confused, not only does GM sell more cars to whom ever, than Toyota, it offers for sale more individual models that get over 30 MPG than Toyota, search the EPA for the models of each. US buyer look for more than good mileage in the vehicles they buy. Search the sales figures for the Vibe and the Matrix you will discover GM sells far more Vibes than Toyota sells Matrix'. Perhaps more GM buyers, than you realize, look to GM for the dependable vehicles they want, even in the same basic car. ;)

mike hunt