Posted on 12/03/2006 1:05:12 AM PST by Zakeet
DETROIT, Dec. 1 Sales by the Ford Motor Company declined even more last month than its management had expected.
The company fell into fourth place in November for the first time in its history, behind Toyota Motor of Japan and the German-American automaker DaimlerChrysler, figures released Friday show.
Ford sold 10 percent fewer vehicles than it did a year ago, sending its market share in the United States down to 14.8 percent from 16.9 percent last November, according to Wards AutoInfoBank.
By contrast, Toyotas sales increased 16 percent, giving it a market share of 16.5 percent, while DaimlerChrysler, which includes the Chrysler Group and Mercedes-Benz, sold 5 percent more vehicles to earn a share of 15.6 percent. General Motors is the largest automaker, with a share of 24.6 percent.
Fords numbers were particularly disappointing because they were being compared with last November, one of the worst months in company history, when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita cut demand for trucks as gas prices spiked.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The first new car I bought after I graduated from college and got a job was a ford. After being locked in a broom closet for an hour at the dealership during one of my many trips trying to get it fixed, I decided then I would never waste another penny on something I would have to Fix Or Repair Daily.
it took the US car companies 30 years of making crappy cars to get in this shape, if they spend 30 years making good cars they might get some of their sales back
You can trace the decline of Ford's market share to dropping the idea that "Quality is Job 1." When they bought into the idea that cars don't matter and that quality is for others they gave Toyota and Honda a shot at the Tarus, once the #1 car in America and now F150. The San Antonio Toyota pickup plant will end a major portion of the market share of Dodge in Texas and then the F150. Turn out the lights.
You're right about Toyota recalls. This year they have recalled more vehicles that they have sold.
In fact, it has delayed some new model introductions because of quality problems. Toyota dealers treat customers like carp. They are well below the industry average in sales satisfaction and service satisfaction. But, it has maintained its Teflon image.
My guess is that most MSM members drive imports on their way to vote Democratic.
Not sure it's due to the costs of raising a kid or due to the pollution.
I think its the cost of raising a kid. The Japanese have acquired very expensive tastes (much like liberal Democrats).
Given all the bad parts they have been putting on their trucks the last few years I can understand the drop. Tailgate fell off my powerstroke last month. Transmission went for a walk, bad pump. Etc. Etc. Etc.
So that is why Kevorkian(or whatever) is selling his stock and getting out. Sell at the bottom so you don't have to pay tax? What planet are you from??
My brother and sister-in-law have put their 2001 Escape through the
ringer without any problem.
And I say that as a routine critic of American cars/carmakers.
Basically a city slicker truck, Not big enough are powerful enough to do as work/farm truck.
Ugly+slow+no power{wouldn't pull the hat off your head}+Toyota.
Ford eliminated 1/2 their market with their recent
"men are stupid metrosexuals with women bosses" commercial and the whold "buy a ford suv before you divorce him" commercial. Ford petty much eliminated any chance men would buy a ford as a first car or switch from some other car maker.
They traded the Mercury Marauder for the B*tchmobile.
Ford where marketing is job stupid.
What Toyota said about building in Texas was, "We want to understand the truck culture." Where better than a state with hundreds of miles of Farm to Market roads that are used by pickups 10 to one over cars. When they are finished understanding the culture they will bring Mercedes/Dodge to their last days and the F150 will be in the fight of their life- Cheavy will die beside Ram.
Chrysler dealers may have a 49-day inventory, but D-C seems to be building up a substantial "sales bank".
From Detroit Free Press:
Workers, dealers and analysts -- each with their different concerns -- are troubled that they can't understand what Chrysler is doing.
Part of the problem, they say, is that the last time they couldn't get reasonable answers -- earlier this year -- it was about why storage lots near Chrysler assembly plants seemed to be overflowing with inventory.
Chrysler eventually told dealers in September that it had built more than 100,000 vehicles that dealers hadn't ordered.
"They have a credibility problem," CSM's Langley said.
Chrysler has since pledged to eliminate that so-called sales bank and reduce its reported inventory.
Your ignorance of history is profound.
Seven were executed after the Tokyo trials, General Doihara Kenji, Baron Hirota Koki, General Itagaki Seishiro, General Kimura Heitaro, General Matsui Iwane, General Muto Akira, General Tojo Hideki. A dozen or so were executed at Guam. Yamashita was executed in Manila. A couple of leaders were executed by the British at Singapore. The Australians took care of Nishimura, etc. About 150 were executed in China. Total executions were probably in the 900 - 1000 range.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.