Posted on 10/18/2016 8:56:53 AM PDT by Brilliant
[The] US car industry history...suddenly appears to be bombarded with a barrage of bad news: starting with Ford's disastrous August sales when the company admitted "sales have reached a plateau"...one would almost think that a respite from the bad news was in order. One would be wrong.
As a result of slowing demand and declining US auto sales coupled with growing inventory, Ford Motor is halting one of two plants that builds its top-selling F-150 pickup as it idles four factories this month amid slowing U.S. auto sales.
Ford is shutting its Louisville, Kentucky, factory building the Escape and Lincoln MKC sport utility vehicles... Next week, the second-largest U.S. automaker will close the F-150 factory near Kansas City...
The plant closings follow last week’s shutdown of Ford’s Mustang factory in Michigan after sales of the sports car plunged 32% in September.
Contrary to the popular refrain of a strong economy, US auto sales are slowing as many analysts predict the industry won’t match last year’s record of 17.5 million cars and light trucks... Ford CEO Mark Fields has said “We said we expected the overall retail industry to decline in the second half of the year...” “We also said to expect to see some production adjustments in the second half -- this is one of them...”
Meanwhile, Felker said Ford is trying to match production with demand. Inventories have been swelling...
Worst of all, while the rest of the US manufacturing sector has been in secular decline, the auto industry was perhaps the last shining light for battered US manufacturing during the past several years. However, if demand for cars continues to collapse, forcing supply to follow suit, it is only a matter of time before the US manufacturing recession returns with a vengeance...
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
I just bought a 1991 4WD F150 Supercab Ranger XLT with pushbar on the front and a Reese hitch and paid cash 2800 bucks. It has just under 70,000 miles on it. I figure I will put another 6-7 Thousand in repairs and a new paint job. Wife wanted to know why I didn't get a new one. When I showed her the price tag for approximately the same truck new with all the same options she could not believe the price.
You forget about the ruling party in this country. Ford has to comply with every regulation pertaining to the finished product. My husband was there when they took out 99% of the emissions out of the vehicle. No, that wasn’t enough for the Obastard so back to the drawing board. If you don’t want a safe, reliable, eco-friendly car, then you could afford one. And don’t tell me there is another car company that produces one of those cheaply.
That 1991 4wd probably gets 7 MPG.
Nope, I am getting just at 19 MPG right now in town. But that is not hauling anything.
According to fueleconomy.gov a 1991 4WD v8 gets combined 13 mpg.
Which V8?
Um, the cars made in old Mexico have to meet the same standards and comply with the same regulations as cars made in the USA. The big difference is they can treat their workers anyway they like and pay them peanuts which increases their profit margin. It doesn’t do squat for the consumer.
But then it has a "dot gov" address. Which explains much.
I have a 2500 Dodge w Cummins diesel ... best Mileage I ever got was 39 MPG at 80 MPH (had a 50 MPH Tailwind)
The return trip was at best 60 MPH and about 9 MPG and a much more interesting driving experience. I was passing those cute little mini cars like they were standing still.
(Estimated MPG from the on-board Computer MPG Calculator)
I would be impressed, if I needed a pickup for dropping rocks into an unprotected bed from over 10ft.
Someone in my neighborhood has a new F150 and loves it.
I’d like a 4 cylinder, blue tooth, back up cameras, with parking lines in the camera, about the size of HRV, where the back hatch opens with my key and is smooth bed, no lift over lip, and cameras in side view mirrors for blind spots when you turn on your turn signals. Like OnStar, but don’t need the radio package, I wear twin hearing aids so rarely have radio on volume, have to have it on for OnStar, we have the road package. But it is expensive for what we get out of it. It’s heck getting older and your vision doesn’t work as well as it once did because of cataract implants eliminating peripheral vision. Leather seats with heat is necessary too.
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