Ford to Halt Production at 10 Plants

ap ^ | 8/19/06 | AP

[Flavius]

just like beating a dead horse

[1rudeboy]

"An unprecedented spike in gasoline prices during the second quarter impacted our product lineup more than that of our competitors because of the long-standing success of our trucks and SUVs," Bill Ford said in his note Friday.

I'm all in favor of a company pushing a lineup with a higher proft-margin, but now it is time for those that pushed it to fall on their swords. I won't hold my breath.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

$254 million burned up in one quarter. Gad !

[martin_fierro]

Ford used to make cars, not social policy.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Too bad, my husband loves Ford trucks. He drives a F250 King Cab. As for me, my last Ford was purchased in 1975 and it was my last. I've owned several Honda Accords since 1985 and am ready for another.

[End Times Sentinel]

This is very saddening to hear. I was hoping for a big turnaround from Ford, especially since they've effectively branded themselves as "The Gay Car Company" with all their support of gay marriage, the advertising in Sodomite magazines and the sponsorship of Gay Days all across the country. I was seriously considering buying a new "Probe" with the optional "AIDS Injector" package.

Owl_Eagle

”You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in.  I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being”

-Hillary Clinton

(Yes, she really said that

Peggy Noonan

The Case Against Hillary Clinton, pg 55)

[mewzilla]

Meanwhile....

Japanese firms see sales rise for pickup trucks

[al baby]

The last ford i had was a f-250 biggest pos I am on my 3 rd toyota truck thank you

[al baby]

The last ford i had was a f-250 biggest pos I am on my 3 rd toyota truck thank you

[Malsua]

What universe do these people live in?

In the run up to the 2004 election, gas spiked upwards...Soros and other manipulation certainly. Then, after Katrina in 2005, these dimwits are suprised that people are buying more economical models? Hello, Mcfly! Of those 28000 layed off, start with the people responsible for model selection.

[frankenMonkey]

You'd think that maybe they'd have an updated Ford Ranger ready to go, but it's not due until 2010! Some real product planning going on there! (sarc)

[Eagles Talon IV]

Ford has reaped the reward of their years of caving in to the incessant demands of the Unions. They are being strangled by their (unfunded) pension liabilities. Their earlier beliefs that they could simply raise the price of their vehicles to pay these bloated benefits did not take into account the maturing of the Japanese automobile industry.

Very simply, the American car makers have had their clocks thoroughly cleaned by the same people GM,Chrysler,Ford and indeed many Americans used to laugh at only 25 years ago.

[Malsua]

Too bad, my husband loves Ford trucks.

My step dad loved his F350 work truck so 8-9 years ago he bought another ford 4x4. It got around 7mpg. He owned it for about 6 months. Has been driving Dodge Ram trucks ever since.

[bolobaby]

Kick out UAW and maybe they have a chance...

[gruffwolf]

Wow, I didn't realize Ford was doing that type of stuff. No more Ford products for our household.

It's a shame too, I really like our Expedition, crappy mileage and all.

[RayChuang88]

I think it's increasingly more and more likely that many of Ford of Europe's products will be assembled in the USA within the next 3-4 years.

The next-generation Fiesta will likely be first on that list, though this low-cost model will be built in Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico plant. In 2008, the next-generation Focus will arrive, this time again as a single worldwide model, with the US market likely getting it first before Europe.

Another model likely to reach the US market is the S-Max minivan, powered by a new 230 bhp Volvo-developed inline-6 engine with a CVT automatic transmission.

As a low-cost first-time owner vehicle, the Ford Ka--when the next-generation arrives probably in 2007--will also likely be sold in the USA for the first time. Like the Fiesta, Ford will build the Ka initially at its Hermosillo plant.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Ford used to make cars

ROFL - Are you sure they were actually cars?

[staytrue]

start with the people responsible for model selection.

It is hard to predict the future. Certainly the US consumers did not do that well as they bought gas guzzlers.

However, it is not that hard to be prepared and the car companies should have had competent small cars ready to roll out and they do not. It takes years to design a car and the domestics are not ready. They were not prepared.

[SamAdams76]

Let's see. Do I want to buy a Toyota Tundra made by non-union U.S. autoworkers at a huge U.S. plant in a red state (Texas)? Or do I want to buy a Ford pickup that is mostly manufactured in Mexico and assembled by overpaid union workers in the blue state of Michigan who are pressured by their union bosses to vote straight Democratic ticket and whose CEO spends much of his time preaching about homosexuality and how supportive he is of homosexual behavior and how we all should be too.

Tough decision.

[zarf]

bye bye suv's until the tanks can get some mpgs

soccer mom's driving tanks on flat Phoenix roads always crack me up