Posted on 10/02/2007 9:58:30 AM PDT by decimon
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales plummeted 21 percent in September as the automaker saw a steep drop-off in car sales, according to results released Tuesday.
Ford's car sales dropped 39 percent compared with last September, while its truck sales were down 5 percent. The automaker said a 62 percent reduction in sales to rental car fleets partly was to blame. Ford has been trying to cut back on rental sales, which can hurt brand image and profits.
Other automakers also were expected to report lackluster sales for the month, as jittery consumers put off big-ticket purchases in reaction to the credit crunch, high gas prices and the troubled housing market. Wall Street analysts predicted overall sales would be down 4 percent for the month.
The Associated Press reports unadjusted figures, calculating the percentage change in the total number of vehicles sold in one month compared with the same month a year earlier. Some automakers report percentages adjusted for sales days. There were 25 sales days last month and 26 in September 2006.
“How does that work?”
It hurts the future “resale” price of the cars as the used car market will eventually become flooded with “rode hard” used cars. That drives the future resale price of a new car today down, which drives the lease price up, which drives customers away. In addition, that resale value makes a difference in customer satisfaction ratings.....
The other posters are also correct on their points regarding your question.
Fix Or Repair Daily
Found On Road Dead
Backwards... Driver Returns On Foot
Backwards... Dorks Ride On Fords
Factory Ordered Road Disaster
Factory Ordered Rebuilt Dodge(Datsun)
Flip Over Read Directions
Four Old Rusted Doors
Fixed On Race Day
Ford Owner Really Dumb
For Only Retarded Drivers
Ford Owners Recommend Dodge
Flipped Over Russian Dunebuggy
Found On Russian Dump
For Off Road Death
it Freaking Only Runs Downhill
Fat Old Rusted Dog
Freaking Old Rusted Dodge(Datsun)
Frigin Oakies Really Dig it
Funky Old Road Dog
Found On Roadside’s Destroyed
Backwards...Don’t Ride Over Fifty
Fixed-up Old Repossesed Dodge
Found Old Rebuilt Dodge
Forget OutRunning Dale
Found On Railroad Deserted
Found On Railroad Dead
Fools Only Read Directions
First On Repair Dolly
Favorite Of Redneck Drivers
Backwards- Dumb Retards Own Fords
Funny Old Rebuilt Dodge
Fast Only Rolling Downhill
Found On Russian Dump
Forfiet On Race Day
Found On River Dead
Failure Of Research & Development
FWIW, that was surely the 3.0 engine which has been replaced with, IIRC, a 3.5 engine.
Good luck finding any auto manufacturer who doesn't. Ford is not alone, every auto manufacturer markets and panders to the gay community. I wish none of them would but they all do.
I would buy a Mustang GT, but I’m waiting to see how the new Camaro pans out first...(and I fully suspect the Dodge Challenger will be more than I want to pay)
Semper Fi,
Kelly
“My 2000 Explorer died at 82K. The dealer offered me $500.”
What the heck happened? Was it a V6? A friend at work had one, older than that, with a V8 and it just couldn’t be killed. The only real problem it had was the ABS sensors that died and had to all be replaced at once - which he never did.
It's oft been said that ol' Henry would turn in his grave if he knew how the Ford Foundation has gone.
Buy a gently used 03-04 Mustang Cobra with the IRS and the blower. They’re faster and handle better (with a couple of elementary mods). And if you change the pulley, you’ll be faster than the current GT500.
Ford makes outstanding full size and commercial vehicles... their car lines are finally improving.
I don’t see this as some doom and gloom, but to be expected.
Reducing fleet sales is going to cut the number of units sold, and with the credit/housing issues a lot of folks are hunkering down and thinking twice about big ticket purchases.
I expect you’ll see sales down for most the auto makers for a while, other than the koreans who are picking up the slack GM and FORD have given by reducing their fleet sales.
Way to go Unions!!!!
“I purchased my last Ford product in 1996. I discovered that Ford was flying the Vietnamese Communist flag at corporate headquarters.”
For what reason? Was it a stand alone flag or part of a flag of all nations thing?
Fleet sales are sold on a much much lower margin (hurting profits) and then the car model gets the image of being a “rental” model which hurts sales to end buyers... not to mention creates a glut of used versions of the vehicle on the market driving down resale values.
The usual failure for that truck is transmission failure. They’re “sealed for life” types, so you theoretically can’t change the transmission fluid.....
The 3.0L V6 was a bit questionable, but the 4.0 (which I think they were using by 2000) is a pretty good engine. They also had the old 302ci/5.0L V8 in them in that era.
He loves it.
Yea, it’s faster, but it’s not as sexy looking and it’s still a fox body...
While fleet sales are not profit centers, Ford loved to proclaim the Taurus as the best selling car in America when it had to include fleet sales to claim #1 status.
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