Ford to build smaller vehicles

DEARBORN, MICH.: Ford Motor Co., which devoted itself for nearly 20 years to putting millions of Americans into big pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, is about to alter its focus drastically and build ...

[a voice]

Already, the writing has been on the wall for a long time!!

[a voice]

Maybe this time a car that will last a little longer!!!!

[jinxer]

its about time.

[Bergermeister]

Way to go, Ford! Keepin' ahead of the curve as always! ;0)

[Cindy]

I agree. Ford should have done this a long time ago, instead of laying off their workers.

[dog]

I was a Ford person, but I will never buy another Ford again, quality has gone down hill for the last 7-8 years.

[Thinking out Loud 2]

Hmmmmm....so Ford should have done this a long time ago? What do you think 10 years ago that they could have competed had they cut back on the trucks and SUV's all automakers were making and made small cars? The truth is until the past year plus most people were not that worried about having a small car...they wanted what they wanted...SUV's, trucks, sports cars.

This is a case of a company responding to economic and market conditions...just as any other company does.

[Bergermeister]

Thinking out Loud 2 wrote:

Hmmmmm....so Ford should have done this a long time ago? What do you think 10 years ago that they could have competed had they cut back on the trucks and SUV's all automakers were making and made small cars? The truth is until the past year plus most people were not that worried about having a small car...they wanted what they wanted...SUV's, trucks, sports cars.
This is a case of a company responding to economic and market conditions...just as any other company does.

I hear what you are saying, but Ford is in the automotive business. They should have had an army of people looking to the future to determine what trends the market will take and direct R&D accordingly. Ford chose to ride the SUV and Big Truck line into the ground and now they are paying for it.

Look at the Toyotas and Hondas of the world. They aligned themselves perfectly to coming market conditions. They built smaller cars, adjusted to provide SUVs and Pickups when the market called for it, all while developing hybrid technology! What were the Big 3 doing while all this was going on??

[Thinking out Loud 2]

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
I hear what you are saying, but Ford is in the automotive business. They should have had an army of people looking to the future to determine what trends the market will take and direct R&D accordingly. Ford chose to ride the SUV and Big Truck line into the ground and now they are paying for it.
Look at the Toyotas and Hondas of the world. They aligned themselves perfectly to coming market conditions. They built smaller cars, adjusted to provide SUVs and Pickups when the market called for it, all while developing hybrid technology! What were the Big 3 doing while all this was going on??

You are right that perhaps theh big 3 should have responded faster. But as far as Toyota and Honda...the cars the build and brought to this country are a result of Japan's infrastructure of roads, limited space etc. If you will recall they did not just suddenly in the past couple years develop these cars, they have always had them do to the needs of thier original market.

[Tom]

In the early 1980s, gasoline was also expensive. The price would have been $3.11/gallon in inflation-adjusted terms.

It is as if we have returned to those times after a long period when Alaska oil and North Sea oil came online and then was depleted and faded away.

A pox on our political leaders for not leading on efficiency!

[american patriot]

who can afford new cars now adays?

[Bergermeister]

Thinking out Loud 2 wrote:

<quoted text>
You are right that perhaps theh big 3 should have responded faster. But as far as Toyota and Honda...the cars the build and brought to this country are a result of Japan's infrastructure of roads, limited space etc. If you will recall they did not just suddenly in the past couple years develop these cars, they have always had them do to the needs of thier original market.

I know. I know. Toyota and Honda made their inroads into the US in '72-'73 when what was going on? Oh yeah, oil crunch. You have to admit though. Both of them can turn on a dime when it comes to reacting to market conditions.

Why do the Big 3 turn around like a supertanker? For people in the industry, this is really not new news.

BTW, what was going on in '72-'73 to cause the oil crunch. Vietnam. An oil gulping US war. Ironic, the '72 was about 7 years into US involvement in Vietnam. Now it is '08. 7 years after......Hmmmmm!

Still, the geniuses in Detroit didn't see it comin'.

[save it]

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
I know. I know. Toyota and Honda made their inroads into the US in '72-'73 when what was going on? Oh yeah, oil crunch. You have to admit though. Both of them can turn on a dime when it comes to reacting to market conditions.
Why do the Big 3 turn around like a supertanker? For people in the industry, this is really not new news.
BTW, what was going on in '72-'73 to cause the oil crunch. Vietnam. An oil gulping US war. Ironic, the '72 was about 7 years into US involvement in Vietnam. Now it is '08. 7 years after......Hmmmmm!
Still, the geniuses in Detroit didn't see it comin'.

Really, if you're old enough to know better, then you should know better. If you're not, then research a little before you open your mouth. Oil prices spiked in 73 because of an oil embargo by Arab countries that drove up prices. That much I remember, look it up.

[Bergermeister]

save it wrote:

<quoted text>
Really, if you're old enough to know better, then you should know better. If you're not, then research a little before you open your mouth.

I type with my mouth closed thank you.

[Bergermeister]

save it wrote:

<quoted text>
Really, if you're old enough to know better, then you should know better. If you're not, then research a little before you open your mouth. Oil prices spiked in 73 because of an oil embargo by Arab countries that drove up prices. That much I remember, look it up.

Also, oil embarge would reduce the supply of oil available, yes? This at a time when the US War Machine was gobbling it up daily. Supply vs. Demand dictates that prices would increase. I will concede that prices would have risen regardless of the State of War our country was in, but prices rose further due to the Vietnam War going on at the time.

[George N]

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
What were the Big 3 doing while all this was going on??

Weighed down by a UAW contract that forced them to pay thousands of workers full salary and benefits while doing nothing. Paying full benefits and retirement to unskilled workers after 30 years on the job. There was really little left for development.