This dawn on anyone else? After 100 years of domestic auto wars Ford won. They’re the last one left standing without government support.
They outlasted GM, Chrysler, and all the others that came and went. From the Model T that brought cars to the people, to the muscle car wars, to the gas crisis, to the Japanese invasion, Ford is the last one left standing.
Kind of crazy. If you had told our parents when they were our age that they’d see this they’d probably have told you that you were full of shit. I’m surprised I haven’t read many articles waxing poetic about it.
Ford starting cutting back a while back. No more SVT and fun projects. they started focusing on the important shit. Im proud to be a son of a ford retiree
Agreed. As much as people rag on them they still put out a solid product. I really hope this thread doesn’t derail into a domestic hate fest…because Ford has definitely accomplished a lot in it’s history.
Just noticed your post. I have a similar story as my dad worked for a Ford dealership for 25 years before the car business was too much stress for him. My youth was flooded with new Ford product every few months. Some of earliest memories of Mustangs go back to '89 when he’d take a Saleen for a drive and pick me up from elementary school for lunch. I also remember the LX foxbody getting opened up on the highway onramps, the first day in he brought home an '89 SHO and I took pics of the engine with a Polaroid, the Lincoln Mark VIII’s that I thought were ungodly fast and had the coolest interior I’ve ever seen…I could go on for a while but I think it’s stories like these that I feel have held my interest in Ford product over the years. Also, neither of my cars ever seem to break so that helps me from hating…
I’m not a fan of Ford to be honest. I don’t like anything about them.
However, for years they have had better quality than GM. The fact you can buy a 2009 AWD Ford focus with a 250 HP engine and some options for $13,000 NEW let me realize how they are ahead.
Also, for mass production cars I think we all agree, Ford has much better looking cars, inside and out.(Cars are money right now)
To me, the only Chrysler product worth buying is a Jeep. The interiors are nice, the engines are nice and the car has a nice warranty. All dodges except for the challenger and a Cummins diesel are not desirable, ugly as hell, and over priced. Chrysler itself produces no popular cars, except for minivans which are also expensive as hell. No wonders why they are failing so miserably.
What the car business comes down to is desirability. GM hangs on by only it’s performance cars and trucks. It’s name in cars is irreversibly damaged, they produce nothing good looking, nothing with good power, and the interiors are generally shit.
The car market right now is where the money is at, and GM and Chrysler have nothing to offer to compete with Ford, or Toyota right now.
I got sent a flyer thing from a ford dealer, I didn’t see much else on it I’m just saying it’s cheap, its AWD, and its a nicer car than a cobalt
DIAF? I own 2 GM’s. (Trucks) The motors awesome, the transmissions are good, and they look good. However the interiors are Okay.
Look at a cobalt interior and compare it to a Focus sometime. Also, look at the exterior.
That’s what I’m reffering to. I love cadillacs and the G8 and a lot of GM cars. But it’s the economy, poor mans car that’s making these car companies money.
no power? their offerings routinely out-power anything they compete with. What can run with a cobalt SS new for the price you pay out the door?
their interiors are making huge strides in the latest gen. And they produce nothing good looking?
people don’t want power in econo cars. they want stupid gas mileage. If they want power, they buy the SS. And econo cars aren’t really profitable for anyone. They’re stupid pieces of shit for people who hate or don’t care about cars that they have to sell to look good and bring their average fuel mileage up. Profit margins are razor thin compared to other segments of the market.
Kinda how Toyota got away from the Supra? Or how Honda got away from the NSX? etc… etc. Bottom line should decide business decisions, not nostalgia, not testosterone, and certainly not 0.5% of the consumers that support things like ZR1s & Cobra-Rs. They certainly have their place in R&D & Factory racing, but thats as far as that goes really.
I’m pretty sure people buy Econo cars that are efficient. Pep can be had with good gas mileage. A not plastic interior that’s held together with chewing gum would help too(our 2008 Chevy silverado has rattles and shit as it sits with 17,000 miles). Apparently a lot of people are stupid because 7/10 cars i see on the road are nothing special, economy cars.