Ford on Ford: 'We're looking at radical changes'

[DanielXR8]

Ford on Ford: 'We're looking at radical changes'
CEO says he is seeking alliances but wants family to stay in control

Fellas you have to check out this link:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14499465/

Its a long article, so I wont paste it here. There is also a very interesting video link off the article called "How to fix Ford".

My take on this article.

Bill Ford Jnr is softening up the financial markets and his own employees for some radical sell offs and staff redundancies - way beyond what has already been announced.

Ford will look very seriously at any other manufacturer who can help Ford survive.

Fords US vehicle (as opposed to trucks) range is a disaster. People don't like them and arent buying them. Mustang is a halo car, but it can't save a company the size of Ford on its own. They need new product that excites the North American market badly.

GM gets more then one mention by Bill Ford as a partner to Ford on some projects. Bob Lutz style character is mentioned on the video as someone who Ford needs to save it.

GM is also mentioned on the video because they "at least have exciting product due out in 2008". Of course a big part of that is the Zeta platform that Holden has been so involved with. Thats good news for our local car industry.

The final thoughts I have are that this opens a huge opportunity for the Falcon to finally make it back to North America after forty odd years. A lot of the "not made here" arguments that Ford USA have always put up, will crumble now that the president of Ford has laid the cards on the table. Orion would have to be a candidate for export and possibly manufacture in the US, just like the Commodore/Zeta is, as its a quick way to get some new product and from what is rumoured, is being tooled up for left and right hand production anyway.

Alternatively and I hope this doesnt come to pass, Ford US will resist taking on Falcon and Territory and will strip the local Ford of all viable assets, along with any of the other satellite operations around the world, in the hope of propping up the parent company. Here's hoping that doesnt happen.

Whatever the case, you just don't give interviews like this one to the market, unless you are planning BIG changes. It should be an interesting next couple of years.

Daniel