Why Ford can't sell Falcon?

Smoke Pursuit · 17-10-2012, 08:06 PM

I've had some clients looking for new cars in the last few weeks.

1) G6E Ecoboost. No one in QLD has a new G6E Ecoboost in stock. Would have to order one to be built.

2) GT manual, neither of our local big FPV dealers have a manual GT in stock. Only Autos. Client told seeya next year if you want one.

3) Falcon base model tray backs... We have none of those either, only XR6's.

For a company that is struggling to make sales it really makes you wonder, what are Ford doing?????

P6LTD351 · 17-10-2012, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DASH GT

I've had some clients looking for new cars in the last few weeks.

1) G6E Ecoboost. No one in QLD has a new G6E Ecoboost in stock. Would have to order one to be built.

2) GT manual, neither of our local big FPV dealers have a manual GT in stock. Only Autos. Client told seeya next year if you want one.

3) Falcon base model tray backs... We have none of those either, only XR6's.

For a company that is struggling to make sales it really makes you wonder, what are Ford doing?????

What are they doing? Made to order is what they are doing.

Nikked · 17-10-2012, 08:22 PM

Not this thread...again.

Falcman0o7 · 17-10-2012, 08:32 PM

lock down!

XR Martin · 17-10-2012, 08:37 PM

Checking Carsales...

There is one demo G6E Ecoboost in QLD
Two GT Manuals
Seven Base model Utes (all tubs though)

Brazen · 17-10-2012, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Checking Carsales...

There is one demo G6E Ecoboost in QLD
Two GT Manuals
Seven Base model Utes (all tubs though)

Cab chassis is the volume seller in base

Smoke Pursuit · 17-10-2012, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Checking Carsales...

There is one demo G6E Ecoboost in QLD
Two GT Manuals
Seven Base model Utes (all tubs though)

Wow..... Huge for 1 state.

It's a serious question... How can you sell cars if you don't stock them?

Nikked · 17-10-2012, 08:48 PM

Ford have been building cars too order for at least a year now...so, instead of having cars sitting around in holding yards and showrooms, (only to be sold at massively discounted rates to clear them out) the cars are produced when they are needed.

Smoke Pursuit · 17-10-2012, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

Ford have been building cars too order for at least a year now...so, instead of having cars sitting around in holding yards and showrooms, (only to be sold at massively discounted rates to clear them out) the cars are produced when they are needed.

Well in these 3 cases they miss out...

SteveJH · 17-10-2012, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

Ford have been building cars too order for at least a year now...so, instead of having cars sitting around in holding yards and showrooms, (only to be sold at massively discounted rates to clear them out) the cars are produced when they are needed.

They should still keep a small number in stock in the popular specifications and options.

FPV GTHO · 17-10-2012, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

Ford have been building cars too order for at least a year now...so, instead of having cars sitting around in holding yards and showrooms, (only to be sold at massively discounted rates to clear them out) the cars are produced when they are needed.

In most cases I'd bet its still dealer orders though. Which begs the question then, what are the dealers ordering for stock?

Shonky. · 17-10-2012, 09:34 PM

More often than not I browse yards after hours and only engage a dealer once I have found my preferred configuration car.

I don't think I'm alone when I say the car I want in stock, ready to go, would be a huge factor in tipping me into the sale.

Keeping stock is expensive, but at least you can measure the cost.

The cost of not having stock (in lost sales) is impossible to measure.........

Bossxr8 · 17-10-2012, 09:44 PM

Been bought up at work many times by the union, dealers are continuing to question why they can't get the stock they need. Ford can't provide answers. Are they deliberately trying to kill Falcon off or what?

Smoke Pursuit · 17-10-2012, 09:52 PM

I think you're on the money Bossxr8.

Shonky. · 17-10-2012, 10:14 PM

hope not............hunts!

Sprint · 17-10-2012, 11:01 PM

They never have manuals in adelaide for demo's.

TC200six · 17-10-2012, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Been bought up at work many times by the union, dealers are continuing to question why they can't get the stock they need. Ford can't provide answers. Are they deliberately trying to kill Falcon off or what?

Could be why in their new series of ads, none are for the Falcon?

mik · 17-10-2012, 11:08 PM

i`m not very good with waiting, if i was in the market and they said a month possibly 2 months , i would be saying seeya later, they would lose the sale, how many others are like that i wonder.

DanielXR8 · 17-10-2012, 11:24 PM

I think Ford do loose sales, but I also think they look at how much it costs to make stock that no one wants for months and is then sold at heavily subsidised prices. For the one customer looking to buy now, there was undoubtedly many times that number of cars sitting around collecting dust with no buyers. The tradeoff is to loose the one customer in order to cut the inventory of cars, by lowering production.

Truth is Falcon is getting unviable and its clear Ford have decided that they will be controlling costs on Falcon very tightly, so its all about minimising costs for what life it has left and hope the 2014 model that already has money spent on it, peps up sales a bit before the end run. Ford must have been stung pretty badly by the Ecoboost flop and LPG sales never recovering. Add Prodrive throwing in the towel because they couldn't make a business case for performance Falcons and you can see why Ford management aren't in any hurry to ramp up production again.

Besides Ford dealers aren't exactly rolling in cash either, so I would imagine they are only looking to order what they know they have a good chance or turning into a fairly quick sale - on that criteria Falcon wouldn't be high on their list.

For those who say Ford management are deliberately stuffing up the product mix in the Falcon range, to cause a decline in sales, I might have been inclined to agree as that would be one way to get the Falcon to the point that it makes it possible to get out of government agreements Ford entered into for funding without penalty and wind things up. Problem is Ford spend 20mill buying Prodrive out. Sure it was a bargain and far less than that operation probably owed Prodrive, but if your trying to kill Falcon outright why would you bother with FPV? Wouldn't you want that to fall over too?

If the product mix is wrong at the factory I would say its more likely the poor management skills that Ford Australia always seems to have. With exceptions like Geoff Polites and a couple of others, Ford hasn't been a beacon of good management or corporate culture.

FG is a good car and the best Falcon, its just reaching its use by date. Many reasons and not as simplistic as lack of a good tv commercial either. Its quite sad.

falconnut · 18-10-2012, 12:55 AM

Hate to say it but compared to cheaper, smaller and frankly lighter competitive alternatives the falcon just cant keep up.

The Ecoboost was a great idea implemented poorly (not trimming the nose down ect.)

Ford Global obviously want to kill the Falcon to sell their new fusion platform here and possibly the mustang as well.

I am not against global platforms but in this case their not even giving the falcon a fighting chance anymore.

Then theres the big issue of the falcon 6's terrible fuel efficently in the city and HUGE kurb side weight which is almost 2 tonne.

in a day and age of ev's and hybrids even the falcon is on the heavy side.

FG will probably be the last falcon though, such a shame we never got a newer model code

Pepscobra · 18-10-2012, 01:14 AM

Why is the ecoboost a failure??
It's only been out a few months right?

falconnut · 18-10-2012, 01:16 AM

Its not a failiure but its certainly not a victory either.

They could have shortened the front end ALOT but chose to just literally drop the 2.0l in.

Sure it makes for a roomy engine bay when it was designed for 4l turbos and 6l v8's but its a bit of a hit and a miss.

Elks · 18-10-2012, 05:54 AM

I have to agree with the OP here. A lack of stock leads to a lack of sales. Dealers order only the fast moving easy sell models. And you can't blame them. It's the juggle of holding cost which is measureable vs. opportunity cost which is not. So in uncertain times you take the conservative line.

Restricting supply is a good way to build margins, but it will come at the expense of volume. Toyota have been doing this effectively on there import cars for years. This may well work for Falcon too, but the transition from bulk stock to just in time would have doubly impacted production as both Ford and dealers destocked.

As for waiting. I'd rather wait than end up with a vehicle that was not right.

jpd80 · 18-10-2012, 07:12 AM

Exactly, dealers only keep fast moving stock because sales are much smaller these days but also,
a lot of dealers these days have multiple franchises with other car makers so not as desperate to sell Fords.

Nikked · 18-10-2012, 07:24 AM

Lets "slowly kill off a product" that we are spending money on, built at a plant we spend money on, a product we are continuing to improve, at a plant we are improving

The Snout · 18-10-2012, 07:51 AM

All seems a bit extreme. I can understand not carrying stock and it sitting around selling at discount later. But waiting months for a car seems too far the other way.

I'm sure it's not an easy thing to get right, but word of mouth seems to indicate it could use a tweak.

Eaturbo · 18-10-2012, 08:06 AM

I spent 3 years working at a Holden Dealership and Holden push cars at you. You will always sell the cars if you have them. Even the worst colour and model you can think of would find a home. Holden use share of build distribution model where to get the good models and hard to get cars you have to take some of the rubbish models as well.

flappist · 18-10-2012, 08:16 AM

Well I can give some info on the other side of the coin.

My local FPV dealer over the years has bought quite a number of manuals as stock and they just sit there and sit there and sit there until they are eventually discounted so heavily that they make a loss on them.

Dealers pay interest on floor stock so they tend to buy in what sells quickly as most buyers (including AFF members) are out to get the cheapest price no matter what and will play all sides against the middle in order to get it.

Rodp · 18-10-2012, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shonkymofo

I don't think I'm alone when I say the car I want in stock, ready to go, would be a huge factor in tipping me into the sale.

Agreed. When I'm in buy mode I want what I want, yesterday. I waited 2 months for my R32 and only waited that long because the car I wanted was already on the ship being transported. Would never do it again.

flappist · 18-10-2012, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shonkymofo

More often than not I browse yards after hours and only engage a dealer once I have found my preferred configuration car.

I don't think I'm alone when I say the car I want in stock, ready to go, would be a huge factor in tipping me into the sale.

Keeping stock is expensive, but at least you can measure the cost.

The cost of not having stock (in lost sales) is impossible to measure.........

Are you prepared to pay RRP to have it available then and there or do you still want to be able to screw every last cent out of them?

Car dealers are in business to make money not sell cars and losing a sale that would not have made a profit is a GOOD thing.

The only car I have bought off floor stock in the last 10 years was my first F6 which I only owned for a few weeks before dumping because I made a mistake buying a povvo.

Every car I buy has all the factory options etc that I WANT not a compromise to save a couple of dollars.