http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/auto-ford-posts-nearly-1-billion-profit/?

Great - they will pay off debts and get back to profitability quicker!

Glad to see this. :)

This is good. They are actually quite well placed in the UK, Europe and Australia. I think that they have been trying to run a tight ship and things might just work out for them--here's hoping.

Well when Ford stepped down as CEO, I thought, 'What a Bozo.' But, with this news, I think he did an admirable thing!!

Ford didn't take any bailout money, did they? I thought it was just GM and Chrysler.

Ford didn't take any bailout money, did they? I thought it was just GM and Chrysler.

that is what I heard....they did borrow money and had all their ducks in a row when times got lean.
This is good news, Ford took the steps before things got bad to assure they would not go bankrupt.

The new CEO is from Boeing and fixed them up but a very unassuming guy.

The new CEO is from Boeing and fixed them up but a very unassuming guy.

I hope he has presidential aspirations....:yes:

He basically decided to hock everything to save the company - all the other auto CEO's laughed at him. He was just being realistic.

Has anyone seen the new Lincoln Mark S (http://www.lincolnsofdistinction.com/lincoln-mark-s.htm)? I saw a shootout with it on tv a couple weeks ago against the new Jags, BMW and a few others. It placed second overall which really surprised everyone. I saw one at the dealer this weekend and it's a sweet looking car.

Has anyone seen the new Lincoln Mark S (http://www.lincolnsofdistinction.com/lincoln-mark-s.htm)? I saw a shootout with it on tv a couple weeks ago against the new Jags, BMW and a few others. It placed second overall which really surprised everyone. I saw one at the dealer this weekend and it's a sweet looking car.

this doesn't surprise me in the least..American ingenuity isn't dead, it's just dormant..given the forum of expression necessary to display genius, I've no doubt that Detroit can again become one of, if not the leader in worldwide automobile design and manufacturing....as vital as this industry has been and is to our country in many ways, it is critical that this occur. Wonderful to see the legacy of the amazing Henry Ford leading again...:thmbsp:

Great news for us here in Detroit....

I'm proud to drive a Ford.

Ford certainly have a better, more complete product line than the other two of the "Big 3." Chrysler's is decidedly weak and GM is still trying to find (and redefine) itself.

GM would do well to go back to the basics as laid out by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., back in the Twenties...They followed that business model from then til the Eighties, when they decided it was outdated...They have basically been stumbling around in the dark ever since, IMHO.

this doesn't surprise me in the least..American ingenuity isn't dead, it's just dormant..given the forum of expression necessary to display genius, I've no doubt that Detroit can again become one of, if not the leader in worldwide automobile design and manufacturing....as vital as this industry has been and is to our country in many ways, it is critical that this occur. Wonderful to see the legacy of the amazing Henry Ford leading again...:thmbsp:

I don't know about that...
I've lived here decades and I'm not impressed at all. Mismanagement and incompetence seem to be the hall marks here; "genius" would be a stretch.

Look at the Michigan budget, the Detroit budget, and the DPS budget and see how much "genius" one can find there. Plus the track record of the American auto industry for that last 40 years isn't that impressive.

Remember, all that they are doing now, they could have done earlier, but chose not to...

GM would do well to go back to the basics as laid out by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., back in the Twenties...They followed that business model from then til the Eighties, when they decided it was outdated...They have basically been stumbling around in the dark ever since, IMHO.

Amen. They took the wrong fork in the road back then and have been lost ever since. Maybe Fords performance will cause GM to take another look at things and go back to what made them popular and successful.

GM would do well to go back to the basics as laid out by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., back in the Twenties...They followed that business model from then til the Eighties, when they decided it was outdated...They have basically been stumbling around in the dark ever since, IMHO.

I concur..the last new GM product I bought was a 1989 Oldsmobile 98 Touring Class, and I would have bought a Cadillac, had the sales force not pissed me off by turning their noses up at a construction worker with $12K of bonus money in the pockets of his jeans.. I haven't given a wisp of a thought to owning one of their products since. I see Cadillac as the only viable surviving member of the group, given their target market

I believe I agree with just about everything said here...nice job Ford!

I don't know about that...
I've lived here decades and I'm not impressed at all. Mismanagement and incompetence seem to be the hall marks here; "genius" would be a stretch.

Look at the Michigan budget, the Detroit budget, and the DPS budget and see how much "genius" one can find there. Plus the track record of the American auto industry for that last 40 years isn't that impressive.

Remember, all that they are doing now, they could have done earlier, but chose not to...

I summarily agree with how business has been handled...I'm talking about genius as it applies to pure engineering, design concepts, unbridalled research and development,and innovation....not top heavy management and union structures..this mentality must again extend all the way to the top, and the so called "captains of industry' must again assume the mantle of creative, technically expert leadership for the survival and prosperity of this vital industry..as has been pointed out in other posts, this was once the case....

Oh, I don't disagree; in fact, I'd love to see it happen.

Unfortunately, the environs of metro Detroit and Michigan seem to be the polar opposites of what we hope for. Maybe it will happen; I just don't see it happening here per se.

Read about the recent Michigan budget and the Michigan "Promise" Scholarship and then you'll see why I'm so cynical about any kind of intellectual renaissance here...

Oh, I don't disagree; in fact, I'd love to see it happen.

Unfortunately, the environs of metro Detroit and Michigan seem to be the polar opposites of what we hope for. Maybe it will happen; I just don't see it happening here per se.

Read about the recent Michigan budget and the Michigan "Promise" Scholarship and then you'll see why I'm so cynical about any kind of intellectual renaissance here...

It will again have to be a function of profit driven private enterprise and investment, not government tinkering and interference. It must occur in spite of political circumstances, not as a knock on effect of them, and this news is a very positive, albeit early indicator of just this....

It will again have to be a function of profit driven private enterprise and investment, not government tinkering and interference. It must occur in spite of political circumstances, not as a knock on effect of them, and this news is a very positive, albeit early indicator of just this....

Well, kudos to Ford for this accomplishment despite it being located in this pit of mediocrity and incompetence. Detroit's influence on this outcome per se is nothing more than pure dumb luck for being there, but then again, Ford technically is located in Dearborn :D

This is good news. They are headed in the right direction. That new Focus hybrid looks like a nice car. The fuel economy specs are excellent, better than their Japanese competition if I'm not mistaken.

GM would do well to go back to the basics as laid out by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., back in the Twenties...They followed that business model from then til the Eighties, when they decided it was outdated...They have basically been stumbling around in the dark ever since, IMHO.

Amen. They took the wrong fork in the road back then and have been lost ever since. Maybe Fords performance will cause GM to take another look at things and go back to what made them popular and successful.

I beg to differ. My '97 Chevy pickup w/ nearly 250K on the odometer is still solid and rides like a champ. More recent models have gotten nothing but better (albeit uglier).

That said, some of the newer offerings from Ford do impress me.

Once again, look at this video to see the things that can be accomplished with the co-operation of all involved. IMO, it would be very difficult to do this in the U.S.
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/multimedia/player/index.php?id=1189

Once again, look at this video to see the things that can be accomplished with the co-operation of all involved. IMO, it would be very difficult to do this in the U.S.
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/multimedia/player/index.php?id=1189

No it wouldnt. It has been done here.

I beg to differ. My '97 Chevy pickup w/ nearly 250K on the odometer is still solid and rides like a champ. More recent models have gotten nothing but better (albeit uglier).

I don't think anyone who knows anything about cars/trucks will dispute the fact that Chevy makes good pickup's. The problem is the other segments of their vehicular lineup that they have allowed to languish due to the high profit margins they've historically enjoyed on light trucks. When $4 gasoline hit, they didn't have anything to compete with the Japanese in the high efficiency, fun, attractive passenger vehicle market segment. Now they're a day late and a dollar short with their Malibu and future Volt, IMO.

Kudos to Ford Motor Company for sane leadership when it was crucial and paying attention to having a well balanced, complete line of vehicles. They have some nice cars which would be worth considering next time round. GM's biggest problem right now is limited small car offerings which are up to date. The Cobalt needs replacing/upgrading. Maybe Chevy needs to replace it with one of the recent Saturn small cars which would be a move forward. I feel like Ford in 10 years will be the only Big Three automaker left standing.

No it wouldnt. It has been done here.

Not exactly, but to a limited degree with Saturn (what happened to them?) and the European/Japanese products built in non-union shops in the South. In Detroit, however - NFW.

This video is somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese Keiretsu business model. There's nothing remotely similar in Michigan, AFAIK.

Not exactly, but to a limited degree with Saturn (what happened to them?) and the European/Japanese products built in non-union shops in the South. In Detroit, however - NFW.

This video is somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese Keiretsu business model. There's nothing remotely similar in Michigan, AFAIK.

Roger Penske had a deal structured to purchase Saturn this year, but it got torpedoed..I never fully researched why, but what a shame for a number of reasons...Honda sold their Formula One racing operation lock, stock, and barrel to Ross Brawn for one English pound sterling, and provided around $125 million to help the operation stay afloat for the season, saving almost a thousand jobs.....I am sure they were, and remain in a better business posture than GM, but corporate responsibility and sensitivity to employees is not a pipe dream everywhere..

link to Penske/Saturn dealings..http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/?JavaScript=1&search=penske+saturn

Roger Penske had a deal structured to purchase Saturn this year, but it got torpedoed..I never fully researched why, but what a shame for a number of reasons......

I'm pretty sure all the deal would have done was save the brand. The cars themselves were to be made by a different company, not unlike when Sanyo "saved" the Fisher brand.

Not exactly, but to a limited degree with Saturn (what happened to them?) and the European/Japanese products built in non-union shops in the South. In Detroit, however - NFW.

This video is somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese Keiretsu business model. There's nothing remotely similar in Michigan, AFAIK.

Honda - BMW - Subaru - GM - Toyota have all done it here. There is nothing new in that video what so ever. What they found is that the workers (in the US) for japanese companies are actually making MORE than their counterparts working for US companies. What is sinking the US companies is the promise of healthcare and benefits for life to retirees. Now I am not saying they don't deserve it, but both side have to take the blame here.

People remember it was the unions that got rid of child labor and helped to improve safety on the job. With out that we would have similar problems to 3rd world countries.

Let's not get TOO outta line here, folks...But methinks this one's about run whatever meaningful course it had.-Sandy, The Moderator.

Knock, knock, knock, we still love our 2000 Chev Impala LSs and for 9 year old cars they are trouble free WTF more do you want? Oh yeah, they also get better gas mileage with a 3.8l V6 than a Toyota RAV 4 with its little four banger.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article6901920.ece?

Once again, look at this video to see the things that can be accomplished with the co-operation of all involved. IMO, it would be very difficult to do this in the U.S.
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/multimedia/player/index.php?id=1189

You are absolutely right. The reporter even says so at the end. Lots of efficiency and labor peace at that plant. Dress codes, too.

Unions? The transit workers in Philadelphia went on strike today. They were offered an 11 percent raise over 4 years, with no additional costs to them in medical. My gawd. Give me a job, please. And this comes from an ex IBEW member for 15 years.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107591

What you guys failed to read is the detailed report of where Ford's profit came from last quarter. It did not come from the sale of new vehicles. It came from the resale of used vehicles coming off leases. Not from their new products.

What you guys failed to read is the detailed report of where Ford's profit came from last quarter. It did not come from the sale of new vehicles. It came from the resale of used vehicles coming off leases. Not from their new products.

a billion dollar quarterly profit, by any other name, in these times...:scratch2:

Knock, knock, knock, we still love our 2000 Chev Impala LSs and for 9 year old cars they are trouble free WTF more do you want? Oh yeah, they also get better gas mileage with a 3.8l V6 than a Toyota RAV 4 with its little four banger.

It's all that down-low torque provided by the 3800, don't have to mash the gas much to make the car move. My Caprice pulled similar feats on the highway with its big LT1 5.7.

I drove a Toyota Matrix not too long ago as a rental car - it was so anemic and got 21 MPG on a 4-cylinder engine. it had 5K miles on it too.

I prefer my on-steroid GTI -27-33 MPG depending on how hard I am on the pedal.

It's all that down-low torque provided by the 3800, don't have to mash the gas much to make the car move. My Caprice pulled similar feats on the highway with its big LT1 5.7.

low end torque sure helps gas mileage. I have a '86 BMW E24 and although it has a lot of torque (it's about 200HP and 225lbs/ft torque, weighs 3,200lbs) the torque doesn't really kick in until like 3,000 rpm. you gotta step on it and downshift for power. gas mileage is not very good because of this. (15 city, 21 highway)

but i tell ya, once you start hitting 5,000 RPM on it, it sure does move fast. you can cruise all day at 130MPH. the engine is virtually bulletproof.


Henry