My rant to Ford, et al. Anyone care to comment?

[xromad]

I heard that Ford was looking for customer comments about their new Fiesta. So, I decided to write them an open letter.

 

Dear Ford Motor Company,

 

Want to turn your company around?

 

First you have to accept the harsh part so that you can overcome it and succeed: America still hasn't forgiven you for the CRAP you built in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. (the 00's don't look so good either) We weren't fooled by the "Sticker Engineering". We aren't stupid! And, we don't want to drive gutless, crappy, little econo boxes any more than your overpaid, prima-dona, Detroit executives do.

 

Here's a secret: America has a performance/racing heritage that is strong, proud and largely unsung. In fact I think it is better, faster, and less snooty than Europe's. It is run all across the country, every weekend. It is made up of Autocross, NASA, Short Track, Quarter Midgets, Champ Cars, Spec Racing, SCCA, Track days, Gymkhana, Ralley, Time trials, Speed week, Run N Gun, Tuner clubs, Drifters, Ice racers, Hot rodders, and just about every other possible type of sports car enthusiast imaginable.

 

We Americans buy small performance oriented cars by the millions. Datson 240z, Mazda RX-7, Mazda Miata, BMW 3 series, Toyota MR2, BMW Mini, Honda S2K, Subaru WRX, Nissan Skyline GTR, Porche 911, Mitsubishi 3000GT, Audi TT, Volkswagon Golf GTI, Toyota Supra, Toyota Corolla GTS, MazdaSpeed 3, Lotus Elise, Chevrolet Corvette... God, the list of successful small performance cars that enhanced the reputation and sales of their company is almost endless. On the other hand, the list of small, crappy, unreliable, slow, piece of shit cars, with a once-famous name plastered on the side, that improved the image and sales of their company, is zero!

 

Remember the early 1980s. BMW's sales plumeted. Their new replacement for the little "Hot Rod" 2002 was the then new 3 series. A slow, gutless, econobox called the E21. Then BMW turned it all around with their motorsports division. They only sold a total of 5 thousand of the second generation E30 M3 cars in the US (17 thousand worldwide) for their entire production run from 1986 to 1990. However, those few original M3 cars drove the image that started an avalanche of tens of millions of 3 series cars and gave BMW the almost holy image as a motorsports powerhouse and perenial profit center that it has today. If BMW had not built the M3 the entire 3 series would have just remained a disapointing 2002 replacement and BMW would still be known as just a quirky foreign car maker.

 

There is another part to BMW's success, in fact you can see this element in all the GREAT profitable cars. They built the profitable version right. They kept improving it. And then, they sold it long enough to actually recoup their tooling costs and turn a profit. I can't tell you how many times I've seen you start a promissing car, go through the teething trouble to finally get it right, and then cancel it before I can buy one.

 

Of course, these "Tuner" cars aren't where you earn your profit! They are where you create the public desire to buy your cars that turn a profit. It's a bait and switch that the customer is happy to help you with, as long as the switch is quality in its own right. The profit cars can't be crap. Again! "Your customers aren't stupid."

 

Quit treating the American auto enthusiast like crap and maybe, just maybe, American customers will start buying your cars again. Quarter million Dollar GT40 replicas, or Saleen specials don't hurt, but they are realy just sales gimics. I could care less about the "Bullet Edition Mustang" Or the "Shelby Commemerative Edition Mustang" or any other crappy "Badge Engineering" you choose to market. Remember the "Escort GT" or the "Mustang II King Cobra" both sad jokes that still make me want to puke.

 

Make the name "Ford GT" stand on equal ground with "BMW M3": Fiesta GT, Fusion GT, Focus GT, Taurus GT, Mustang GT, could all be part of a "Performance Line" that stands against the best the world has to offer. So, quit faking it and

[Flibbie]

Xromad, I agree completely. Sad to say, but the same thing applies to Chrysler. Chrylser started a big downhill slide in the early 60's. They produced some of the worst junk to come out of Detroit. When they almost lost it, they had Lee "the idiot" Iococco trying to save the company with the K car. He now admits they were buiding junk. And the sad thing is, he blames current (mis)management for the problems he instigated.

GM is/was only a little better than Chrysler. GM had some of the best designers out there. But the quality or rather the lack of quality, was appalling. Look at old issues of Consumers Reports surveys of American cars and it is a wonder they have survived this long.

To me the really sad thing is the way all of the Big(?) 3 piss and moan about needing a "level playing field". I really don't think the American public buys that line of crap at all. This is America!!! We can take on anybody, anywhere anytime and win. I am talking about cars here. NOT politics! I feel the problem is that the corparate office is too removed from reality to have a clue about the real world. It is my opinion that there is NO CEO in the world anywhere that earns or deserves a salary in excess of $1 million a year. I don't care who they are. Isn't it like the Queen of France saying to the peasants that complained of no bread to eat and she says "well, let them eat cake". Jim

[Kitcat]

I agree with much of which you say tho the Mustang certainly has a performance image that is backed up at the track and at auto-X's. And I love the Bullitt edition. On the other hand, I just bought a new M3....

[Davemk1]

I for the most part agree.

 

One issue I see is that Ford (and other US companies) have harkened backward to their glory days of the past to try to conjure up some enthusiast interest and sales. The new Mustang is an interesting styling exercise but it is HUGE compared to so many other "sports" cars available now. If driven them on a few occasions and can't image having much fun with one do to it's size regardless of what you are doing with it. The straight-line muscle car's time has come and gone and nothing can bring it back.

 

My poorly made point is that while looking back to your better days might get a few old timers like me to want to spend their money it will take new designs and concepts to get younger folks to part with their money. Other companies have spent the time and the money to come up with new models that have created demand for them while Ford has looked back. Unless they look forward and adapt they will end up like Buick and Pontiac trying to sell cars to a shrinking supply of old guys.

 

Like the old fat guy looking back on his glory days of high school football Ford is living in the past. It will take a serious change in their outlook and a brave move to get the enthusiast to look twice at Ford again.

 

Dave

 

 

 

[Mondo]

Seems weird that GM can built an awesome corvette but can't translate that knowledge into high performance small cars.

[DB6]

It is also interesting that the Big 3 have many great performance cars in their European divisions.

[Spaz]

I agree with you, but Ford does have the Focus SVT and Taurus SHO.

[DB6]

I agree with you, but Ford does have the Focus SVT and Taurus SHO.

 

they stopped making those years ago didn't they ???

[Dave W]

I work with the USA car manufactures every day, and it not because their quality and design engineers do not know what there are doing, it's because accounting/purchasing at the big 3 control the design of the car and the processing. They will not spend one extra cent to improve the product, and willing to sacrifice it to save 2 cent.

 

I could tell a story or two Dave W

[BobDrye]

I work with the USA car manufactures every day, and it not because their quality and design engineers do not know what there are doing, it's because accounting/purchasing at the big 3 control the design of the car and the processing. They will not spend one extra cent to improve the product, and willing to sacrifice it to save 2 cent.

 

I could tell a story or two Dave W

 

 

Dave:

This is why my SR20DET powered 7 has a stock crank and transmission and is able live while being stressed by a larger turbo that produces over 500 hp. A Honda owner would never buy an American car.

 

 

:o

[MHKflyer52]

I agree with you, but Ford does have the Focus SVT and Taurus SHO.

 

When being made they were very limited and not that good for the money compared to other cars.

 

I have to admit I have a Ford Truck (F-350 Crew Cab Dually) but owen 5 other cars that are not from the Big 3.

[WestTexasS2K]

Well I dont know that I can completely agree with some of the comments. The Dodge Neon SRT4 is a very quick car. The factory has a dealer upgrade that makes it a true monster. You can get it in stage 3 that will put down 380hp and even comes pre wired from the factory with methonal injection for higher boost. Kevin and I have been witness to these cars flat out flying around the track. We got our butts handed to us in the first 2 years of 1 lap with lightly modified SRTs.

 

The Chevy Cobalt SS is a heck of compact car as well. Easily upgraded with over the counter performance parts that will out near 400 hp. It has limited slip diff and a very stiff chassis. Put springs and shocks on it and it is a rocket. I bet you could hang with most stock Corvettes if not out right embarras them. The Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are very fast and easily upgradable as well. I think there are some pretty good choices for compact performance cars.

 

I realize this letter was addressed to ford that doesnt really have any performance compacts.

[Alaskossie]

The only Ford product that I have ever owned (in 50 years of licensed driving) is my present 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth 4X4 -- yes, it's a Ford "Escort," but not the sad American tin-box slug we're all familiar with, but instead a super-performance rallying hatchback 2-door, with body by Karmann and engine by Cosworth UK.

 

Only 7145 Escort Cosworths were built, but Ford in Europe sold a whole passel of lesser Escort compacts on the strength of this competition version. What did Ford US have that compared, in performance image and affordability? Nothing.

 

Tom Meacham

[DB6]

The only Ford product that I have ever owned (in 50 years of licensed driving) is my present 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth 4X4 -- yes, it's a Ford "Escort," but not the sad American tin-box slug we're all familiar with, but instead a super-performance rallying hatchback 2-door, with body by Karmann and engine by Cosworth UK.

 

Only 7145 Escort Cosworths were built, but Ford in Europe sold a whole passel of lesser Escort compacts on the strength of this competition version. What did Ford US have that compared, in performance image and affordability? Nothing.

 

Tom Meacham

 

Here ya go Tom;funny thing is he asks Ford exactly the same question at the end of the vid.

 

 

How the hell did you get that to Alaska, is it on the road?

 

Oooohh I found one for sale in the US&A...I really do need to get a life:o

 

http://www.geocities.com/johnnie_tsunami/

[scannon]

The white RS at the start of the video is quite different than the black one he drives. What is the difference, race vs. street?

 

Skip

[DB6]

The white RS at the start of the video is quite different than the black one he drives. What is the difference, race vs. street?

 

Skip

 

That was the full blow off road rally version .Even rarer bird by far.

[scannon]

[Mondo]

That looks like a great car.... And Ford won't deliver it here in the U.S. Hence the rant.

 

Then again, I don't know how many Americans would spend 35 grand on a Focus. But even if they only brought over 500 or so (which they could probably sale just for the exclusitivy) it would do wonders for Ford's image in that segment.

 

 

[DB6]

That looks like a great car.... And Ford won't deliver it here in the U.S. Hence the rant.

 

Then again, I don't know how many Americans would spend 35 grand on a Focus. But even if they only brought over 500 or so (which they could probably sale just for the exclusitivy) it would do wonders for Ford's image in that segment.

 

Well we all here tend to spend more on our "rollerskates" too,lol:)

[slngsht]

Ford (and GM's) main problem is that they're too big for the reality of the market today. EVERY industry goes through this... starts out with tons of small players, goes to a few mega players, eventually the field evens out. GM used to own more than 50% of the domestic market share - when you open markets, that position is not defensible. Market share WILL go down, and then you have to deal with the stuff in your closet (health care, union commitments, etc...). That's just how it is.

 

3 series might be a great success for BMW - their best selling car. BMW sold 142,000 units in '07 - it's best year, and it crushed its competitors (VW, MB). When the current Mustang was new, it sold 192,000 units. and Mustang is not even a bread and butter car. Mustang doesn't get freshened up anywhere near as frequently as the BMW.

 

Ford and GM are just too big.