Slow news day? Let's stick the boot into Ford again

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Surely he has breached a government employee code of conduct for airing negative remarks about a private company.

I mean even if he is right, he has no right to talk like this to the media and inflict the level of damage it does. Even though I do think Ford AU has no one to blame but themselves for people thinking these things.

Maybe so, but perhaps he really does know something...

I think "Wally" may also be onto something also ...

[jpd80]

Ford has just spent:
- $230 million on the Ecoboost I-4 Falcon
- $20 million on I-6 upgrades for Euro I-V
- $??? million on new Territory top hat and V6 Diesel engine
- $??? million on new Liquid Injection LPG for Falcon
- $??? million on new V8 for Falcon

What on earth makes them think Ford is pulling out of Australia?


HEAD !

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by Wally

Last week I have the rare ocassion to read the March issue of the Top Gear rag. Not being one to subscribe to motoring gossip columnists I actually read an article by some writer giving a bit of stick to other writers who willingly put their names on Ford/Holden/etc press releases, but at the same time pointing out that he and other like minded were invited to Detroit where the secret squirell stuff was presumably laid out for those who would listen

Please correct me if I'm wrong here as I'm running on on old fart memory. He points out that the softening up exercise is in play, with a careful and orchestrated campaign to get the loyals onside and comfortable with FWD and therefore the Taurus import.

As far as Burella goes, heading up a program for a small car with a big corporate support system in place to grow market share is far different from running a small operation with instructions to stop the bleed and hold on.

Where they wearing tin foil hats when this was discussed this. As to why some inner circle types would leak this information to hacks when it isn't even a formal plan inside the Ford world is enough to dismiss it as "swear filter prohibits speaking of bull related products"

The hacks are sourcing their information from eachother and the game of chinese whispers is getting quite overdone. :togo:

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Ford has just spent:
- $230 million on the Ecoboost I-4 Falcon
- $20 million on I-6 upgrades for Euro I-V
- $??? million on new Territory top hat and V6 Diesel engine
- $??? million on new Liquid Injection LPG for Falcon
- $??? million on new V8 for Falcon

That's not a lot of money to a corporation the size of ford - $260m is roughly the revenue (note NOT profit) from the sale of 7,000 - 8,000 cars. In reality it's probably equivalient to the profit on a years production.

Regardless, I don't think FoMoCo will be supporting their little FOA much as they did prior to the GFC, and I struggle to see how FOA will be able to support a strong business case for a stand-alone updated falcon given the sales performance of the current series.

[Blue_XR]

It amazes me the thoughts people have from that article. Anyway I went to write a response i submitted it and got the following:

Please note that we are not able to publish all the comments that we receive, and that we may edit some comments to ensure their suitability for publishing.

Feedback will be rejected if it does not add to a debate, or is a purely personal attack, or is offensive, repetitious, illegal or meaningless, or contains clear errors of fact.

Although we try to run feedback just as it is received, we reserve the right to edit or delete any and all material.

Now is it me or do these guys at news.com.au love to slander the local product. From the comments that i read it seems that they will let anyone write anything as long as it is negative to the falcon. When I wrote my reply there was 234 comments already......

[Gobes32]

Common sense would suggest that the Australian market is probably big enough for two manufacturers, not three. Ford's biggest problem is that Holden have the dinky-di aussie thing all wrapped up and Toyota survive purely on their export operations. It doesn't leave anywhere for Ford to go. Business is a funny thing in that the person with the best product to sell does not always win........

[snappy]

Originally Posted by burnz

ford in oz need to drop the i6 and make v6's for export.

Why ?

[snappy]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Ford has just spent:
- $230 million on the Ecoboost I-4 Falcon
- $20 million on I-6 upgrades for Euro I-V
- $??? million on new Territory top hat and V6 Diesel engine
- $??? million on new Liquid Injection LPG for Falcon
- $??? million on new V8 for Falcon

What on earth makes them think Ford is pulling out of Australia?


]

Im pretty sure most of that cash came from the goverments green fund

[XR_6falcon]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

Business is a funny thing in that the person with the best product to sell does not always win........

That seems to be the biggest problem here. Second biggest problem is the media especially when they are a bunch of clowns and the public's blind following of them... The precived image of ford isn't all too flash, I have seen this first hand at some of the reactions of the "consumer". I believe if ford was to sink some serious effort into a ad campaign promoting how good their product really is, it would do wonders for sales.


Are you listening ford? :togo:

[TUF_302]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

His also the only one in 3-4 years to turn a profit!!

Here here!!, if he is making us money, he is worth keeping!!

[snappy]

Originally Posted by XR_6falcon

That seems to be the biggest problem here. Second biggest problem is the media especially when they are a bunch of clowns and the public's blind following of them... The precived image of ford isn't all too flash, I have seen this first hand at some of the reactions of the "consumer". I believe if ford was to sink some serious effort into a ad campaign promoting how good their product really is, it would do wonders for sales.


Are you listening ford? :togo:

I dont think there products are the issue .
Its the image ford have i reckon .
It kind of like the collingwood footy club . Got a good member base with devoted fans but everyone else hates them.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

His also the only one in 3-4 years to turn a profit!!

No....

not yet...

[Stattic]

Originally Posted by Wretched

And how many here have a different attitude when it comes to Holden? When articles portraying Holden in bad light appear, many here have a laugh and think it is funny. Not nice when it is on the other foot?

It's a different story when it's true..

[bobthebilda]

Gee, give the guy a break. He is simply stating from an unbiased position. Everyone treats his comments with contempt, yet take it as word, when the tax payer subsidised CEO's of these car companies, state 1) we havent made profits for 6 years 2) our assets are less than our liabilities 3) Only 1 in 8 australian buyers buy our cars, yet we are a viable industry thanks to those 700,000 australians who pay 5% more each year for their imported car, so they can subsidise our incompetence. Imagine the uproar if the government gave other workers a $12,000 subsidy each year like they give each of the 40,000 (yes only .03% of the australian workforce) workers in the car manufacturing industry.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by snappy

Im pretty sure most of that cash came from the goverments green fund

No it didn't:
-Ford : $42 million
- Holden: $149 million
- Toyota: $35 million

Add up the cost of New Territory, V6 Diesel and Falcon upgrades
and you're looking just short of a Billion dollars...

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

Gee, give the guy a break. He is simply stating from an unbiased position. Everyone treats his comments with contempt, yet take it as word, when the tax payer subsidised CEO's of these car companies, state 1) we havent made profits for 6 years 2) our assets are less than our liabilities 3) Only 1 in 8 australian buyers buy our cars, yet we are a viable industry thanks to those 700,000 australians who pay 5% more each year for their imported car, so they can subsidise our incompetence. Imagine the uproar if the government gave other workers a $12,000 subsidy each year like they give each of the 40,000 (yes only .03% of the australian workforce) workers in the car manufacturing industry.

So how does he explain the $1.8 billion that Ford is spending
on R & D centre and testing laboratories in Australia...

His statements just don't add up....

[tranquilized]

Of the three local manufactures, my money would be on Toyota closing shop first. (As long as Falcon is RWD)
They've already indicated that a strong aussie dollar makes local production less viable, and right now its pretty damn strong. Their products can be made identically in any country, and the only people who'd notice would be Toyota employees...

[XR_6falcon]

Originally Posted by snappy

I dont think there products are the issue .
Its the image ford have i reckon .
It kind of like the collingwood footy club . Got a good member base with devoted fans but everyone else hates them.

I didnt say the products are the issue.....












oh and i do hate collingwood

[roughnecks]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Surely he has breached a government employee code of conduct for airing negative remarks about a private company.

I mean even if he is right, he has no right to talk like this to the media and inflict the level of damage it does. Even though I do think Ford AU has no one to blame but themselves for people thinking these things.

We could just label them anti Australian and have them deported.

[jpd80]

This could be a difficult month for Marin Burela....

[rodderz]

jeez, look at what some morries put in the comments section. Some people are so misinformed it's a joke
http://www.news.com.au/business/ford...-1225842111059

Comments like
Who cares, ford are US (GM are not?)
They have been stuck in the 70's with the cars
Fuel thirsty (not as thirsty as the commies but)
Keep getting govt handouts (Holden could be dead without the US GM bailout)

[Chilliman]

I think Toyota will be the first to shut up shop. They already closed their engine assembly plant. They are very close to the edge in terms of deciding wether to continue with manufacturing in Australia or just shut up shut and become an import only operation. They must be analysing Mitsubishi continuously now that they appear to be doing better in Australia since they closed down their manufacting operations down under.

[FordFalconBF]

Originally Posted by irlewy86

Dear F*&%wit,

Ford recently invested over 1 Billion dollars in their engineering operation. They are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Yours Sincerely,
Common Bloody Sense

I worked at Mitsubishi until they closed.. they invested millions and millions in a new robot press to press out one piece body sides. welding robots and other factory upgrades and R&D... they still closed... I am big Ford fan and definitely don't want them to close... None of these stories are productive. I was sick of the stories about Mitsubishi and am now sick of these Stories about Ford..

[snappy]

Originally Posted by XR_6falcon

I didnt say the products are the issue...

Yeah i know mate i was just adding to your post. Allthough i didn't put it together well at all .

[bobthebilda]

JPD, could you please show me where it is stated that Ford are investing $1.8 billion on a R&D centre and testing labs in Australia. I guess a company like Ford Australia, with a $0 asset base, and negative cash flow, will be borrowing that money. It is very much in my interest to divest myself of the shares of the bank who will be lending Ford Australia that money. Or has Peter Garratt taken over from Kim Carr, and Fords thinking is that they have fooled hundreds of millions out of Kamikaze Kim, and are drooling that if they insulate the falcon roofs, Peter will come with bucket loads of cash.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by snappy

Why ?

there is no market for an i6.

company's after a crate unit need it to be flexable.

[snappy]

Originally Posted by burnz

there is no market for an i6.

company's after a crate unit need it to be flexable.

Ok i see what you mean i thought you may have been suggesting the v6 is superior to the i6.

I did hear somtime ago the ford aus were looking in to importing the i6 for a company that builds aircraft tow vechicles . Haven't heard anything more on this though

[mik]

i think bean counters rule toyota much more than ford, i think the last time toyota was going to pull out the govenrment stepped in and sweetend the pot for them other wise they would`nt be here, i think they have pulled up stumps before.

[mik]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Ford has just spent:
- $230 million on the Ecoboost I-4 Falcon
- $20 million on I-6 upgrades for Euro I-V
- $??? million on new Territory top hat and V6 Diesel engine
- $??? million on new Liquid Injection LPG for Falcon
- $??? million on new V8 for Falcon

What on earth makes them think Ford is pulling out of Australia?


HEAD !

[Stattic]

just read the comments... my god it is sad