Ford market share to drop to 4%

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by stevz

Love the logic of some people here... We all whinge about our manufacturing industry, the state of our economy and the future of this country.... but no, lets all support a company who is packing up and giving us the finger so they can improve their bottom line by flooding us with more imports. Great stuff.

The rest of the world laugh at us and think we're stupid - and who can blame them?

It's probably better to be like pessimistic Ford and pull out when required rather than make
grandiose promises that can be taken back later on if things actually become much worse...

We all wish Holden well for the sake of local manufacturing but let's not forget that
Ford is still here for another three years and anyone with the opportunity to support
its local manufacturing should continue doing so, right up to the end...

Turning our backs on Falcon and Territory now will only serve to hasten their departure
ahead of time and possibly imperil the very people we want to support...FoA workers.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by GT-spec15

Selling more cars, decent export deals...plus the fact they haven't announced any plant closures lately.

decent export deals? you mean where they send cars back to the US and lose money on every single one of them?

selling more cars also doesn't equal 'doing better'. i'd be very surprised if the cruze is actually making money for them. VF will be ultra critical as well. there will be a slight honeymoon phase, as with any new model, but the investment in VF is fairly large and it will need to do a lot better than the current VE2.

its clear now that FoA were struggling, but it would be a brave person to suggest GM is doing any better. their promises mean nothing to most, given the number of empty promises they have made over the years.

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

perhaps the ford family should wait until their whole business falls over before they cease manufacturing in the areas they are losing money


and let's not believe anything that gm na, gm aus or the media tell us
i seem to remember being told for around 5-10 years that ford was gone globally and that gm was doing ok
remind me again, which one went bankrupt
gm aus will no longer be manufacturing once a few more losses come their way - maybe no longer than ford aus actually do

Ain't that the truth. Once the gloss comes off the new Commodore, let's see if the press start getting the knives out for Holden..........

[UberKnee]

Fact is all the advertising in the world for Falcon wouldn't have helped long term. The large car segment is getting smaller and smaller, families buy 4x4s and SUVs thesedays to ferry the kids around. The Commodore is only going strong because its being exported, if it wasn't you can pretty much guarantee Holden would be looking at going the same way as Ford Aus. Theres just no money in global companies building a Australian only vehicle/product.

Ford still have alot of cars sold through Ford Aus so its certainly not dying and the loss of Falcon will see the introduction of other cars, hopefully Mustang and F-Truck.

[GT-spec15]

Originally Posted by prydey

decent export deals? you mean where they send cars back to the US and lose money on every single one of them?

selling more cars also doesn't equal 'doing better'. i'd be very surprised if the cruze is actually making money for them. VF will be ultra critical as well. there will be a slight honeymoon phase, as with any new model, but the investment in VF is fairly large and it will need to do a lot better than the current VE2.

its clear now that FoA were struggling, but it would be a brave person to suggest GM is doing any better. their promises mean nothing to most, given the number of empty promises they have made over the years.

They are no doubt in a stronger position, as I stated. How much better...time will tell.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by GT-spec15

You talk as if FoA sat there plotting how to give stevz and others like him the shaft. It's a business decision, based on many factors. Ford is a business here to make money, and Falcon was bleeding money like no tomorrow.
Enough with the "they have shafted us" nonsense please!

Yeap, sad reality is large cars have been in serious decline for years. Last statistic I saw was large cars only represent 8% of all vehicle sales and they're falling fast every year.

There's little doubt that Ford's decision will have some impact on sales, especially Falcon and Terry sales as will Holden's significantly fresher VF model.
Hopefully Terry sales will continue along reasonably well but it wouldn't surprise me if Falcon sales drop substaintially until the refreshed model arrives.
Last I heard they were at 700 sales a month, maybe 400 - 500 Falcon's per month will be the new normal until the 2014 update ?...or shudder to think, maybe even that's being optimistic ??
But its not all bad news, the new Kuga appears to be selling well and doing so based on its own merits. Next year's Mondeo should also be a cracker, as will be the case with the new global Mustang. Its still not a bad time to be a Ford enthusiast, in fact you could make the argument that its a good time as there will be serious deals to be had on Falcon product between now and after the plant closures and there's also fresh imported product to choose from too
I think talk of a loss of market share overall down to 4% is speculative at best, and it could easily be called sensational gutter journalism.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by GT-spec15

They are no doubt in a stronger position, as I stated. How much better...time will tell.

If you look at VF, Holden has just given large car buyers what they have been asking for,
large, well equipped, fuel efficient cars with with much more realistic pricing structure.

In a funny way, it's a bit like what Ford was planning to do with Territory, giving buyers
more reason to buy a lot more of the $40K to $50K diesel versions to improve viability.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

i'm confused. are you saying that ford don't offer a dual cab 4x4, suv or small car??? or do you think that ford australia should have built all those cars even though they are being built elsewhere in the ford global empire at a fraction of the cost!!

They offer them, and they're popular, just that the reason that Ford Australia is finished manufacturing here is they persisted with something no one really wanted and odd decisions like no diesel for Territory until recently.

Management also played a part in their downfall, not just expensive Australian labour.

Also the Falcon got its negative perception somehow, and negative perceptions are near on impossible to change.

[WPR1]

Originally Posted by stevz

I wouldn't care if it dropped to 0%. They gave Australia the middle finger so Australian buyers should give them the middle finger in return.

Can't blame Ford, it is a business not a charity, we need to blame the Australian car buying public who haven't supported our local product.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by GT-spec15

I think FoA needs a good brand building campaign across TV/newspapers as we get towards 2016.

Oh, the irony...

[Auslandau]

The fact of the matter is ..... Ford have been building the Falcon brand for 53 years! If that is not brand building I do not know what is! They did not disappear. The options were there and those that wanted a Falcon could sit for hours on the computer and shop and discover what was available. TV advertising isn't the be all or end all. Yes, they could have tried a different approach. Possibly as sales decreased, so did the budget on advertising.

The FACT is that instead of Falcons and Commodores, people are buying SUV's & 4x4's. Still big cars but with more storage, better towing, great for the weekend camping, good at picking up the kids, great with the horse float .... etc.

Writing was on the wall quite a few years ago. It is not sudden. Falcon stil has 3.5 years left in it as far as manufacturing here goes. Buy one in 2016 on a 5 year lease ..... that will last you till 2021! Then worry about what's available ...... and by then no one needs to worry about the 2013 Taurus/Fusion or whatever is available now. Worry about the 2021 model and I am sure by then, the technology that everyones seems to want will be there in bucket loads.

2021 is a way off yet. People should really be asking themselves ........ "What are we going to buy in 2021?" Absolutely impossible to answer really.

Commodore is doing well because they are selling more?????? As said above .... sales do not always equate to profit. There are other people to blame for the demise in manufacturing in Australia .......

[Jason[98.EL]]

a mates daughter that was waiting for the vf and when she saw what they looked like she went out and bought a new mazda 6

I think the big car market here in aus is not looking good and Holden will unfortunately follow Ford

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

2021 is a way off yet. People should really be asking themselves ........ "What are we going to buy in 2021?" Absolutely impossible to answer really.

Hopefully some flying skateboard or something.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

just that the reason that Ford Australia is finished manufacturing here is they persisted with something no one really wanted and odd decisions like no diesel for Territory until recently

i think the only thing that has kept ford and gm manufacturing in australia is the larger car
it doesn't really make sense to make a car that is only relevant to that actual country it is built in - especially when the country only has less than 30,000,000 people
while they sell enough, everything is good - when they stop selling, the inevitable happens and they stop manufacturing
unfortunately there is no point in building other cars here, because it obviously costs too much

hopefully ford do reconsider their decision. they all ready have a work force, factories and everything they need, but it no doubt will not be enough
why would gm continue here after the commode dore is gone, because whatever they choose to make, it can be made not far from australia for alot less than it would cost to build here

and who can blame them - everyone wants the cheapest item off the net, instead of paying more to keep a local in a job . . . . why would the ford family or gm be any different

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Really ...... I thought it was the Australian people that gave Ford the middle finger and didn't buy new Falcons?

Yeah but what could you expect after years and years of poor build quality and crap after sales service!!!

[jpd80]

It's like buyers in the restaurant complain that chef's soup costs too much and should be the same
price as instant soup so the manager decides to fire the chef and boil the jug for the clients....

Then the people in the restaurant complain that it's only packet soup and why should they buy it at all..

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by kevino

This weeks edition of goauto.com.au has an article suggesting because of the announced 2016 plant closures that Fords market share will drop to 4%.

At 4% market share they would be more profitable than now.

Originally Posted by kevino

They base their view on Nissans and Mitsubishis aussie assembly plant closures which lead to a very low market share.

Then they started offering cars people wanted to buy and returned to profitability quick smart.

In NZ Todd Motors (Hillman, Chrysler, Mitsubishi) were less than 5% of the market in the late 70s. Set a target of 15% in 5 years. New plant, 4-cylinder only (cars people wanted), new computer system for dealers and got to 17.5% in 3 years. So there is hope for FoA.

[kevino]

Gee Kiwi 1.
What about NZMC at Petone, Ford at Gracefield, GM at Upper Hutt, Nissan at Wiri etc.
None of those assembly plants exist anymore.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by kevino

Gee Kiwi 1.
What about NZMC at Petone, Ford at Gracefield, GM at Upper Hutt, Nissan at Wiri etc.
None of those assembly plants exist anymore.

Exactly, NZ accepted that they could not afford a car industry in the late 90s. One you forgot was Honda in Nelson who I think were the last to close in August 1998?

[GT-spec15]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

The fact of the matter is ..... Ford have been building the Falcon brand for 53 years! If that is not brand building I do not know what is!

You seem to have misinterpreted my comment.

I am not suggesting a campaign around Falcon, I meant a campaign to demonstrate to the public there is a future beyond Falcon for Ford in Australia, and it is a bright one.

Given many people seem to think Ford is going to evaporate completely, it may be quite necessary to reinforce that the brand is here to stay, and worth getting behind.

Hope that makes more sense.

[GT-spec15]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Commodore is doing well because they are selling more?????? As said above .... sales do not always equate to profit. There are other people to blame for the demise in manufacturing in Australia .......

Commodore is doing better for a number of reasons, sales being one.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Yeah but what could you expect after years and years of poor build quality and crap after sales service!!!

My first brand new car was a XF ...... had every model since up to the FG (2) and another Terry a few weeks ago. I don't know how many exactly ..... around 30 I think? Now ...... the reason I buy? BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY and AFTER SALES SERVICE. You might not believe this ..... I do as do many others who have chosen a Ford over other cars.. Have also had Audi and currently a BMW (& a few others thrown in) ALWAYS have gone back to Ford for the above.

Years and years of crap quality? Sell what you got and go buy something else ...... PLEASE?????? No one I can see have forced you to drive your pieces of rubbish??? This I do not understand and just utterly am bewildered with.

Why the hell do you keep buying them? Really really am interested???????

Those who whinge with what they have bought continually through choice. Totally gobsmacks me every time.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

My first brand new car was a XF ...... had every model since up to the FG (2) and another Terry a few weeks ago. I don't know how many exactly ..... around 30 I think? Now ...... the reason I buy? BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY and AFTER SALES SERVICE. You might not believe this ..... I do as do many others who have chosen a Ford over other cars.. Have also had Audi and currently a BMW (& a few others thrown in) ALWAYS have gone back to Ford for the above.

Years and years of crap quality? Sell what you got and go buy something else ...... PLEASE?????? No one I can see have forced you to drive your pieces of rubbish??? This I do not understand and just utterly am bewildered with.

Why the hell do you keep buying them? Really really am interested???????

Those who whinge with what they have bought continually through choice. Totally gobsmacks me every time.

Because they build cars that do the job for me. The crap quality doesn't worry me because I don't keep them long. I've had 12 new Fords in 10 years, and there has been times when i have wanted to give them the ****, but in the case of the 2 I have now they are both class leading. Should have bought a BT-50 instead of Ranger but prefer the look of Ranger.

There are plenty of others who have walked away however, people I know who simply can't handle the ******** with dealers or CRC, both of which I can handle!

[Auslandau]

Many have walked away form every other make out there including Merc, BMW etc, for many reasons. I think you would have been way happier in a BT 50.

[The G6ET Spot]

Originally Posted by csv8

Hope not...but Ford does have supply issues with their Euro/Thai models. No one will wait 2 months plus for a car when they can get a Mazda, Hyundai etc in a few days...Are Mondeo's back in production at Ghent ????? or are the workers still on strike ??? The new model Mondeo cann't come soon enough...

Hyundai have quoted me 2 day delivery on a new Veloster Turbo.

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by WPR1

Can't blame Ford, it is a business not a charity, we need to blame the Australian car buying public who haven't supported our local product.

So the decisions to decontent the cars, not seek export markets, repeatedly ignore problems with the dealer network, appoint useless yank executives to run the place and fail to issue proper recalls when needed were the public's fault?

Thats before we talk about marketing, the save a dollar today, loose five tomorrow corporate thinking at Ford Australia and the complete shambles that was and still is their marketing and customer relationship side of the business.

I had no idea the market was to blame for all of that.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Many have walked away form every other make out there including Merc, BMW etc, for many reasons. I think you would have been way happier in a BT 50.

Probably going by their customer service. My old man ditched both of his Fords this year after 40 years of buying them.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by stevz

I wouldn't care if it dropped to 0%. They gave Australia the middle finger so Australian buyers should give them the middle finger in return.

No they didn't...they are closing down at the end of 2016, honouring there commitment of the government grant, producing a updated falcon for one last hurrah.

The "middle finger" came from factors that include the global economic climate and some poor decisions by our own government.

Yes Ford could have done some things different, but hindsight is hindsight...


Wishing a company to collapse, therefor wishing the loss of even more jobs, shows very little maturity and intelligence...

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

My first brand new car was a XF ...... had every model since up to the FG (2) and another Terry a few weeks ago. I don't know how many exactly ..... around 30 I think? Now ...... the reason I buy? BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY and AFTER SALES SERVICE. You might not believe this ..... I do as do many others who have chosen a Ford over other cars.. Have also had Audi and currently a BMW (& a few others thrown in) ALWAYS have gone back to Ford for the above.

Years and years of crap quality? Sell what you got and go buy something else ...... PLEASE?????? No one I can see have forced you to drive your pieces of rubbish??? This I do not understand and just utterly am bewildered with.

Why the hell do you keep buying them? Really really am interested???????

Those who whinge with what they have bought continually through choice. Totally gobsmacks me every time.

Please don't become a Holden fan. Holden can't afford your kind of support.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

So the decisions to decontent the cars, not seek export markets, repeatedly ignore problems with the dealer network, appoint useless yank executives to run the place and fail to issue proper recalls when needed were the public's fault?

Thats before we talk about marketing, the save a dollar today, loose five tomorrow corporate thinking at Ford Australia and the complete shambles that was and still is their marketing and customer relationship side of the business.

I had no idea the market was to blame for all of that.

so, falcon and commodore (as we know them) are being discontinued at the same time and yet the market isn't a factor? how is it that 2 products that sold side by side can finish at approximately the same time, and yet one is to blame and the other not? mystery.