Maybe they should rebrand Mercury as Rover

I smell Merkurs.

Now this would be a neat way to bring Ford of Europe vehicles into the states.

Whatever they plan to do with it, it better be good.

ok there goes rover…

Why Ford is its current financial state, why is it doing this?

Could this be so that when offering LR for a prospective buyer, they could sell the entire suite / brand and not just the ’suv division’?

Hmm, I’m not sure how I feel about this, Rover is dead, the only way to really bring it back (in Europe) would be to totally revamp the lineup, 100%, with state of the art vehicles with state of the art technology, bringing it to America would be even harder. I don’t really see what Ford can/will do with this one.

david1977 ^^^^ agreed, They are just trying to protect the Rover name, before it becomes associated with Chinese deathtraps.

Interesting concept.. saving Rovers name from becoming associated with Chinese deathtraps. I doubt Ford’s motives are that altruistic. Ford could care less about its employees or anyting but its profit margin, or otherwise it would remake itself right in this country instead of trying to buy brand names. Ford is fiddling while Rome burns. Ford doesn’t have the money for this. Its a slap in the face to its employees and customers. Ford needs to reinvent itself fast. Ford needs to work on its dealer network, work on its cars, quit sourcing crap parts for them, and start building cars instead of firetraps.

The total cost of this was somewhere around $20 million. A drop in the bucket for Ford, albeit, at a bad time. I think that that was $20 million well spent because now, no Rover SUV can ever hit the market and cause conflicts with Land Rover. My guess is that Ford will not revive the brand. Ever. Land Rover will live on as the last of the Rover legend.

Jameson, I guarantee you that Ford cares as much about its employees as any other auto company, although I know that doesn’t say much. Layoffs have to happen. Even if Ford had invested all of its money in proper products, there is too much baggage with the name and image. The UAW is an inflexible and extraorindarily expensive organisation, so even if their products were better than anything offered by GM or Toyota, their cost structure would be too high to stay that way. And I also guarantee you that Ford does care about its profit margins, because without profit, Ford cannot sustain itself. Every company has to watch the margin or go out of business.

I agree that Ford does need to reinvent itself, but it cannot do it overnight. Car development takes 30 months. Customer loyalty is something Toyota and Honda have been building since about 1985. That means an overhaul is still 12-24 months away for products and 10 years away for image. Sourcing is not a bad way to save money. It eliminates overhead costs. It’s one way Toyota has kept costs down. That said, Ford has done a terrible job implementing such a system because they don’t actually work well with their suppliers. I will say, however, that Ford hasn’t created a firetrap since at least the 1970s Pinto (the Crown Vic is arguable, although it is easily remedied and only on high-speed rear impact - 40+ mph differential). The Fusion is one of the top rated quality cars in its class. The Zephyr was the number two entry-level luxury car in quality. The Edge could possibly be the best entry in its market segment. I would say they are doing what they can within the crunching constraints that they have (labor costs, money shortage, a consumer base that is dwindling because of perception, right or wrong, and a weak product line).

there goes rover? rovers been gone… i dont know where youve been. Ford better not keep this another useless brand like half of their others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnP6_J3×7kQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvm_9aUI-bA

The above is why Ford bought the Rover name plate. They don’t want to see some chinese crap mobile like that imported into the US with the Rover name on it.

Bonquisha Sheneequah Sharkeesha Shi-thead Jackson, OMG like I didn’t know it. Ha ha…

“the Rover legend”? Legendary bad build quality you mean? Ever had a look at an MGF? They feel like they are built out of recycled sardine cans. Never seen anything like it except out of Russia. Goodbye and good riddance.

“Interesting concept.. saving Rovers name from becoming associated with Chinese deathtraps.”

Very interesting. Last night I attended the launching of Chery in this region and had a chance to check out the QQ series. The model looks very much like Chevy Spark, too much perhaps but the worst part is the interior where the buttons literally feel like the plastic chinese robots you find at K-Mart. In fact, the temp switch is already broken on the display unit. The body panels are also very thin. I can’t comment on the engine but supposedly it has enough pull for city usage. I asked the rep how it handled in the freeway and she just said, it’s “powerful enough”. I was gonna apply for dealership but dropped that idea after seeing the unit and the fact that it’s going for US$8K. For a little more, you can get a superior car from Daihatsu. When I left the show only one thing was in my mind: rolling coffins.

Regardless, the Chinese auto industry is very aggressive and has come a long way since they started 9 years ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are up to par with Hyundai in 5 years or so. They just need to get the safety element right to sell.

BTW, I’ll upload pics of the Chery if anyone’s interested along with the avi complete line ad that I got from the event. The ad even shows the CRV clone.

yeah please let us see that Veda

I’ll work on that tonight and hopefully have it up soon. I’ll send the link.

Work on it all you want.

China is not known for its humanitarian ethos. Go sell them to your peasants.

Uhh, yea… very informative Renton, ok now we know that you’re a racist what else? Want to start comparing the donation amounts we gave for tsunami relief? Back to cars, they’re aiming at college students and young employees. They are hardly peasants.

I’m a racist now? I’m no racist. The Chinese have human rights violations to answer for.

Grow up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

Go look at some good Chinese crash testing. I watched those college students and young employees die by the hands of their own government in 1989. Don’t call me racist, or a bigot.

You are so naive.

SHOULD ONLY BE MADE BY FORD EUROPE. Hopefully ford america has no part. If formed, it should be a premium brand to fit under Jaguar and hopefully compete with Volkswagen. Rovers have always been good reliable cars even if they were two or three decades old. Should hopefully perform better with the euro ford chassis’s underneath their car to match top of class rivals

renton when you say “chinese” are you talking about chinese citizens or the chinese gov’t?

Renton….yes…there were people died in 1989….but the whole drama has two side story. If you ever read any book or report after the incident. If you did, you might have a different view on it.

As for “racist”, from your comment, I do feel that you are unintentional racist.

Don’t try to bring up a link or two to proof your point because it’s pointless if the article is full of subjective view from anti-commi writers or reporters or the MEDIUM.

elviososa –please explain to me the two sided story…..

please explain to me how I am an “unintentional racist” That is the second time I have been called a racist tonight. I’m no racist. I do know an asshole when I see one though.

please tell me how many were murdered.

Please tell me why anti-commi writers could be wrong? Please tell me why communism is good. Please tell me why personal freedom is wrong. Please describe the whole story of the Tianamen Square “incident”. Running over people with tanks……..what else can be said?

At least answer this one question. Where do you live?

Why do you talk about the Tianamen Square massacre when the article says that Ford buys Rover? The Chinese Gvt does not respect human rights, that´s nothing new and saying it doesn´t make anyone a racist. But if we decide not to buy a product made in China it should be because of the quality and not because of the country it comes from. Not buying their products doesn´t help the citizens, just like the embargo doesn´t help cuban citizens.
I hope Ford is wise enough to keep Rover alive. The Rover make has always been quite important here in Europe.

JS: So you’re saying you actively support a country that brutally opresses its poor citizens who happen to disagree with their Government? Wow! Go you! I’m sure you’re a proud one in your family.

So in your opinion, 1c3d0g, its better to boycott ALL chinese products and destroy their economy causing a famine among the population just because their Gvmt does not respect human rights? That´s a very good idea to help chinese citizens, 1c3d0g! Go call the UN and explain your idea. Then we can boycott other countries wich don´t respect human rights, like the USA, for instance…

Ford should not transform Rover into a mercury!

JS — go ahead and boycott the US. The US does not respect human rights?

Do not compare the US and China in human rights.

“Why do you talk about the Tianamen Square massacre when the article says that Ford buys Rover?”

The thread evolved that way so here it is. How can a country that does not care about its citizens actually be trusted to build a safe car?

Renton: In both China and US people are killed by the Government (call it death penalty if you will) and emprisoned for years without a (fair) judgement (call it Guantanamo). Of course, China is less respectful with human rights, it´s a question of degrees.By the way, why don´t the US want to sign the treaty for the International Penal Court?
Chinese are not stupid: if they build a very unsafe car, it won´t pass the safety regulations in Europe or the US.
And if their car is so crappy that it falls appart, people just won´t buy it. Do many people buy Mahindras or Ladas? They´re cheap though.

Can we please get back to the auto industry and car/mgt discussions?

There are plenty of blogs to review social/political policy and analogous issues around the world, I’m pretty sure most of us would seek them out if we wanted to discuss them.

I find it amazing that left wing / liberals / others take every opportunity to criticize anyone that they see fit. Leave the guy be… I’ll be interested to see what happens when GWB is out of office and if a Democrat takes his place, will the GOP take the role of contrarian or will it be vacant until the Dems lose the Presidency?

Elviososa, there are actually 3 sides to every story. Your side, my side, & what actually happened. Ford should sell half their brands, cause they’re not making a profit with them anyway. I agree that this purchase is a huge slap in the face of their workers. Who’s running Ford anyway, a bunch of flunked out of marketing & accounting wannabes?, or just a bunch of people that hold Gomer Pyle as their hero?

JS: let me refresh your memory of how a CHINESE SUV spectacularly failed this crash test with a score of 0 (zero, nada, nil).

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/08/28/china-to-begin-government-crash-tests/

Watch the video again. Only now are they “beginning” to test their crap and see if it can hold up to the high standards in the Western World. Say what you want about American manufacturers, at least they don’t produce junk like that.

1c3d0g - Boo-ya!

Renton…I am not going to do the homework for you if you don’t have the knowledge. You, I considered, are an extremist. I think you tend to get angry very easily in the real life. When you see something that is not in your favor, you try to argure until you win. If you are bright enough, read the news from around the world, find more facts outside your world. You would find that the human right in China and in the U.S. is somewhat simular. I dare you to tell me that when you said “Chinese”, you are not trying to look down on Chinese people because what you post here already answered. You think people in your same GROUP is the best kind of the world. That makes you racist.

I had lived in Asia, South America, and of course the U.S. for a long period of times, long enough to see the real world.

When Chinese auto industry catching up the quality standard that the U.S. have now, let’s see who will be crying at the time.

1cad0g….If you can do me a favor that trash all the Made in China’s good because it will be unsafe for you…for your family…and for your friends, too. Renton…I also I suggest you to stop buying any good that is Made in China because if you buy them…you are supporting the murderer.

elviososa -”You would find that the human right in China and in the U.S. is somewhat simular. ”

Did you actually say that? You have no idea, and that is sad.

Some of the people on this board are retards. I am not bashing the Chinese people. It is the government that is wrong. The US is not perfect, but it is lightyears ahead of China pal. Yes we have capital punishment here. If you murder an innocent person, there is a decent chance you will be executed in about 15 years after every spec of evidence is picked through. I am against it, but that is the law of the land.

“You think people in your same GROUP is the best kind of the world. That makes you racist.

When did I say anything about my GROUP? What group am I in? I’m no racist. Go ahead call me racist again and show eveyone what a moron you are. China deserves the **** it gets b/c they have been cruel to their citizens.

Stop reading into everything you militant screwball. Here is a newsflash:

The Chinese government murders people who speak out against it. The Chinese people do not even know what is going on in their own country.

Renton….stop your double standard on human rights. Tell me Renton…are you living in the U.S.now?….If yes…tell me…are you living in fear now??…If no…then you are the “GROUP” that I am talking about….being racist…If you are living in fear now…then you know what is going on in the U.S. now…need me to say more??? It also prove that the human right issuse is somewhat simular between China and the U.S….but I guess it’s even worse in the U.S. suppose to be the good model of the Human Right of the world , but because of the profiling and many other thing. It’s no longer….sad, but it’s true.

I think I had answer your questions. If you do not understand what it mean…then go kill yourself.

Ford Plans to Buy Rover Brand from BMW

Although there are reports and rumors about Ford Motor Company’s plans to sell some of their automotive brands, the company is also making plans to buy the Rover brand from the German automaker BMW, according to a report from Automotive News.

Ford spokesperson also said that it is in the interest of the Land Rover business to acquire the Rover brand and they believe it is a valuable asset for the company. Well let’s hope that this will be a win-win situation for the automakers.

All you suck balls