By Leftlane Staff
Monday, May 8th, 2006 @ 8:56 am

Ford seems to lack the direction and focus necessary to create a strong product line and revive sales, according to three analysts. “Of all the automakers, I am most negative on Ford,” said Erich Merkle, director of forecasting, with the consulting firm IRN. “There is no continuity to their product development.” And Merkle is not alone in his feelings. “There’s been a real lack of direction on Ford’s part,” said industry research expert Karl Brauer. “Ford does not appear to have a focused product plan.” Brauer says he’s seen a lot of “thrashing about” in Ford’s product line that doesn’t seem to accomplish much — such as the renaming of all Lincoln vehicles and the sudden elimination of two high-performance vehicles. Joseph Barker, senior manager of global sales forecasting for CSM Worldwide, said Ford badly needs “edgier cars and trucks that exude passion.” “Ford must address its conservative design theme (and) their inadequate powertrain lineup,” Barker said.

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