Comments on: New UAW deal to save Ford $500m per year

By: bswalks

bswalks — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:17:42 +0000

$500 million is like a fart in the wind compared to all the cash these companies are burning. They need meaningful concessions from the UAW in the form of health care changes both for current and retired employees or they don’t have a chance to complete.

By: Fireresq157

Fireresq157 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:18:10 +0000

With all due respect to Ford they hit rock bottom 1 to 2 years before this crisis and was able to secure a 30 BILLION dollar loan before the credit market DRYED UP. For a company that is about half of the size of GM, that would be like a 60 Billion Dollar loan for GM. They had been working on restructuring way before GM and Chrysler have had too. It just happened to be being at the right place at the right time. If they can’t turn this thing around with 30 billion then someone needs to be shot at Ford. So please stop assuming Ford had been doing the right thing all along they have been forced to do so because of circumstances it just happened to be with private money because they got lucky/unlucky. This just proves that with enough time and money all 3 US automakers can make it. BTW has Ford announced any profits yet or are they still living off their credit line? If they show profits how much of that is going towards paying their Loan? Did everyone forget Ford shopping themselves around to GM and Chrysler Nissan? Common people what’s with the short term memory. So stop all the Fan boy assumptions and be a realist and be fair we want all three companies around.

By: ninetysixvert

ninetysixvert — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:21:14 +0000

Yes, Need more oil for GM, I’m sure. Probably have a lot to base that statement on as well. Face it already, GM is NOT an American revolution. Ford has only dumped money into repairing the leaks in their boat so they can stay afloat. Meanwhile, GM is the Titanic of the Big Three and hit an iceberg….sinking….bye-bye!

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:42:27 +0000

Cars in 4-6 years won’t really be any different than the ones we are driving now. Sure, there will be more hybrid models available and less SUVs but we’re not going to see anything revolutionary. No big switch to all electric or hydrogen b/c the infrastructure to distribute it just isn’t there… and it would take a serious investment of capital to even think about getting it started. We see how GM is delaying the introduction of new models and putting off redesigns, expect other manufacturers to do the same as demand for new vehicles continues to drop. Look at vehicles produced back in the 80′s… the only changes that I’ve seen are in size and safety, both going up. Fuel economy and horsepower have pretty much stayed the same for the main-line models b/c all the advances in engine technology have been negated by the increasing weight of the vehicles and more stringent EPA emissions guidelines. It is impossible to make a car bigger, faster, safer, more fuel efficient, and less polluting at the same time. But that is what all the manufacturers are trying to do.

Most (intelligent) companies are paring down to the bare minimum needed to operate. The next two years are going to be about weathering the end of this economic shytestorm not expanding to new horizons.

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:30:47 +0000

500m? What is that going to delay Fords bankruptcy by a week? 2 weeks?

Get ready, it’s coming. GM is going to be on the up and up pretty soon, wait for it. Ford is going to be the one surrounded by bankruptcy talks by the media.

GM. An American Revolution.

By: ninetysixvert

ninetysixvert — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:14:22 +0000

@fordman –
Any proof to your comment? Every auto maker is hurting right now, with every vehicle’s production numbers slumping…. The Flex has received positive ratings from reviewers (C&D and Edmund’s, to name 2).

By: ninetysixvert

ninetysixvert — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:06:56 +0000

@ Borat –
Seeing as how Ford is making big moves to turn themselves around and rise to the challenge of these difficult times, I would say Ford didn’t “piss” anything away. It takes money to make money. They had a lot of changes to make and that doesn’t come cheap. So on top of the money they have been pouring into re-working their company, they will be saving every little bit they can. Yes, 500 million annually does help….if it didn’t I’m sure Ford would not have wasted the time negotiating that deal.

By: fordman

fordman — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:35:05 +0000

Proof that ugly doesn’t sell : Ford Flex

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:25:06 +0000

You guys thinking the world is going to be so different in 4-6 years make me laugh. It’s like an original Star Trek episode where they reference Earth’s future from a 1960′s perspective only watching it now you realize just how far off their ‘predictions’ were. The world may look somewhat different in 30 or 40 years, that much is a given, but 4 to 6? Look back at models from 2003-2005. Are the 2009′s so radically different that you look at the older ones and say ‘how did we ever drive those’? Hardly. Give your heads a shake kids. You don’t gain 30 or 40 years experience without living 30 or 40 years. Accept that and you’ll live longer- trust me.

By: tyler_is_aero_tt

tyler_is_aero_tt — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:07:07 +0000

Is Ford the only one out of the big three that is trying anymore? Ford deserves to outlive GM and Chrysler.

By: MasterYoda2005

MasterYoda2005 — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:41:33 +0000

veeride you are so correct the world is going to be a different place in six years. The roads will of course be full of hybrids and electric vehicles. Less and less will we see full size SUVs. I just hope that either Ford or GM (i could honestly care less bout Chrysler) make it out of this intact. But if GM has to go then let them go because they should have thought about having a ‘diverse portfolio’ rather than taking the easy way out (high margin gas guzzling trucks and suvs).

By: datboy

datboy — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:35:21 +0000

Ford is making some smart moves. Maybe gm and dodge chrysler can learn a few from them. would like to see all three survive but the only one really looking serious is ford.

By: yarddog82abn

yarddog82abn — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:21:32 +0000

Once again if Ford can make progress… Why is “GM” going in to chapter 11???????…………

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:15:25 +0000

Ford pisses away over billion a months. What the difference 375 mils make? If they to ask for assistance, we are talking 10-120 billions per year. They already went for 6 billions line of credit. 375-500 mils, will not cover Ford family bonus or procreation fund.

By: veeride

veeride — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:46:36 +0000

next 4-6 years………..hahahaha the world will be MUCH different than it is now……….

By: MasterYoda2005

MasterYoda2005 — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:31:32 +0000

^—-i am going to have to agree. Although I am more of a fan of the General I do have to say that Ford seems to be a bit more serious about becoming on par with the Toyonda. I will say that Alan Mullaly has proven to be able to turn things around for big companies in times of dire straits and hopefully he can continue to do the same at ford. When I am in the market for a new vehicle in the next 4-6 years I want to be able to buy American again.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:27:41 +0000

More good news from the Blue Oval camp. Maybe it’s time to buy some Ford stock.

Ya know… the more I see that new Mustang the more I like it.

By: ninetysixvert

ninetysixvert — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:06:24 +0000

Awesome, keep that up Ford! Always knew they were the most solid of the Big Three.