Ford looses a Mustang a minute

the-big-e

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What a way for Ford Motor to kick off a year.

The struggling U.S. automaker today reported that its fourth-quarter 2006 loss totaled $5.8 billion -- yes, that's billion. That translates to a loss of $3.05 per share, worse than the $74 million loss, or 4 cent per-share loss, Ford reported in the same quarter a year ago.

Excluding special items -- mostly from buying out its workers, Ford said its loss would have been $1.10 per share; analysts were expecting a loss of $1.01 per share.

Ford's shares were rising today, however, as the company pledged to narrow losses by the end of 2007. By late morning the stock was up more than 2% at $8.39.

A Mustang a minute
The full-year loss totaled $12.75 billion, the worst in the company's 103-year history. Broken down, the annual losses amount to a loss of a brand-new Ford Mustang convertible (MSRP: $24,100) every single minute.

In fact, any way you look at it, the loss breakdown is pretty ugly:

$34,795,000 per day

$1,450,000 per hour

$24,100 per minute

Previously, Ford's worst loss had been in 1992, when the automaker reported a yearly loss of $7.39 billion.

As of yesterday's close, shares of Ford were down 3% for the year -- although today's gains erased much of the loss. Ford blamed plummeting truck sales, a billion-dollar charge for employee buyouts and a 24% reduction in North American production.

Ford said it does not expect to see an improvement in the first half of 2007 but did say it expects losses to narrow later in the year.
 
The reason for this is the large loans Ford had took out to do buyouts. That money id going towards getting the old out..And in with the new.

Hopefully they can restructure well....And hopefully win back a large market segment that has been lost to imports
 
Who knows what will happen...We shall see...They are in no worse a position then GM had ben in for a long time...I have faith in em....Im sendin inmy resume! RUN!
 
Ford Losses

I thought the correct title should have been,

"Ford loses a 500 every minute."

Then I thought, wait, they didn't even sell that many of them.......
The losses associated with the 500, and the "new" Thunderbird had to have helped with losses overall in the big picture....
If it wasn't for the F-150 and the Mustang, what would they have left?
The Fusion and the Focus?
Give Me A Break!

C'mon Ford, where are the other models that generate excitement and sales?
Get that new supercharged V8 MN12 T-Bird out on the floor!
Anybody Listening?
Or are you just going to stand around with hands in pockets, wondering what to do, watching the Chargers, Vipers and Vettes drive by?
If Ford doesn't get back in the Mainstream, they will find themselves drifting
Downstream.....and I'd hate to see the Big blue Oval in a leaky canoe!

Of course we are partial to Thunderbirds, especially fast supercharged ones.
But tell me why it can't be done!?!

Combine Luxury and Performance, and keep it light.
If Ferrari can sell half-a-million dollar cars, I'm sure that you can sell fifty-thousand dollar ones......
Take a cue from all the 500HP supercharged Mercedes V8's that are in all the so-called "supercars".... they should be Ford engines instead!
4-V DOHC...just copy the Cosworth, enlarge it, and charge it.
Then keep it around long enough for it to make some money.

Make something fast to market to the masses, that doesn't have a pony on it.
Will someone please, get this ship back under it's own power.......??

Some might enjoy this site>>> www.supercars.net
Home of the Exotics..including the 800-HP 427 side-oiler "charged"
Shelby Cobra "Super Snake"......with 6 lbs. of boost.
Rececntly sold for 5.5 MILLION Dollars, the highest amount of any US-built car, EVER. With extremely ancient technology.But it is the only one.

Please build us a cool car...... And don't put a truck engine in it.
Comments?
 
Comments?

Ford doesn't need a huge stable of performance cars.. There is only a niche market for gas guzzling fast cars. The rest of the market is made up of economy vehicles and work vehicles.. IE:, just because you want a fast car doesn't mean the other 99% of the world does, and Ford realises that
 
Build me a 2dr. sedan that get good gas milage, has reasonable power. I would like air and a stero. Thats all. I hate having to pat for options I dont want. I want a new Fairmont.:D
 
What cars are selling big these days? Civics, Golf/Rabbits and other compact cars. The truck market has been dying for years, yet Ford and GM both continue to pump billions of dollars into it. Maybe they should look at what Honda, Hyundai and Toyota are doing since they're all growing fast... Cool = too expensive and less common, practical and cheap is where it is.
Naaa, they should just build some more $40-50k V-8 SUVs and pickups! Because that's been working well the last few years as we can all see.
 
what really is a good point, is that commercial were that dude is driving in his SUV and he brakes hard and the shell falls out and inside he has been driving in a truck.... lol... that should be a real eye opener, people need something new, they need to re-design, re-engineer, add turbo's to smaller cars, make something like a G-35 in a domestic version!
 
Funny thing is all of the import companies are now dumping billions into the SUV and large truck market ....

I have said it before...Ford needs to just create an image car in each lineup they have..Nothing wrong with creating a performance version of even a 500...Flash sells ....People but v6 stangs because the v8 ones exist
 
Please name the import companies making SUVs on the scale of Expeditions and Suburbans. I doubt it's "all" of them. Especially in referance to the large truck market.
Yes they are putting money into those markets but its into small SUVs, not big ones.
If flash sells, explain Toyota, Kia and Hyundai's growth.
 
Kia and Hyundai its all about cost savings..Toyota has a loyal brand following and has had one since the gas crunching days of the 70's. Even the smaller SUV's you are reffering too are no lighweights. But even using infinity for an example has the FX and the QX series..One big one much bigger..Truck Wise look no further then Nissans Titan and such. If you ask me the titan and the QX are rather large..No Excusrion or F350...But big
 
If flash sells, explain Toyota, Kia and Hyundai's growth.

Now, now...you have to realize you're both right.

I would say there are 3 basic type of car buyers. The ones who care about the flash and the gas, the ones who care about the flash and don't care about the gas, and the type that don't care about the flash but care about the gas.

A select few consumers fit into the first category. They are the ones buying the GT500, and the Viper, and the Charger SRT8 and the Vette, even to some extent the Civic Si.

Then a big portion of the market is the second category. They like the look because they are reminiscent of the first groups cars. The plain Jane V6 mustang, the Plain Jane V6 Charger, Civic dx etc. They want the look of and association with the faster cars without the added cost, or gas consumption. They care about how their car looks and not so much about performance.

Then there is another large portion of the market. They are the ones buying the Kia's, Hyundais and Daewoos. They couldn't care less about how their car looks. They want something cheap, thats good on gas. They're looking for cost efficiency.
 
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