428mach1

I don't think its time to celebrate yet and back slapping-- Ford is not out of the woods yet -- The loss in market share is a direct loss of sight in the eighty's - Ford looked like a force , but the quality push soon ended and the lemons soon appeared again-- give it a few years and lets see if we can win back the customers that left because of the poor product selection and quality. Ford needs to take a lesson from the Japanese -- and be respectfully quite and do their business

While I think the Ford motor company has changed for the positive , and I'm a long time Ford Owner, 6 right now, and my father owns a large chunk of Ford Stock and has for a 20 years --If I was a share holder, I think Ford has numerous bad dealerships they need to address -- I personally know of a couple that I won't do certain types of business with -- If Ford really wants to pick it a notch they need to do their own internal audit of their dealerships. -- These need to be low keyed, almost secret , I've heard of things happening and witness others-- Being a consumer but with a brain, I know both side have a story but some of the things they (dealers) blame Ford For just doesn't pass the logic test -- The games the dealers play with their customers just pushes back Ford Come back -- Ford Will survive and will become #1 because its products and will eventually get the media the like like Toyota has received -- But word of mouth sells cars and bad dealers really hurts the overall bottom line --

The message, what ever the Slogan is -- needs to include the word Quality and value per dollar.-- I like the ad where real people talk about their experience in the new Ford -- Esp where they show the features of the new Fords -- Its going to take time to believe that Ford produces a quality Auto -- Esp after all the bad press -- Time and effort on Fords Part will make the difference -- Nothing else -- The only problem , time is not on Fords side, esp in this market, but they even have me wanting to go down and Check out a SHO -- And I don't even need a car --

I like, Mulally, don't have allot of trust in him since he came from an Aviation back ground. I work in the Aviation Field and our companies love to go bankrupt, its like a fire sale, they loot the companies pension plans and hire unskilled labor to repair the aircraft that you fly on, but with said, I'd rather have a CEO thats laser focus than the idiot that took Ford Down this road -- I remember back in the early 80's when Ford once again was looking like the Detroit automaker with its stuff all in one sock but the wheels came off when Nassar took over and the elimination of the escort and tempo, and all the other best selling Fords, I believe at that time 5 of the ten best sellers were Fords -- The sad part of this situation is, do you really think anyone in the Detroit auto culture really believes in the change needed to turn around the industry. The culture of greed. The United Auto Workers and Ford Management need to come to terms, not just short term but a long term understanding that things cannot ever go back to the way of fat compensation for Management and unlimited benefits for workers. Hopefully Ford can survive this and avoid going bankrupt because its like the evil genie, once its out you will never go back to a trusting environment The Airline industry has no chance to ever be a trusting environment to work in because their is absolutely no trust between workers and management for good reasons. I want Ford to succeed and become the auto company that it always has wanted to be.

I think the US is in trouble and Agree that if Ford doesn't need the money it should decline it and say so -- But the foolish idea of me giving the the Federal Government another dollar per gallon tax, to blow on the idea's of people who can't manage their own check books is crazy. I'm an American First, Ford and GM are important to our way of life -- We need the Auto industry, for so many things, national defense for example -- We are beginning to look like Great Britain -- What a joke -- lots of names of famous cars but not one owned by the people who build it -- I think the bailout of the auto industry is going to sour allot of people even more towards the US auto makers so with that in mind Ford would be wise to look for ways go it alone with out it.

This is the first thing I've read on this page I need to comment on -- Ford marketing and its plan looks like our Iraq policy -- While marketing can't help the quality of inferior products. Ford 500 is an above average car, it was given one substandard commercial and name that no one identified with and out the door. I wonder why it did so poorly -- By the way I purchased a 500-- by word of mouth from my friends uncle, and I have sold at least three others to people who drove my wifes car. Most had never even heard of a 500