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Automotive News interviews Mark Fields


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He has not given many interviews and this was a pretty general one at best. I love reading the comments though.....most of those cannot be from Ford dealer's or suppliers since they were so idiotic.

 

Fields has done a very good job of staying focused and keeping the company on a profitable, disciplined path to prosperity. They cannot be everything to everyone. I've often wondered about how many special vehicles Ford has done compared to the rest of the industry and must say it is significantly below others, especially GM where they have tried so many niche vehicles (and some have been excellent vehicles) only to watch them fade gracefully away.

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Fields has done a very good job of staying focused and keeping the company on a profitable, disciplined path to prosperity. They cannot be everything to everyone. I've often wondered about how many special vehicles Ford has done compared to the rest of the industry and must say it is significantly below others, especially GM where they have tried so many niche vehicles (and some have been excellent vehicles) only to watch them fade gracefully away.

 

Well the one thing Ford is doing is just adding additional trim models to existing cars. Its far cheaper to do the ST treatment and upcharge an extra 5K over or so, then it is to do a bespoke platform like the Chevy SS (which is lucky to sell 150-300 cars a month!). The only off shoot that Ford did that wasn't shared with another platform was the GT and now the new GT.

 

People give shit to Ford about Lincoln, but they are doing the smart thing and in the grand scheme of things do they really need RWD platform? It might be great for magazines, but will it make that big of difference in actual sales?

 

I'd love for my next car to be something like a RWD/AWD four door Mustang in size and performance, but an AWD Fusion ST should fit that niche no problem. I'm not quite ready to get a Lincoln yet either...maybe in 10 years when I'm over 50 :)

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Well the one thing Ford is doing is just adding additional trim models to existing cars. Its far cheaper to do the ST treatment and upcharge an extra 5K over or so, then it is to do a bespoke platform like the Chevy SS (which is lucky to sell 150-300 cars a month!). The only off shoot that Ford did that wasn't shared with another platform was the GT and now the new GT.

 

People give shit to Ford about Lincoln, but they are doing the smart thing and in the grand scheme of things do they really need RWD platform? It might be great for magazines, but will it make that big of difference in actual sales?

 

I'd love for my next car to be something like a RWD/AWD four door Mustang in size and performance, but an AWD Fusion ST should fit that niche no problem. I'm not quite ready to get a Lincoln yet either...maybe in 10 years when I'm over 50 :)

 

 

I completely agree but also realize as a car enthuasist I feel a little left out at times! And I am not talking the Lincoln MK truck which I had for a few months as a company demo!

 

The Chevy SS is a hell of a vehicle but after the covers on MT, C&D, R&T you have not heard crap about the vehcle....ok way off topic!!

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If Lincoln Continental is a sales success globally and the car racks up 300,000 units annually, then Ford will probably seriously look at doing a RWD platform for next generation. The Lincoln business plan in place now is based on reality. If reality changes, then we should expect the plan to change going forward. This is fundamentally different approach than say... GM or Hyundai, which subscribes to the "if you build it, they will come" business plan.

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I think that's Pie in sky estimates...maybe 100K world wide

Lincoln is closet o that already with YTD of 90,367 in USA alone and then there's Canada and the Middle East sales..

 

Those numbers are expected to really take off in the next five years thanks to China.

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The Chevy SS is a hell of a vehicle but after the covers on MT, C&D, R&T you have not heard crap about the vehcle....ok way off topic!!

It looks too much like an oversized, last-generation Malibu, and GM has done absolutely nothing to promote it.

 

There was one at the Washington, D.C., Auto Show, and it was drawing hardly any attention from attendees. The Chevrolet display did nothing to highlight it, or draw any attention to it. One lady actually said, "This Malibu looks a little different," before her husband told her what it was!

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...300,000 units annually...

...reality...

what?

Lincoln themselves said 300k Brand/global by (iirc) 2020

 

That's the whole brand though. We were talking Continental alone

exactly thumb.gif

my high-guess for U.S Conti sales is 26k

low(er)-estimate is 16k *which* I believe Lincoln would be OK with

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That's the whole brand though. We were talking Continental alone

Sorry, having trouble focusing on discussion, i was juggling too many conversations when i posted that clanger..

You'er at the plant where Conti will be built so maybe 2,000-3,000 a month is a fair figure across all markets?

 

I want you guys to build more Mustangs ... double time paid for all RHD units increased.. :)

( We're paying AUS$65 K for GT which converted is around USD$42K so there's some fat...

Edited by jpd80
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Sorry, having trouble focusing on discussion, i was juggling too many conversations when i posted that clanger..

You'er at the plant where Conti will be built so maybe 2,000-3,000 a month is a fair figure across all markets?

 

I want you guys to build more Mustangs ... double time paid for all RHD units increased.. :)

( We're paying AUS$65 K for GT which converted is around USD$42K so there's some fat...

I don't know what's going on anymore. I thought (based on the UAW contract) that the fusion was going to be here for a few more years, but apparently that changed now too.

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I don't know what's going on anymore. I thought (based on the UAW contract) that the fusion was going to be here for a few more years, but apparently that changed now too.

 

 

So they are going to kill off Fusion production sooner then later for more Mustangs? Interesting. Given how the market is changing (ie Small CUV are the biggest sellers vs midsize sedan market which was), I guess Ford won't need a Fusion overflow plant since Mexico can meet the demand alone...or the new Fusion isn't as "hard" to build and build more units an hour.

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So they are going to kill off Fusion production sooner then later for more Mustangs? Interesting. Given how the market is changing (ie Small CUV are the biggest sellers vs midsize sedan market which was), I guess Ford won't need a Fusion overflow plant since Mexico can meet the demand alone...or the new Fusion isn't as "hard" to build and build more units an hour.

I'm actually guessing they're killing the fusion overflow in favor of Continental production.

 

Also, my coworkers say they were told that S550 is simpler to build than S197 was, but the line moves slower now than it did prior to S550 production beginning FWIW.

Edited by fuzzymoomoo
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I keep wondering if fusion could make way for MkC/Escape overflow (perhaps hybrids)

 

I'm not sure if I see them adding another platform there.

 

Oakville to me makes more sense for MKC production, given Flex/MKT will die off about the same time they're talking about moving MKC. Unless they decide to use it as D6/Explorer/Aviator overflow.

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I keep wondering if fusion could make way for MkC/Escape overflow (perhaps hybrids)

No. No no no no.

 

A. FRAP is in no way capable of building hybrids in any capacity.

B. There is no way a third platform is being added there.

 

The only reason the CD platform is built alongside the Mustang is because of the similarities between the two.

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