December 2011 Sales

[mr smith]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I guarantee you that Ford will have a surprising turnaround in fortunes this year, they now have
the vehicles to take on Holden and Toyota in fleets and retail, things are going to change big time....

Maybe fleets but not retail. Too many people have been burnt by poor customer service. Three close friends purchased new cars in the last three months, not one visited a Ford (or Holden) dealership and all had been new Ford owners in the past. Two purchased new models of their exiting vehicles (Subaru and Toyota) and another went from Kia (two new ones in a row) to Mitsubishi. All are happy.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Boss315

Think the Governments Green Car Fun had more to do with getting the Diesel Territory and "ECO" Falcons over the line than Ford US's faith in the model itself.

Yes the government tipped in $40 million into two platform refreshes worth a combined $240 million

As an example of "One Ford" in practice, when developing the New Focus designers wanted two front bars one for Europe, and the other for the US. Mulally told them to shove it, if Toyota manages with one, so can we!

Mulally never made any such comment. What he did say was that it was crazy to have two Focuses, C170 and C1...pick one.
Like he said it was crazy to have two midsizers, CD3 Fusion and EUCD Mondeo...Pick One.

Ford will have one large car globally; it will be called Falcon in Australia and Taurus in the US. Will it be RWD, or AWD/FWD? Where will it be designed? What body shapes will it be sold in? Where will it be manufactured? Those are the questions you should be asking yourself, anything else is wishful thinking.

What if I told you next Gen Taurus is off the list.......

[Chopped]

And it all started with a catchy tune ...Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by csv8

On the 11 o'clock news tonight, Mazda 3 is the top selling car for 2011. Beating the Commodore by 600 sales. Official figures will be released thursday

This is NOT good news. It shows that the local automotive industry is in very poor shape. If this continues for too long, there will be another company which will follow Mitsubishi out of Australia. And Ford is the most likely of the three to to close local operations and import 100% of their products.

Very bad news.

[R-Design]

Originally Posted by MelsGolf

Gee i came into read about the Mazda 3 and ill ive read is missery about the fate of Falcon and Commodore!!!

We looked at the Mazda 3 before the Golf, the Mazda is an excellent car, no wonder it sells well.

So you drive a Golf, you're interested in the Mazda3 and you're hanging out on a Ford enthusiast website. Can you see why you might have a problem?

You're right though it's a pretty good piece of kit, and Mazda's hang together pretty well. There's no surprises it's number one.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I beg to differ, families and buyers look at small cars and SUVs to fill the void once dominated by large sedans. No private buyer buys a $40,000 sedan for economy. They buy them for performance and luxury.

No they buy then because they want the space of a big car, overwhelmingly XR6s and SV6s.

And fortunately Ford has a local diesel SUV that shares with Falcon, look at the difference in Average Transaction Price:
Ute + Falcon + Territory diesel is much higher than Cruze+Ute+Commodore.

If you look at factory builds, the average transaction price coming out of one shift Broadmeadows
is much higher than that of two shift Elizabeth, thanks to Ford's product selection.

Holden are now holding off their next car decision until Ford makes theirs, that tells me they're very worried...

Look at the incredibly woeful EcoLPI sales so far. Aiming for Corolla and Cruze fleets is suicide. Aiming for profitable private buyers who go for performance, style and luxury will keep sales ticking over. Now more than ever the V8 is relevant, as its a saviour from the small car and SUV onslaught.

You are going to call EcoLPI when fleets are deliberately waiting for FG II and its better resale price?

Originally Posted by mr smith

Maybe fleets but not retail. Too many people have been burnt by poor customer service. Three close friends purchased new cars in the last three months, not one visited a Ford (or Holden) dealership and all had been new Ford owners in the past. Two purchased new models of their exiting vehicles (Subaru and Toyota) and another went from Kia (two new ones in a row) to Mitsubishi. All are happy.

It has been my experience that the buying public is very forgiving,
all drongo motor execs have to do is give buyers what they want
and all is well, Look at the change in Territory's fortunes with diesel.

[jpd80]

Who's gonna want a bung 3.0 V6 Omega when Ecoboost Falcon arrives?

At the moment, Ford is building around 4,000 vehicles a month and selling everything they make.
Holden are making 10,000 vehicles a month but only selling around 7,000 of them at best...

[R-Design]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Mulally never made any such comment. What he did say was that it was crazy to have two Focuses, C170 and C1...pick one.
Like he said it was crazy to have two midsizers, CD3 Fusion and EUCD Mondeo...Pick One.

What if I told you next Gen Taurus is off the list.......

Geez you're beating me to a pulp, in my defence I did read the article a while ago.

Originally Posted by NY Times

When it came to designing the exterior of the vehicle, the team faced a quandary. Whereas European and American buyers appreciate flair, Chinese consumers, in particular, have more conservative tastes. In the past, Mr. Herrmann, said, Ford would have designed separate bumpers and headlights for the different markets. That approach, however, wouldn’t fly with Mr. Mulally.

In the end, the Focus team came up with a front end with a low-set, three-part grille and tapered headlights. The look is striking but not too flashy, and the team was given freer rein to make the hatchback version sportier than the four-door sedan model.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/bu...l?pagewanted=2

Can't believe there'll be two large car platforms. Maybe they'll call it "Two Ford" from now on.

[Nikked]

...so Mazda 3 top the list eh?

Isn't there 50 thousand other treads beating the falcon up full of naysayers ford cant do anuthing right?

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

And Ford is the most likely of the three to to close local operations and import 100% of their products.

And your reasoning for that statement is...............?

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by Nikked

...so Mazda 3 top the list eh?

Isn't there 50 thousand other treads beating the falcon up full of naysayers ford cant do anuthing right?

I see where you're coming from but let's not confuse being a naysayer with Passion.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Boss315

Geez you're beating me to a pulp, in my defence I did read the article a while ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/bu...l?pagewanted=2

Because I knew none of what you implied Mulally said was in the Article:

As an example of "One Ford" in practice, when developing the New Focus designers wanted two front bars one for Europe, and the other for the US. Mulally told them to shove it, if Toyota manages with one, so can we!

Can't believe there'll be two large car platforms. Maybe they'll call it "Two Ford" from now on.

Can't believe people don't understand "One Ford"
Mulally said to Marin Burela, "If One ford doesn't work for you then don't do it..."
That's also why Burela reversed the Falcon I-6 decision.., he was given license to do so.

[Fordman]

I remember discussing this back in the day, I never thought id see the day the commo/falcon where knocked out of the top 2. The change has arrived, the era of the small car is here.

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by burnz

if true wont be comming from Thailand, korea maybe but not thai.

The Malibu is coming though isnt it?
To replace the 1 Epica they sold.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by MethodX

The Malibu is coming though isnt it?
To replace the 1 Epica they sold.

yes but that is made in USA rhd version kansas

[Nikked]

Whats more amazing is, the corolla is not at the number one spot. It's been a favorite among small car buyers...

Another interesting point is that how small cars have changed...they are no longer "small" and have way more features then what they had (relative to big cars)

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Boss315

Geez you're beating me to a pulp, in my defence I did read the article a while ago.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/bu...l?pagewanted=2

Can't believe there'll be two large car platforms. Maybe they'll call it "Two Ford" from now on.

If the Fusion is going to share a platform with Mondeo, then they will still be losing one platform.

Fusion and Mondeo switching to a similar platform (Taurus might be a stretched version of this) is feasible because they are both largish medium FWD sedans.

Falcon doesn't fit into that as its not a largish FWD. Horses for courses. Ranger was also allowed to stay on its own platform rather than share with F series as they are different sizes.

One Ford only really applies if you are taking 2 near identical type products on 2 different platforms and combining them on 1. Falcon doesn't really have anything that that could apply to being RWD.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Whats more amazing is, the corolla is not at the number one spot. It's been a favorite among small car buyers...

Another interesting point is that how small cars have changed...they are no longer "small" and have way more features then what they had (relative to big cars)

I'm glad it wasn't number 1, it doesn't deserve to be cause its such a dull piece of whitegoods.

[stevz]

Fixed

Originally Posted by Nikked

Whats more amazing is, the corolla is not at the number one spot. It's been a favorite among rental car fleets...

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Whats more amazing is, the corolla is not at the number one spot. It's been a favorite among small car buyers...

Another interesting point is that how small cars have changed...they are no longer "small" and have way more features then what they had (relative to big cars)

Good point. I don't think there will be a large car revival like there was in the early 80s after the 70s fuel crisis. Back then, as you say, the small cars were SMALL and very low on features compared to their older siblings. These days, the small cars are BIG and have MORE features than the large cars in the stable in some cases. E.g., does the Falcon have Voice activation, automatic parking etc etc that cars like the FOCUS and MONDEO have?

Ahh the glory days of the decadent 80s and 90s. They were the true glory days of the Falcon (I'm talking sales). I think I'll go into my shed and sit in my XF GHIA, envelope myself in the lashings of velour that surround me; get dazzled by the digital dash; stare at the unnecessary but legendary central vents that would swivel electronically, turn around and look at the cigarette lighters that adorn each passenger door, and travel back in time when a luxury car felt like a luxury car. A time when the Falcon and FORD were No. 1.

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

And your reasoning for that statement is...............?

Economies-of-scale junior.

[flappist]

Keep it civil guys.

[jpd80]

There is always a place for a large sedan, the point being that it has to have great fuel economy
to attract as many buyers as possible, that yard stick has now moved from 9.9 l/100 km to 8.0 l/100 km.

The Falcon is now effectively drought proofed against rising fuel prices, time to tell buyers the good news..

Our emphasis shouldn't be on Falcon selling 4,000 or 5,000 a month, it should be on the product gaps in Ford's showroom,
something hopefully Ford is addressing big time this year with the arrival of Figo, Ecosport and Kuga later this year.
A full line of Ranger would help too as would better supplies of Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo....
Desirable models in sufficient volume is key to Ford rebuilding their reputation as a full line supplier

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

If the Fusion is going to share a platform with Mondeo, then they will still be losing one platform.

Fusion and Mondeo switching to a similar platform (Taurus might be a stretched version of this) is feasible because they are both largish medium FWD sedans.

To add to this, my information indicates that the RHD variant for the stretched CD4 (next gen Toreass) has now been canned. This then thoroughly torpedoes the dribbling and salivating by Drive about the next gen Falcon being twinned with the Taurus.

Mustang mules running around places like the Nurburgring with forged alloy double wishbone front suspension and Control Blade IRS seem to have escaped the notice of many, or people seem to want to ignore it and keep peddling this Taurus/FWD Falcon rubbish.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Ford is also adding Figo, Ecosport, Kuga later in the year

Ford are always doing it ... later ... when the market has already moved on.

Seriously... who at Ford thinks leaving a hole in the lineup is good business? By the time a replacement arrives, customers have bought something else, realised the world didnt end when they stepped out of a Ford (some even step into a Holden!), and many never come back.

[Fairlane]

Well sorry to say I was one of those who pushed the Mazda 3 to the top. Bought my 9/11 Mazda 3 Neo Manual Sedan back in early December. Still got the XF for the weekends though, it makes a uber sensible daily though.

[jpd80]

A lot of people don't know this but, Kuga has been unobtainium from Europe due its sales there
that goes for Focus and Mondeo too, orders have to be submitted up to four months ahead
to fit into Ford Europe's production schedule.

The word from dealers is that if they could get more product, they could sell it and really the dribble
that customers some how move on and never return is tripe, all Ford have to do is sell the right products
and buyers will return....it's that simple, case in point is new Territory selling well with 80% diesel sales mix

Ford does know what they are doing and they are controlling costs remarkably well, that's why
Falcon and territory are able to hang on without fear of shut down as other products grow sales.
It's what Ford wants, enough supply to build up reputation and buyers for its other great products.

[jpd80]

December sales Caprice PPV........99

[b0son]

Originally Posted by jpd80

the dribble that customers some how move on and never return is tripe, all Ford have to do is sell the right products and buyers will return

Losing a customer is easy. Getting them back? Far from it.

A lot of customers have walked away from the brand due to poor dealer experiences and quality issues. Many find no such hassles with other brands/models. Its damn hard to get customers to put those previous experiences aside and give the brand another go.

Yes, they might come back. But chances are, it wont be for a Falcon. There's only so much more of a slide in sales the factory can cope with. Focus/Mondeo success has no bearing on Falcon profitability.

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by b0son

Losing a customer is easy. Getting them back? Far from it.

A lot of customers have walked away from the brand due to poor dealer experiences and quality issues. Many find no such hassles with other brands/models. Its damn hard to get customers to put those previous experiences aside and give the brand another go.

Yes, they might come back. But chances are, it wont be for a Falcon. There's only so much more of a slide in sales the factory can cope with. Focus/Mondeo success has no bearing on Falcon profitability.

Image Problem, Ford and Holden are seen as the bogan brands.