Top Gear Journalist Predicts Ford's Collapse
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Closet American
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From: Vancouver, BC (Hollywood North)
Top Gear Journalist Predicts Ford's Collapse
Personally, I think this guy is a bit of a ******, but read and judge for yourselves >>
"More stylish, more reliable, better built..."? C'mon, that's just Eurasian bias there. North American vehicles - GM especially - have made big strides.
My money is on Daimler kicking Cherypar lose long before Ford collapses.
Having said that, Ford better get in the game toot sweet, and stop showing off concepts it has no intention of building.
Hammer of God hangs over US auto makers
Posted by Bill Thomas at 5:30PM on Monday 08 January, 2007 13
As I stood watching a presentation by Chrysler boss Tom LaSorda about mini-vans at the Detroit motor show - some rubbish about recipes with a celebrity chef, LaSorda dressed in an apron - a few figures were running through my head.
Figures I'd taken a couple of moments to research in the hotel before arriving at the show. Chrysler announced in October that it had lost $1.5 billion (£774m) in the third quarter of 2006, thanks to an inventory of 647,000 unsold cars. GM lost $10.6 billion in 2005, but restricted its losses in the third quarter of 2006 to only $115 million, while Ford lost $7.24 billion in the same period.
So, GM is doing badly but billions better than last year, Chrysler is doing very badly, and Ford is in dire trouble. In total the big three American car makers have racked up a loss of $8,855,000,000 in the past three months. Eight thousand, eight hundred and fifty-five MILLION bucks, in three months.
It was impossible not to think about that $8.855 billion hanging over the Detroit motor show like some mighty Hammer of God. As the little players strutted around the stage, showing off their latest products and plans for the future, I couldn't help thinking that the Hammer was about to fall and smash the lot of them.
No wonder GM boss Rick Wagoner, Ford boss Alan Mulally and Chrysler boss Tom LaSorda went to see President Bush last November. I'm surprised they didn't have caps in their hands.
The American car business for American companies is a total mess. You could feel the atmosphere of failure at this year's Detroit motor show when you were exposed to the US Big Three. Sorry, Detroit, but that's how it felt - I was squirming under the sickening, frightening weight of that Hammer.
The Japanese firms, by contrast, are thriving, and good luck to them - they are simply delivering better products to the market. More stylish, more reliable, better built, and now absolutely reeking of brand strength. Maybe - just maybe - the Japanese have done enough to destroy at least one of the US giants completely.
A straw poll among journos at the show gave me a firm favourite. The Blue Oval.
Posted by Bill Thomas at 5:30PM on Monday 08 January, 2007 13
As I stood watching a presentation by Chrysler boss Tom LaSorda about mini-vans at the Detroit motor show - some rubbish about recipes with a celebrity chef, LaSorda dressed in an apron - a few figures were running through my head.
Figures I'd taken a couple of moments to research in the hotel before arriving at the show. Chrysler announced in October that it had lost $1.5 billion (£774m) in the third quarter of 2006, thanks to an inventory of 647,000 unsold cars. GM lost $10.6 billion in 2005, but restricted its losses in the third quarter of 2006 to only $115 million, while Ford lost $7.24 billion in the same period.
So, GM is doing badly but billions better than last year, Chrysler is doing very badly, and Ford is in dire trouble. In total the big three American car makers have racked up a loss of $8,855,000,000 in the past three months. Eight thousand, eight hundred and fifty-five MILLION bucks, in three months.
It was impossible not to think about that $8.855 billion hanging over the Detroit motor show like some mighty Hammer of God. As the little players strutted around the stage, showing off their latest products and plans for the future, I couldn't help thinking that the Hammer was about to fall and smash the lot of them.
No wonder GM boss Rick Wagoner, Ford boss Alan Mulally and Chrysler boss Tom LaSorda went to see President Bush last November. I'm surprised they didn't have caps in their hands.
The American car business for American companies is a total mess. You could feel the atmosphere of failure at this year's Detroit motor show when you were exposed to the US Big Three. Sorry, Detroit, but that's how it felt - I was squirming under the sickening, frightening weight of that Hammer.
The Japanese firms, by contrast, are thriving, and good luck to them - they are simply delivering better products to the market. More stylish, more reliable, better built, and now absolutely reeking of brand strength. Maybe - just maybe - the Japanese have done enough to destroy at least one of the US giants completely.
A straw poll among journos at the show gave me a firm favourite. The Blue Oval.
My money is on Daimler kicking Cherypar lose long before Ford collapses.
Having said that, Ford better get in the game toot sweet, and stop showing off concepts it has no intention of building.
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From: Holland
I agree with 99% of your points (including those expressed in your reply to the article). The remaining 1% is not relevant here and it has to do mostly with my personal dislike of the new CTS design and of your pointless remark from the second paragraph in your reply. The American car industry has the power to revive itself. Sadly, it lacks either the willingness or the brains. Self-sufficient Detroit bosses are still hoping on government aid in times of need, while they do little to improve the situation. It seems that a shock event is needed, something like Dodge buying Toyota engines for their trucks, in order to see some serious movement from the likes of Ford and GM.
One last question, from a non-native English speaker such as myself: what is "toot sweet"?
One last question, from a non-native English speaker such as myself: what is "toot sweet"?
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Closet American
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From: Vancouver, BC (Hollywood North)
Actually, after Jeremy Clarkson's disgraceful rant about "how America took too long to enter WWII" (that's gratitude for you), I thought my remark was VERY pointed.
toot sweet - informal adverb. It means 'immediately': "Hop down here toot sweet and let's have a look at it." An anglicized form of French tout de suite.
toot sweet - informal adverb. It means 'immediately': "Hop down here toot sweet and let's have a look at it." An anglicized form of French tout de suite.
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From: Holland
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From: Holland
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Whatchou got against Quebec, BC? oooh... cross country inter-provincial scuffling on the TMS boards. I'm just kidding dude, BC is my second favourite province, can't wait to get out there... Quebec's always trying to separate, it just has a hard time convincing 51% of its population to do so. Quebec is now officially recognized as a Nation within Canada, whatever that means... what a waste of time...
Good response on the Top Gear site, BC.
Good response on the Top Gear site, BC.
OH is that what you call these?
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From: NJ
Red it's looking like we have severely different tastes. Maybe we are looking at different cars because to me the camry is a butt ugly grocery getter. I think I also remember some tranny problems?
I have never found the camry to be all that reliable (deff. never stylish) my friends Dad had 2 camry's and the tranny went on both after 5K, in fact one fell apart right through the bottom of the car. I don't know maybe I just hate Japanese car design..........yup thats it
I have never found the camry to be all that reliable (deff. never stylish) my friends Dad had 2 camry's and the tranny went on both after 5K, in fact one fell apart right through the bottom of the car. I don't know maybe I just hate Japanese car design..........yup thats it
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Gotta love those limies. They declared on Germany Sept 3, 1939. And WTF business was it of ours? We were helping them and the Russians and the Chinese before our direct active military invlovement. Love these Monday morning quarterbacks types.
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Serbian Steamer
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Red it's looking like we have severely different tastes. Maybe we are looking at different cars because to me the camry is a butt ugly grocery getter. I think I also remember some tranny problems? I have never found the camry to be all that reliable (deff. never stylish) my friends Dad had 2 camry's and the tranny went on both after 5K, in fact one fell apart right through the bottom of the car. I don't know maybe I just hate Japanese car design..........yup thats it
I have never found the camry to be all that reliable (deff. never stylish) my friends Dad had 2 camry's and the tranny went on both after 5K, in fact one fell apart right through the bottom of the car. I don't know maybe I just hate Japanese car design..........yup thats itHowever, I really like new Camry, in my opinion is best looking Camry ever built. If I was looking for mid-size family sedan, Camry would be my 2nd choice (after Fusion).
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Closet American
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Serbian Steamer
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Well, Red that just strengthens my opinion of the American preception that "foreign is better", is wrong, as both sides have long running cars and both have problems. You have a long running car there, but I have had nothing but bad luck with Toyota. Hell my mother had a 99 Land Crusier that SUV cost us 56K and the body pannels fell off constantly. These are machines and will break. For that fact I see no reason to support any foreign car company over the domestic ones. That and the fact that Toyota just makes ugly cars.
Though I must agree, with you and BC about the F-150 I love that Truck and it's looks (especially the Roush
). It's the best pick up out there I only heard one other person say they did not like the way it looks.
Though I must agree, with you and BC about the F-150 I love that Truck and it's looks (especially the Roush
). It's the best pick up out there I only heard one other person say they did not like the way it looks.
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Serbian Steamer
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To me, there is Ford and there are everybody else. To me, GM and Toyota are same category, I wouldn't buy either one of them. I might like some of their models, but that doesn't mean I would buy them.
