http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/20/f...prep-for-sale/

 

I wish Ford would just sell Volvo and be done with it. The problem with Volvo has always been that the brand seems likely to work in only two formats, either as the somewhat quirky, quasi-luxury, safety-oriented, limited volume brand it traditionally has been.......kind of like a slightly higher end Swedish Subaru..... or as an evolved, full on European luxury brand competing with Mercedes, Audi etc.

The problem with the former is that Ford doesn't seem particularly fond of niche brands while the problem with the latter is that it would require a lot of monetary investment on Ford's part into a luxury proposition which may or may not work. With regard to the potential of a full on luxury Volvo brand it is also worth mentioning that Ford cannot seem to come to terms with the concept of having more than one luxury brand in the house, a problem which baffles me since a proper Volvo brand, even if evolved into a full on luxury division, couldn't be more different from a proper Lincoln brand if they tried......I can't imagine any significant cannibalization between the two.

BMW has apparently been in want of a more 'mainstream' brand to compliment their existing lineup and Volvo seems like the perfect fit given their penchant for inline engines and the differentiation Volvo's fwd platforms would provide. Perhaps it is finally time to call Munich.

 

Problem could be that many European Fords share many parts with Volvo.

 

Yes, but that could actually prove to be a boon as well. Ford could reap the benefits of a potential purchaser purchasing those parts from them for several years. This could also serve to benefit the potential purchaser since this provides a steady source of components until such a time as they can convert over to their own components.