http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/01/...mpany-history/

 

You beat me to it. I love how this is top news, on every site and chanel the second it happens but Toyota could be killing small children in their factories and it would be written up days later as "consumer advisory"

 

Yeah, due to poor customer service...

 

They (the dealers and by extension - FoMoCo) lost me when I went looking for an S197. Hey, the company is the only one to blame and conversely, is the only one that can save itself.

 

The loss is really due to restructuring costs so i'm not too concerned.

 

my thoughts exactly, ford is going to spend a lot before they see profits

 

Most of the loss was, but Ford still posted a $2.8B operating loss for the year.

 

You got that right. I'm presently shopping for a vehicle (not a Mustang). While I was at some Ford dealers I asked about a Mustang GT. I had 3 different Ford dealers tell me that GT's were going for sticker, not a nickel off. Are they out of their mind, Ford has $1K rebates and the SOB dealers are pretending that the going rate is MSRP.

 

The Stangs are going for sticker becuase they don't need to incentivize them. Musangs fly off the lots compared to everything else, so why bargin?

 

I think most of V6 Mustangs are sold under MSRP.

 

They're incentivizing them in Canada; V6s AND GTs. I can factory order a new Stang here for $500 over dealer cost.

But back to the losses for a second. You can't keep indefinitely hemorrhaging money (especially when you've just mortgaged the farm) and expect to stay in business for long if you don't start showing a profit.

It's now or never...

 

Slow down a minute. There are still 06s sitting on some dealer lots. If they're flying off the lots, how come year old Mustang GTs are still stitting there even after big rebates in December to try to get rid of the last of them.

The dealers around me have many 07 GTs on their lots and Ford has a $1K rebate on them. If they're flying off the lots why does Ford have a rebate on theM?

 

Maybe because its winter and not that many people buy sports cars during winter?

 

There isn't a dealer in my area that has an '06 still sitting on the lot (and darn few '07s for that matter).

Since I live Southeast Texas, winter driving isn't an issue. That probably explains my statement above concerning the number of Mustangs sitting on the lots.

 

My local dealer only has 3-4 V8s, but I'm not sure if they're 2006 or 2007.

 

My local dealers have a smattering of V6 2006s, but no GTs. And they're aren't discounting at all.

 

There is currently a $1500 discount from Ford on 2006s

 

Even if not counting the amount incurred during Ford's restructuring, the amount left over is still not insignifigant.
The dealers here still have a few '06's on the lot at $29-30k MSRP. They still have $5,000 ADM's on EVERYTHING! Example, Saw a Ford Edge 2 weeks ago(loaded? not sure?). My cousin, who does not like American cars took one look at the interior and said "Ford is stepping up". Then he looked at the sticker - $40K!!! He was pretty disgusted and said "forget Ford already", but I already knew that would be the case. Still the same with the '07 Mustang. The dealership employees' attitudes put the nail in the coffin - they can keep their darn cars, for all I care. One dealer has the Gulf colors "heritage" Ford GT - listed at $289K. I also shudder to think how much the GT500 I saw last week on the freeway went for... Not like I'm asking them to "give" me a car for free or at dealer pricing, but they've proven to be too greedy and inflexible for my liking.

 

As you're in Hawaii, my guess is that dealers think they can get away with squeezing customers because (and I'm only guessing here) there aren't many Ford dealers to choose from in the islands.

Nevertheless, it raises an interesting point. The free reign that Ford dealers have been given to operate their respective dealerships as they see fit is coming back to haunt the parent company. When a customer walks onto a Ford lot, they presume that the dealership and the sales people represent Ford. If the experience is a bad one, people think, "screw Ford."

The dealerships are the first line of company representation. If their attitude and service is bad; their prices unrealistic, they will sink Ford Motor Co. as it desperately tries to stay afloat during this difficult period.

I've said it before, but Ford needs to put its dealerships on a short leash using whatever incentives or coercion - as the case may be - is necessary.

 

Is that with a dealer ADM? or do you have $4K delivery charges out there?

Because it is impossible to have an Edge sticker for $40K.
The highest possible sticker price you can have on an edge is $36,825 (including $675 destination) at least in the 48 continental states).