For a plethora of reasons, I'm pretty well qualified to compare Ford and GM's business over the past two years (I'd hazard to say much more so than any here).
Given that, the only "large" difference in the two companies, and their plans, was Ford's prescient move to borrow a TON of money at the end of 06, and sell JLR while people could buy. Had they not mortgaged everything to the hilt, they would be in the worse shape out of the two. Perhaps this should provide some perspective?
That said, this PR piece is totally pandering to the green-hypocrites in Washington, and not the key to their success. They'll succeed by improving the normal, non-hybrid, non "gee-whiz" tech cars over the next few years. Havings seen up close nearly all those cars, it will work.
Ford also announced the 2012 introduction of the Battery Electric Vehicle- Manual Overdrive or BevMo!. The BevMo! offers additional benefits over a BEV vehicle, such as Buy one charge, get a second for 5¢ or Charge Kegs for parties.
In response to this announcement, Trader Joe's issued, in a press release, notice of the 2011 release of their own brand of electric vehicle; Two Buck Truck.
Unlike GM, Ford understands the need for PR when asking for a $25 billion bridge-loan.
Are you listening GM? As small a step this may be, it at least makes it look like Ford's heading in the right direction whereas GM ... oh lord, we Jalops have seen GM fuck it up time and again the past few weeks. It's not complicated, GM. FORD can do it, why can't you?
Ford Motor Company welcomes the opportunity to submit our Plan to the Senate Banking Committee, and appreciates the time and attention Congress is devoting to the critical issues that confront the domestic automotive industry in the current economic environment. And we are also willing to loan some of our fine accounting staff to the Senate to help them manage their budget as well, for a small nominal fee.
In this submission, we first provide an overview of the current business environment jacked by those greedy "Wall Street" types, then discuss our Plan for viability through groveling to you self-serving "Washington" types, and conclude by answering the specific questions posed in the correspondence received from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, no description necessary, "You know what you are."
We all have a shared interest in protecting American jobs, and our own, a vital American industry and American innovation. As the Committee knows so well, the ongoing economic and credit crisis has affected many Americans - from losing their jobs to losing their homes and pretty much screwed over every working class individual. The recession also has had very negative ramifications for the U.S. auto industry, which supports five million jobs in all 50 states and spends $12 billion annually on research and development in the U.S. - more than any other industry, those "foreign" companies just ship those profits home. Oh, by the way did you notice Toyota is cutting their bi-annual bonus to employees by 10% which accounts for one third of their annual salary?
In fact, Ford was profitable in the first quarter of 2008 before the credit and broader economic crisis rapidly and dramatically shrunk demand for automobiles to a 25 year low, thank you "Trickle Down" economics. That's why we respectfully ask Congress to work with us to provide temporary access to loans that, if needed, will help us continue to restructure in this difficult economic period in order to eliminate most of our tax paying work force and put them on "No-car-buying" "No-white-Christmas" "No-Santa-Claus" unemployment to please all you self-serving east-coasters.
We note that Ford is in a different situation from our competitors, family owned, in that we believe our Company has the necessary liquidity to weather this current economic downturn - assuming that it is of limited duration, and the impending fire sale of Volvo goes as planned. If the downturn is longer and deeper than we now anticipate, however, access to government financing would be important to help us be able to continue to implement our Plan and benefit when the economic recovery inevitably arrives, hopefully before my firing and/or retirement. While we hope we do not have to access the loans and can give out corporate bonuses, we believe it is critically important that loans are available to us and the domestic auto industry, because we cannot carry the cause by ourselves.
Ford Introduces New Marketing, Production Strategies - Dearborn, MI (AP)
Ford (NYSE: F) Tuesday announced plans for new product and marketing strategies aimed to improve the ailing automaker's business over the next five years. "F It All" is Ford's domestic marketing strategy, designed around Ford's cultural role over the past 100 years in America. Expanding on that theme, "F The World" aims to increase Ford's awareness in emerging markets, as well as to introduce Ford's successful European products to the US market. Finally, "Go F Yourself" will become the company's aggressive new marketing tagline, replacing the increasingly vague and unsuccessful campaigns "Bold Moves," "Drive One," and "Damn It, Come On" (working title).
@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: You know, you're joking... but I think it would work. Particularly the "Go F Yourself". Tell me that wouldn't catch on and spread like wildfire. Can't you see that slogan on the back window of every F150 at a Nascar race?
Great to hear,i wouldn't like to see any car maker go out of business. But Ford seem to have kept their self respect more than GM & Chrysler in these tough times.
09/08/09
12/02/08
Given that, the only "large" difference in the two companies, and their plans, was Ford's prescient move to borrow a TON of money at the end of 06, and sell JLR while people could buy. Had they not mortgaged everything to the hilt, they would be in the worse shape out of the two. Perhaps this should provide some perspective?
That said, this PR piece is totally pandering to the green-hypocrites in Washington, and not the key to their success. They'll succeed by improving the normal, non-hybrid, non "gee-whiz" tech cars over the next few years. Havings seen up close nearly all those cars, it will work.
12/02/08
Call it luck if you like, but either way, it was a better move.
12/02/08
In response to this announcement, Trader Joe's issued, in a press release, notice of the 2011 release of their own brand of electric vehicle; Two Buck Truck.
12/02/08
You are a f***ing genius! BEV this and BEV that in the title bar, but I had no idea where to run with it. Bravo...!
12/02/08
12/02/08
12/02/08
Are you listening GM? As small a step this may be, it at least makes it look like Ford's heading in the right direction whereas GM ... oh lord, we Jalops have seen GM fuck it up time and again the past few weeks. It's not complicated, GM. FORD can do it, why can't you?
12/02/08
In this submission, we first provide an overview of the current business environment jacked by those greedy "Wall Street" types, then discuss our Plan for viability through groveling to you self-serving "Washington" types, and conclude by answering the specific questions posed in the correspondence received from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, no description necessary, "You know what you are."
We all have a shared interest in protecting American jobs, and our own, a vital American industry and American innovation. As the Committee knows so well, the ongoing economic and credit crisis has affected many Americans - from losing their jobs to losing their homes and pretty much screwed over every working class individual. The recession also has had very negative ramifications for the U.S. auto industry, which supports five million jobs in all 50 states and spends $12 billion annually on research and development in the U.S. - more than any other industry, those "foreign" companies just ship those profits home. Oh, by the way did you notice Toyota is cutting their bi-annual bonus to employees by 10% which accounts for one third of their annual salary?
In fact, Ford was profitable in the first quarter of 2008 before the credit and broader economic crisis rapidly and dramatically shrunk demand for automobiles to a 25 year low, thank you "Trickle Down" economics. That's why we respectfully ask Congress to work with us to provide temporary access to loans that, if needed, will help us continue to restructure in this difficult economic period in order to eliminate most of our tax paying work force and put them on "No-car-buying" "No-white-Christmas" "No-Santa-Claus" unemployment to please all you self-serving east-coasters.
We note that Ford is in a different situation from our competitors, family owned, in that we believe our Company has the necessary liquidity to weather this current economic downturn - assuming that it is of limited duration, and the impending fire sale of Volvo goes as planned. If the downturn is longer and deeper than we now anticipate, however, access to government financing would be important to help us be able to continue to implement our Plan and benefit when the economic recovery inevitably arrives, hopefully before my firing and/or retirement. While we hope we do not have to access the loans and can give out corporate bonuses, we believe it is critically important that loans are available to us and the domestic auto industry, because we cannot carry the cause by ourselves.
Thank you.
12/02/08
12/02/08
Ford (NYSE: F) Tuesday announced plans for new product and marketing strategies aimed to improve the ailing automaker's business over the next five years. "F It All" is Ford's domestic marketing strategy, designed around Ford's cultural role over the past 100 years in America. Expanding on that theme, "F The World" aims to increase Ford's awareness in emerging markets, as well as to introduce Ford's successful European products to the US market. Finally, "Go F Yourself" will become the company's aggressive new marketing tagline, replacing the increasingly vague and unsuccessful campaigns "Bold Moves," "Drive One," and "Damn It, Come On" (working title).
12/02/08
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