Ford Set To Unveil Small Car Strategy
The New York Times , Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:15 AM
Reacting to what it sees as a rapid and permanent shift in consumer preferences, Ford plans to announce Thursday that it is drastically altering its focus and will build more small cars.
Among the changes, it reportedly will announce that it is converting three of its North American assembly plants from trucks to cars, according to people familiar with the plans.
Ford also will realign factories to manufacture more fuel-efficient engines and produce six of its next European car models for the United States market. And it will end speculation about its Mercury division by making the brand an integral part of its new small-car strategy. The sweeping changes are the result of months of strategic discussions in the wake of rising fuel prices and the collapsing truck market.
A large part of Ford's future car lineup will be based on vehicles currently under development for the European market. By 2010, it plans to begin assembling six of its upcoming European car models in North America, starting with the Ford Fiesta subcompact. "We don't have a sustainable company if we don't do this," CEO Alan R. Mulally, recently told members of his management team.
Read the whole story at The New York Times »
Among the changes, it reportedly will announce that it is converting three of its North American assembly plants from trucks to cars, according to people familiar with the plans.
Ford also will realign factories to manufacture more fuel-efficient engines and produce six of its next European car models for the United States market. And it will end speculation about its Mercury division by making the brand an integral part of its new small-car strategy. The sweeping changes are the result of months of strategic discussions in the wake of rising fuel prices and the collapsing truck market.
A large part of Ford's future car lineup will be based on vehicles currently under development for the European market. By 2010, it plans to begin assembling six of its upcoming European car models in North America, starting with the Ford Fiesta subcompact. "We don't have a sustainable company if we don't do this," CEO Alan R. Mulally, recently told members of his management team.
Recent Around the Net In Brand Marketing Articles
-
Marchionne Mea Culpa May 22, 8:05 a.m.
Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has apologized to Italian-Americans for using the term “wop” during a press ... -
Nike Rolls Out New Jerseys For Team England May 22, 8:05 a.m.
England's Three Lions team is the Nike Swoosh on their new home uniforms. England used to ... -
ComforPedic Campaign Says Sleep Keeps You Bright May 22, 8:05 a.m.
Simmons' ComforPedic mattress brand is getting its first national ad campaign, with TV spots featuring walls ... -
Eminem In Suit Against Facebook Over Ads May 22, 8:05 a.m.
Eminem's song publisher is suing Facebook and its ad agency, claiming they infringed the Detroit rapper's ... -
IBM's Watson Supercomputer As Marketing Consultant May 22, 8:05 a.m.
At the IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit in Nashville this week, IBM plans to launch the ... -
Nutella Shuts Fan Site, Opens Social Media Nightmare May 22, 8:05 a.m.
Brands as disparate as Coca-Cola and Marmite embraced fan sites. Nutella maker Ferrero’s has gone the ... -
Macy's New Campaign May 21, 8:05 a.m.
Macy’s is rolling out Americana in a new marketing campaign throughout 850 stores that encircles Independence ... -
Barbie Is Househunting May 21, 8:05 a.m.
Toymaker Mattel has hired a team of interior designers to create three “dream houses” — in ... -
Forget Flicks, U.S. Will Export Machinery May 21, 8:05 a.m.
Crappy movies will not be the main U.S. export in coming years. The good news for ... -
Darden Testing New Bar Concept May 21, 8:05 a.m.
Darden Restaurants Inc. is testing a new bar concept called Atrium that serves a dual-branded Olive ...
Be the first to comment on "Ford Set To Unveil Small Car Strategy "
Leave a Comment