Sedans? We don't need no stinkin' sedans...

[JAJ]

I waited for hours before I posted this:

https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/25/f...rth-america-but-the-mustang-and-focus-active/

it's hard to believe that it's true, but it makes sense. The dealers will go apesh*t.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Wow, I'm speechless.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-ca...ford-killing-focus-fiesta-north-america-2022/

 

[Grant 302]

I'm surprised this is happening now. I thought it would take a few more years at least.

"For now, though, the Mustang is here to stay."

That's all that matters!

 

[50Deep]

Wow. Had no idea this was on the horizon

 

[JDee]

Can't say I'm surprised, up here there's more pickups than cars being sold, by far, in 2017 4 of the top 5 selling vehicles were pickups. And those that don't buy a pickup usually buy a SUV, me included. At least the Mustang lives on, hopefully faithful to the original concept.

 

[Grant 302]

Exactly. Also where the most profit is.

Ironically, SUV is just a marketing ploy that successfully re-branded station wagon. If somebody told me in the '80s that we'd all be driving station wagons again, I would have said they're crazy. Funny how that works out.

 

[Fat Boss]

I read an article that said if Ford only made trucks, their stock price would be something like $16/share. For reference it's in the mid $11's right now.

 

[Grant 302]

And if they made that decision 4-5 years ago, I would have held some.

 

[HextallS550]

I don't know what to say.... Hackett is putting them in a position to fail massively if the fuel prices increase and we see 2007-08 all over again.

 

[Grant 302]

I think Ford is well positioned to deal with that eventuality (fuel price increase). It's my opinion that they are better setup than most to get better fuel economy than many competitors for gas and hybrid powertrains...while also being able to scale up EV production when 'needed'.

 

[JAJ]

When vehicles are autonomous, sedans won't have a place in the market. Vehicle practicality - the ability to move people and all their stuff - will be more important than style.

 

[TymeSlayer]

I started buying shares as soon as I got the news. Profitability is King baby and that's the road the big blue oval is heading.

 

[Merkyworks]

Maybe unrelated but Ford NASCAR Monster series (top tier) cars are switching to Mustangs in 2019 after being Taurus and Fusion for many many years. Always made me laugh cause its only a name on a race car and shares nothing with actual production cars but still.

News of this switch happening was announced at least a month ago, interesting isn't it.

 

[302BOB]

NASCAR surely got the word this was coming...that's why the switch to Mustang was announced for next year. Mustang has been in the Infinity series for a few years now.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

We sell more trucks than any Dealership in the World ,so .....we don't need no stinking C-Danzz. Mustangs, Focus Rs and trucks , ah, a perfect World!

 

[JAJ]

Thinking about it some more, it looks like Ford is not just using Porsche as a benchmark for performance, they're remodeling the company along Porsche lines. Porsche makes a few high performance coupes and a lot of SUV's. The Panamera sedan is an outlier, and I wouldn't be surprised if it quietly disappears.

 

[TMSBOSS]

It’s about time Ford realized I had it right all along. My last sedan was a 1996 Taurus. Pickups and SUVs since then. The Boss is a toy.
The most comfortable road trip vehicle I have owned was my 2014 F-150 Platinum. Road great, lots of room, great sound system and the boss (wife) could take along anything she wanted.

 

[JAJ]

The more I think about it, the more I think that this is either a hyper-bold move or a huge strategic blunder. If car ownership is about to fall off a cliff in a world where more car-sharing services like Car-2-Go and more transportation-as-a-service companies like Lyft dominate the market, then they're doing the right thing because they don't need to attract buyers in that market.

But if car ownership continues, then they just killed off the gateway ownership experience for young people. And now, with all the in-car data systems, which are going to be every bit as invasive and persuasion-focused as Facebook is now, once a person buys that first car from another manufacturer, that other manufacturer will hit them with special experiences and services, as well as targeted offers to upgrade to the newest and most useful vehicles in their product line. It won't be brand loyalty - it'll be a brand prison. Your life and data will be so bound up in the relationship with your vehicle's manufacturer that switching will extremely hard. With no entry level products, like inexpensive sedans, Ford will watch its market share decline pretty rapidly.

 

[VoodooBoss]

@JAJ i have the same concerns and was just chatting with another member about this.

 

[Grant 302]

Investors are liking the news: F 11.47 +0.36 +3.20%