It may be cliché at this point, but no doubt, product is king, and they need to establish what the Ford and Mercury and Lincoln brands are to the consumer. |
It's obviously a disappointment. It's smart that Ford has taken the initiative to slow down the line rather than produce too many. But it doesn't bode well for the workers. |
No matter what way you want to cut it, the contrast with is only that much more stark with Ford and GM. Toyota still has a much smaller production base in North America than GM or Ford, but increasing capacity as quickly as they have is an impressive feat. |
Right now, the only thing Ranger has going for it is price. |
Saturn has been a laggard when it comes to new vehicles, so expanding the lineup is a good sign. One of the criticisms is that GM targeted Saturn to fight the Japanese but without expanding the lineup, they've lost buyers. |
The way sales are going now, the Explorer could be a vehicle that sells 150,000 units a year (by 2008), leaving ample room at Louisville Assembly for a light pickup. |