Ford loses nearly $13 billion (with a 'b') in 2006

[mrsilv04]

"The breathtaking loss reported Thursday represented a total of $1,925 for each of the 6.6 million cars and trucks Ford sold around the world last year."

Detroit Free Press.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070126/BUSINESS01/701260341/1014

 

[Gary Allan]

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All the hose hooky economic theories work in some place like the EU where they all share similar lifestyle and social conditions.

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They're trying that here. I imagine that once the NAU (North American Union) is formed, the lifestyle and social conditions of the NAU will degrade to the lowest common denominator and then those economic theories will work just fine.

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Yes ...and when Mexico-USA-Canada is all one big happy family ..we can still shovel even more of our standard of living to China.

It's all a matter of perspective.

I keep remembering that village chieftain in post US Vietnam boasting that he was a very wealthy man ..as he proudly displayed his totally dysfunctional Citroen (or was it a Pukeout??).

 

[Volvohead]

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In summary, if Ford survives through its own efforts, it will be good for the economy and if Ford goes out of business because of its own efforts, it will be good for the economy; the worst possible thing that could happen is if this natural process is not allowed to happen.

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You mean like if the Government stepped in and offered Ford a "bail-out"?

Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be such a good idea.

Last time they tried it in the auto industry, the company recovered and the Government even made a handsome profit.

But we can keep investing billions in a country whose people hates us, kills our soldiers, and blows it up as fast as we pour it in.

Amazing.

 

[ScottB]

If you didn't have a job, were in debt, and had poor credit, would you expect someone to give you a home loan?
Not me.
While I don't agree with the war, I don't think Ford is any better of a risk.
Sorrrrrry.

 

[Gary Allan]

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If you didn't have a job, were in debt, and had poor credit, would you expect someone to give you a home loan?
Not me.
While I don't agree with the war, I don't think Ford is any better of a risk.
Sorrrrrry.

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Why not? They did exactly what you wanted them to. Kept the economy going by financing their own product ..kept the $$ flowing out of the last remaining faux heavy industry of the nation ..and helped mask foreign aid with outsourcing.

Don't you think such service to our government deserves to be rewarded?? Have you no sense of civil duty?? Why should the Ford employees be the only one's to finance the golden parachutes. This should be up there with the S&L crisis. EVERYONE should pitch in for those who took the money and ran.

Don't you think??

 

[ScottB]

Gary. I need a drink.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

If Americans truley care about each other and the state of our economy we would care more about freedoms being eroded than saving unprofitable entities. I am glad I don't have kids to leave this mess to...

 

[Drew99GT]

I just read in another thread that Toyota is in TERRIBLE shape, wrought with numerous recalls and defects. Apparently Toyota has been bamboozling customers left and right lately. Going the way of Enron. That should help draw in some customers to Ford.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

True, Ford should have a miraculous recovery when the droves of people refusing to buy Toyotas show up at Ford Mercury Lincoln dealers. .

 

[ScottB]

Bold Recalls...

 

[badtlc]

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Oh please.
Ford is in DEEP.
They're getting rid of 1/3 of their workforce!
Their sales are in the pits.
They can't afford the retirement costs of it's aging workers.

It doesn't matter if they made profits all the way from 1905 to 2005, they're in danger of not even existing TODAY.

None of those stat's mean jack.

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You mean, none of those stats mean jack because they dont support your view, right?

 

[ScottB]

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Oh please.
Ford is in DEEP.
They're getting rid of 1/3 of their workforce!
Their sales are in the pits.
They can't afford the retirement costs of it's aging workers.

It doesn't matter if they made profits all the way from 1905 to 2005, they're in danger of not even existing TODAY.

None of those stat's mean jack.

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You mean, none of those stats mean jack because they dont support your view, right?

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No, they don't support my view or the FACTS.
None of them matter - true or not.
Don't you get that?
The IRS doesn't care that I paid my taxes for 25 years if I don't pay them this year.
My mortgage company doesn't care that I paid the first 10 years on time if I miss my next payment.
And my bank isn't going to give me a home loan if I lost my job after working for the last 25 years straight.

Those statements support my point.

Easy question: Where is Ford today?
Answer: Darn near out of business.

 

[brianl703]

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But we can keep investing billions in a country whose people hates us, kills our soldiers, and blows it up as fast as we pour it in.

Amazing.

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Meanwhile, they're selling toll roads to foreign countries because the state governments are having a budget crunch and apparently can't afford to maintain them.

The infrastructure in THIS country is crumbling and neglected. I'm not sure if that's due to a lack of competence or a lack of money, or both.

 

[brianl703]

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Yes ...and when Mexico-USA-Canada is all one big happy family ..we can still shovel even more of our standard of living to China.

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But it's OK..Survivor will still be on TV won't it?

 

[Rob Taggs]

Look at the price for a share of Ford stock, now that is bad.

 

[Gary Allan]

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The infrastructure in THIS country is crumbling and neglected. I'm not sure if that's due to a lack of competence or a lack of money, or both.

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It's in the fix, brian. Demographics. When we were all healthy and working it was easy to pick our pockets and we didn't notice. We've been on the decline since 1973 in terms of real wages. The rest has been a very slow and gradual re-entry into a normalized existence. Unfortunately, since we, at one time, commanded 95% of the developed resources ..the only place to go is down. Now since we were milked so effectively ..and were shielded from the harsh reality of our plummet from grace by various economic manipulations that masked the decline - the smoke and mirror acts are losing their effect and we see our infrastructure fail ..or local municipalities increasing their take ..merely due to lower REAL value of our tax $$ ..our active military costing more then our Cold War military ..and our called up military costing even more then that ....and people ..like in this thread ..wonder "why

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I don't know how many more social and economic indicators people need to read before common sense takes a hold here. You've been conned. Shock and awe is in the future.

Ancient Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times.

 

[ScottB]

Dang Gary, now I REALLY need that drink!

 

[JonC]

I have a 2006 F150 and a 2007 Expedition EL and I think they are very impressive vehicles. We test drove many vehicles and they beat all comers. I think they will right the ship. Jon

 

[Jett Rink]

i think the key to this is building (and selling at a price that actually makes the company money) passenger cars. family cars. toyota and honda build their success in this country one customer at a time through the camry/corolla and the accord/civic. they grew it from nothing to where they are now. the big 2.5 have seemingly surrendered this market for far too long, and now are paying the price. this problem did not occur overnight, and it won't be solved overnight, either. it is going to take years of discipline and some long range planning, which with their focus on the very short term quarterly earnings reports, might not even be possible. honda and toyota had a longer term vision.

if that doesn't sound like something to their liking, then here's a guaranteed strategy for success for them. just hire 20,000 more salesmen, and call it "project surge". hey, that's just gotta work, right?

 

[gedcruise]

Well, Toyota was just forced to settle a lawsuit by agreeing to indemnify more than seven million owners for oil sludging in the engines of their Toyota cars, but that's a trivial matter.
For the record here, we have bought only one new American vehicle in the past twenty years. It is a 1997 Ford Aerostar. It has been a useful and trouble free machine in all respects. It has been as reliable as any of the six Hondas we have had, and the 3.0 Vulcan (really Essex) is not prone to oil sludging, unlike many Toyotas.