Ford Motors in difficulty?

[GMcL]

Originally Posted by bob13

I thought it was just the Land Rover brand which they had off BMW (once they had pinched the technology to build the X5)

BMW keep the mini, the MG as well as some of the older brand names ( i think wolsey was one) which Rover owned stayed with Rover brand once BMW had finished with it. Then the rest whet to the syndicate that then sold up to the Chiniese.

Ford bought the Rover brand to protect their Land Rover investment for about £6m.

http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/ne...car_News_15212

and

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...18/uford18.xml

also

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5358590.stm

[Engineer]

Originally Posted by bob13

I thought it was just the Land Rover brand which they had off BMW (once they had pinched the technology to build the X5)

BMW keep the mini, the MG as well as some of the older brand names ( i think wolsey was one) which Rover owned stayed with Rover brand once BMW had finished with it. Then the rest whet to the syndicate that then sold up to the Chiniese.

When Rover / MG failed, Ford bought the Rover brand. They could not afford to see a possible cheap Chinese Rover badged car doing the rounds next to a £50,000 Range Rover

Cheers

[John_C]

Originally Posted by Paul Clark

Wow, I just wish that OVLOV could have stayed original then,perhaps they'd still be as good as they were.......... ie: without FORD floorpans. Just like Saab that 'have to put up with' General Motors floorpans.

Oh come on, it's not exactly terrible for Volvo to "have to tolerate Ford chassis" which are renouned in the business as being amongst the best around. Oh woe are they for having to platform share the S40/V50 with the Focus (best handling car in class) and the new S80 with the new Mondeo (after the last two generations of Mondeo were the best handling cars in their class would you bet against the next one being good too?). Poor poor Volvo.

Ford Europe know how to make the underpinnings of a car great and they have been doing it for the last 10 years. Even the humble Fiesta and Ka are acknowledged as being amongst the sweetest cars to drive in their class.

Cheers,
J

[pigapumbu]

Originally Posted by Paul Clark

Wow, I just wish that OVLOV could have stayed original then,perhaps they'd still be as good as they were.......... ie: without FORD floorpans. Just like Saab that 'have to put up with' General Motors floorpans.

Perhaps I'm just a 44yr old 'fuddy-duddy' LOL

Funny at one time the car industry was rolling on mergers and telling everyone merge or face going bust. Its interesting that BMW stayed away from this and today is still 'original'. Did they or are they going bust? Why did Volvo sell up and not stay on their own?

It was a sad day when I read that future volvo's were going to use parts from the ford bin. Should have been the other way around. But now, as it is, I respect and would prefer to own an older T5 car than a newer one knowing how over engineered the older volvos were. My V50?... no different from a ford, vauxhall etc. Character is lost.

Wonder if AB Volvo would buy it back if ever Ford decides to put Volvo on the market.

[alsner]

Aston Martin has been bought by David Richards (F1 BAR boss) and I heard that Ford have effectively remortgaged their entire assets for Billions. I think that Aston will be in safe hands and with a new 4 door model coming online soon that had been previously shelved by Ford (financial reasons) and after all they did make a profit last year for the first time in ages. Time will tell I guess.

Some news stories
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6442101.stm
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=16001
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...cnastona13.xml


ALi

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by charltjr

Oh come on, it's not exactly terrible for Volvo to "have to tolerate Ford chassis" which are renouned in the business as being amongst the best around. Oh woe are they for having to platform share the S40/V50 with the Focus (best handling car in class) and the new S80 with the new Mondeo (after the last two generations of Mondeo were the best handling cars in their class would you bet against the next one being good too?). Poor poor Volvo.

Ford Europe know how to make the underpinnings of a car great and they have been doing it for the last 10 years. Even the humble Fiesta and Ka are acknowledged as being amongst the sweetest cars to drive in their class.

Cheers,
J

I can remember taking my driving course whilst in the Police force, at that time we had a number of cars in the driving schools 'fleet'. They consisted of two 2.6ltr Carltons with two Sierras & a then new Mondeo. It was a case of 'first to the keys got the car'. Which ones were always left behind? A 'no brainer really' LOL.
Yes I'm fully aware that Fords products have improved majorly, we had Focus & Fiesta (Diesal) patrol cars for years & they served us well, but they just had no character........

I reckon your very nice T5 is an original Volvo one though.......... strangely enough?LOL

[John_C]

Heh, fair comment Paul

Before I got the 855 I ran a 130bhp TDCi Zetec-S Mondeo for a year, that followed on from my first Volvo, a S60 T5 Geartronic which I also had for a year.

Objectively speaking the Mondeo was to my mind the better car **for me at the time**, it wasn't a patch on the S60 in terms of interior quality or comfort (don't forget the price difference though!!) but it did handle a bit better than the T5 and was a lot of fun to drive. As transport it was easy to look after, completely reliable, economical, good to drive, everything I needed in a car. Plus I bought an '03 plate 36,000 miler with the money I got from selling my 90k+ Y-reg S60.

I just couldn't get the T5 out of my head though, I knew I wanted a manual this time, and I've always loved the 850. There is just something about the original T5 estates and I have always wanted one although a saloon would have been fine too.

I don't like the new S40 and V50 I'm afraid, the interior in particular feels "done to a price" like most Fords. I like the way they drive, but they do "feel" cheap. The new S80 looks good though I'd like to have a play with one of those.

I think my point was really Ford are potentially very good for Volvo, their chassis are truly excellent, they just need to keep the quality high in the rest of the car too. Hopefully Volvo will keep it's Volvo-ness, time will tell.

Cheers,
John

[Doctor Who ?]

Interesting "Thread people" .... The World is awash with Cars ... In simple terms I can see the global market being made up from no more than Eight big "Hitters" in the next Quarter ... of a Century. Chrysler Benz, a "Ford" of sorts, Toyota / Nissan, "P.S.A" (a.k.a Peugeot, Citroen..European makes this could include the likes of Renault, V.W. with Skoda Seat Bentley, G.M.,I wouldn't like to predict the eventual "Titles" of these conglomerates but take a walk of faith with me, and that will be that. With none of these "Manufacturing" within these shores ..... Sorry, but that is my "Vision"

[m0bzy]

I find it difficult to beleave that anyone can rate the Mondeo as anything other than b'orrible.I regularly drive all the Ford range,and that includes the Jag X type and with the exception of the Focus I would not accept one as a gift,the Ka has no brakes but then it has no pull either and the seats are upholstered orange boxes.The focus has a nice drive train and a good driving position but oh those seats.The Xtype is of course nothing but a tarted up Mondeo,and feels it.I await the new Mondeo with interest.

[John_C]

I don't think much of the Fiesta, mainly because it's cramped for someone of my size, but then it is end of life now and well overdue a replacement. The Ka is even older, it's based on the Fiesta from the late 90's but it is still a giggle to drive. I don't like the interior on the new Focus but to drive it is really good. The Mondeo is about to be replaced but what would you say is better in it's class now?

So what's better than:

Ka
Fiesta
Focus
Mondeo

I can think of quite a list for the first two, but the second two I honestly can't think of a more competent car in the class.

Cheers,
John