Bill Ford On The Global Traffic Jam

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

That’s right, the Executive Chairman of America’s only automaker to have never taken a bailout just raised concerns about the problem of selling too many cars. It’s not as if he doesn’t have a point… it’s just little like listening to Charlie Sheen leading an AA meeting.

After all, William Clay Ford Jr might see a nightmare in a world clogged with cars, but his employees happen to be fairly fired up about the fact that Ford Motor Company is selling lots of cars and making a good deal of money right now (as he pays them to do). And why bring up the existential endgame scenario for your industry if you don’t have a solution for it beyond vague technological bromides and a government fix? Because Ford is about “making people happy,” and not selling cars? Mr Mulally, would you please claim your lost child at the ECO:nomics conference lost and found?


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Mullholland Mullholland on Mar 03, 2011

    This is exactly the kind of muddled thinking that got Billy into trouble when he was running with Jac Nasser. The best thing about Ford's "advanced thinking" is that he seems speaking out of both sides of his mouth. To say that Moving people around in private cars is a very inefficient way of doing things is hilarious when your selling the number one gas sucker in America: the Ford Pick up truck.

    • NulloModo NulloModo on Mar 03, 2011

      There are quite a few vehicles whose fuel economy is worse than the F-150. In fact, amongst full size pickups, the F-150 range currently has the best fuel economy. Yes, it outsells everything else out there, but a lot of those sales are to people who need the capabilities for work. If fuel prices continue to rise enough to make it uncomfortable for most people to have a pickup as a daily driver when they don't need it, we'll see other vehicles replace trucks at the top of the sales charts. Until then if trucks are what people want to buy, there is no reason Ford shouldn't continue to supply them.

  • Crosley Crosley on Mar 04, 2011

    I just love these self-loathing trust-funders who have never earned a penny in their life. Of course you'll NEVER see him give his fortune away, stop cashing those "evil" Ford checks, or push his grandfather's company to stop making cars and lay people off in order to avert this "crisis". Thank goodness for Ford stockholders this incompetent "lucky sperm" stepped down as CEO, he almost destroyed the company when he was at the helm. For someone in the car business to worry about selling too many cars because of global traffic jams is beyond ridiculous. The automobile has been a WONDERFUL thing for our quality of life of Americans, and will also be for developing countries. If certain parts of the world get too crowded for efficient use of cars, people will not buy cars and instead use other forms of transportation (subway, bus, rail, etc). That's why so few residents own cars in densely populated urban areas. Do you really think people are just going to keep driving cars if a 10 mile commute takes 5 hours? Most people are smart enough to know when a car makes their lives better, and when it doesn't. We really don't need brilliant visionaries like Bill Ford to figure this out for the world.

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Mar 04, 2011
    America’s only automaker to have never taken a bailout That comment is raw meat for RF.
  • Mullholland Mullholland on Mar 04, 2011
    "There are quite a few vehicles whose fuel economy is worse than the F-150." Yea, but none sell in the volume of the F-150. And 90% of the pickup trucks in my community carry nothing heavier than one slightly overweight driver. "Until then if trucks are what people want to buy, there is no reason Ford shouldn’t continue to supply them." Spoken like a true Ford Truck salesman.
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