Comments on: Ford Can’t Reinvent the Model T; GM Moving Fordward

By: George Labrador

George Labrador — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:14:52 +0000

Talked to a Ford Salesman at local Trade show, he told me that Ford of Canada will import the European Focus for sale in Canada within two years, he agrees that its better than the one here now?

By: Dangerous Dave

Dangerous Dave — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:29:10 +0000

A $7k car would need a $6k option package to supply all the creature comforts people demand today. Remember the model T was a plain jane car with one objective – point “a to point b” and built in a day when just owning a car was a big step up from a horse and carriage. People have become used to things like a/c, automatic transmissions, power windows and seats, items once reserved for luxury cars. Today they are standard equipment on many econoboxes. I don’t see a market for a “stripper”

By: Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:28:41 +0000

Kevin

the point was apparently lost on you. The financially savvy among us should not be interested in purchasing new cars when perfectly good pre-loved (and depreciated) cars are out there.
Would you seriously consider buying and putting your kids in a car that cost $7K?

Not me.

By: 50merc

50merc — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:36:36 +0000

Kevin asked, “Seven-year-old cars are always cheaper; why don’t they just build a cheap car with 7-year-old parts and materials?”

Darned if I know why Detroit doesn’t do this. After all, they’ve already demonstrated that building cars with 20-year-old platforms or 30-year-old engines is a winning strategy.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:17:36 +0000

That sub $7000 car can be bought today: its called a 2001 Corolla/Prism.

There’s an idea. Seven-year-old cars are always cheaper; why don’t they just build a cheap car with 7-year-old parts and materials?

See that’s the kind of out-of-the-box thinking they need in Detroit!

By: menno

menno — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:05:52 +0000

I kind of got a clue that Tata was going to go big-time when I read (a few years ago) that the Tata conglomerate was worth about 500% as much as the entire General Motors Corporation.

Ford won’t ever do a Model T replacement because you cannot bring back the past. It’s now someone else’s turn to be the basic transportation provider.

Because a $7000 car is a damn sight more expensive than a $2500 car when your annual wage is maybe $1500. As in, nearly affordable compared to not a chance of a snowball in hell.

By: Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:39:39 +0000

That sub $7000 car can be bought today: its called a 2001 Corolla/Prism.

By: TEXN3

TEXN3 — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:31:47 +0000

@Scottie: The other universities participating in the competition are: Aachen University in Cologne, Germany; Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif.; Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia; and Lawrence Technological University in Southfield.

It’s in the article.

The Focus is NOT a bad car at all, and a very viable cheap and solid alternative to the japanese crowd and much better than a Cobalt (sat in a new rental SS, interior was terrible).

I’d like to see a new version of a Model T, a perfect second city runabout that can be serviced by myself or at the local Ford dealer. And I want to be able to climb logging roads with it too.

By: joeaverage

joeaverage — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:27:31 +0000

Considering the Focus next time… Relative’s car hasn’t been bad.

By: Scottie

Scottie — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:18:06 +0000

What are the five schools?

By: danms6

danms6 — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:16:55 +0000

I wouldn’t consider buying the current Focus new if it cost $7k, where do you go from there?