I recently found myself in London working on a large project for an even larger corporation. I took particular interest in the Ford models plying British roads. In contrast to America’s Blue Oval offerings, these Euro-Fords looked clean, modern and, above all, right-sized. And then, bombing around London in a Ford Mondeo estate (station wagon), the chariot’s gentle diesel clatter brought sudden clarity. If Ford hopes to preserve America’s mildewed Mercury brand, Euro-Fords are the way to go.
Well, maybe not THAT Ford. My last gen Mondeo hire car made an avocado-hued dinette look modern. That said, the little estate’s lack of style was no match for its undeniable substance. Respect to interior materials that wouldn’t seem out of place in a “proper” VW and the Duratorq’s prodigious oil-burning grunt. And despite CUV-levels of space, the Mondeo’s suspension means you’ll never utter the phrase “car-like handling” again.
But wait, there’s more! Gazing over London’s M4 gridlock brought mass awareness of the Blue Oval kind. The Ford Galaxy MPV, the spawn of a Honda Odyssey and a personal trainer, is everywhere. You can’t sneeze without hitting a Ford Transit, the workhorse of an entire nation. And then there’s the big shock: the Euro-spec Focus is even better than Google tells you.
To reiterate: the Focus is not just easy on the eyes; it brings tears to them. And that’s just the base model. The Focus ST makes any red-blooded Yank lust for this Englishman in New York. And everyone from urban youth to the middle-aged stealth wealth-set are spotted (or not) in a Focus.
And yet, America gets no love. This despite [what I sense to be] pent-up demand for something (anything?) from The Blue Oval Boyz with unique style, innovative engineering, fuel-efficient dimensions and sporting dynamics. So bring this Euro-stuff over, rebadge it Mercury, get Jill Wagner to wear something suitably slinky and growl at the new car and call it good. No, call it great.
In theory, Saturnalian Euro-transplantation is a slam dunk for a Ford brand without any discernible identity– or future. In practice, there are plenty of excellent reasons why it hasn’t happened.
For one thing, the weak US dollar makes a mockery of any Ford exec stupid (brave?) enough to suggest UK to US Ford exports. A UK buyer can pick-up a new Ford Mondeo “Edge” with a 2.0-liter engine for around ₤16k. At today’s exchange rate, that’s $32,253.18. Add on another $5k or so for federalization and transportation, and you’re looking at a US sticker price that’s nearasdammit $40k.
A US buyer can pick-up a loaded BMW 325i for the same wedge. By the same token, you’d have a very hard time indeed spending that much money on a Lincoln MKZ. I mean, the Mondeo may be a better car than a tarted-up Ford Fusion, but inserting it into Mercury’s lineup at that price point would play merry Hell with what remains of Ford’s brand delineations.
Anyway, the United Auto Workers (UAW) would never let it happen. A financial agreement this side of Bretton Woods would be required to keep the UAW’s finger off the supply chain’s big red button. Fresh from their GM strike, methinks union leaders aren't about to turn to Ford CEO Alan Mulally and say “Bring in some European Fords for Mercury? Sure! Whatever it takes Al, whatever it takes.”
Even if Ford could surmount these hurdles, history tells us that any such technology transfer is doomed to failure. Witness the hot/cold reaction to the Cougar hatchback-transplant and its Mercury Mistake Mystique cousin. Or the sunk-without-a-trace new-wave Merkurs. While pistonheads like your author may love clean-looking, tight-handling European Fords, there’s no guarantee anyone else will.
So, basically, the law of supply and demand says it ain’t gonna happen. But the spirit of the law says that Ford can, should and will capitalize on its excellence abroad to revive its moribund market at home. And despite all the critics who’ve written-off Mercury, it’s not impossible to surmise that the brand could benefit from Alan Mulally’s ongoing realization that product excellence doesn’t live here anymore.
Ford’s sale of Jaguar will free Lincoln to reach higher [than rebadging Fords]. This opens a big space between everyman Ford and upscale Lincoln. In fact, it’s Mercury’s old stomping ground: affordable style. What’s to stop Mercury from capitalizing on Ford’s Euro-style and Euro-excellence by building “world” cars in, dare I say it, Mexico with, dare I say it, grace and pace?
The hypothetical Euro-Mercury brand could have the best of everything: a highly-rated dealer network (that’s Lincoln-Mercury), products that go toe-to-toe with anything in their class and a brand name (formerly) known for selling upscale iron that most anyone can afford. Get it done and it won’t be long before Jill Wagner is the most forgettable part of Mercury.
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So, it doesn’t make sense to import Euro Fords as Mercurys, and it equally doesn’t make sense to combine US Ford and Euro Ford lineups, and then restyle them all as Mercurys – given the volumes.
Where does that leave Mercury? Twisting in the wind again. Time to ditch Mercury and double Lincoln’s lineup.
I can’t say for sure without actually driving one of these Euro Fords, but my guess is that this is all it would take to get me to buy a Mercury, or at least seriously consider one. Why can’t they build these Euro cars in the US? Position Mercury mid-market and move Lincoln higher. Mercury could be useful, as the Ford name has a stigma for a lot of people. When I see the Ford logo on something, my brain just automatically starts thinking “cheap and bad.” Mercury’s marketing at least gives a sense of being classy, and they haven’t sold very many cars, so perhaps people won’t remember their damaged history.
At least the Ford Verve looks good. An “American” car that I could actually see myself driving. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that it will arrive on this side of the Atlantic. If it does, I hope they offer it with the MZR 2.3l engine, and call it the Verve, rather than that terrible Fiesta nameplate.
It’s been done before, i.e. the Mercury Capri of the mid-1970’s.
The trouble is Ford Motor’s staying power in promoting such a line up doesn’t usually last very long.
As a brand and a damaged one at that, Merc seems to be perennially doomed to selling rebadged domestic Fords.
Too bad its impossible for Ford USA to come up with vehicles like their European counterparts…
mmmmm, Jill Wagner.
Mullally’s “One Ford” plan is clearly to ditch Mercury, elevate Ford to the level of the European products that would be competitive with anything sold in the US and push Lincoln to cover everyting above that. Remember Mullally drove a Lexus before taking the Blue Oval job and I’m sure he noticed how well Toyota has done with just two brands (Scion not withstanding).
I just don’t see the problem here. I guess I am too ignorant or slow. My take is this:
See nice Euro Ford factory and all it’s equipment for making a very modern car? Call up the company that tooled your factory and tell them you would like to order another one for a US plant, M-kay?
See nice Euro-Ford suppliers with all their great interior bits, wheels, brake systems, and electronic gee-gaws? Work out a licensing agreement to manufacture these things in the US or contract with US suplliers to make the same parts to escactly the same specs.
Now you are making essentially the same car in the US of A. The price still might be higher, but if it’s the best thing in it’s class and is unique, it will sell.
This could not be done “overnight” like just importing the cars, and it will cost several hundred million (no, make that several billion, Ford has never had good cost control). So you might have to wait for the next gerneration to pull all the pieces together, but hey, these guys in the glass house are paid to make the long range plans, so please just do it!
Before the original Focus came here, it already had a terrific reputation in Europe.
After it arrived on our shores. it became the recall champion of all time. No such thing happened in Europe.
Conclusion? The “value engineers” got to it and cheapened it so much that it just wasn’t a Focus anymore.
If Ford were to try that again, they’d have to sell the original car at a much higher price (exchange rates, anyone?) and as such, the project would be a total failure.
I owned a V6 Capri and it was one of the best cars it has ever been my misfortune to sell. I should have kept it forever.
I don’t like the suspension tuning of Mercury counterparts to the Ford brother. In the Explorer/Mountaineer and Escape/Mariner, the Mercury version has what I supposed is considered a sportness tuning/tightness to the suspension, for better handling, or something. What you end up with is a hemoroidian ride that sucks over any deviance in the road. The Ford suspensions are much nicer in this way, hence why I purchased an Explorer EB over the Mountaineer years ago.
I also think the interiors are much nicer in the Limited & Eddie Bauer ford counterparts, but that’s my opinion. The brushed aluminum crap in the Mercuries is cheap looking to me.
@chris2:
me first.
—————-
why do I always feel insulted by Ford when I see what they offer in Europe and Australia? I currently lust after a GTI. I lust after one because everytime I sit in my girlfriend’s 2001 Focus, it makes my blood boil. When I saw the “new” Focus at the Detroit auto show last winter I wanted to walk up to one of the schmucks in a suit looking proud and ask him if he was the one who thinks americans like to buy the same old crap year after year. That ST in the picture is a Ford I would buy, and I’ve never owned a domestic car in my life. How about a Falcon? why would I want to bother with a friggin’ lump of Alamo special mustang when I could have a turbo Falcon? Ford NA pisses me off. Build them here if you have to.
Makes total sense to me too, since Toyota, Honda, BMW, etc. have factories in the US.
But… if I’m a GM senior executive, then my compensation plan only pays out if I meet some metrics THIS fiscal year. I can’t sink money into something that will help the company NEXT year! Besides, a hefty part of my bonus is based on the amount of people I’ve fired, not retained.
I would love, ‘LOVE’ to see a Euro-spec Focus and Mondeo on our roads, but to achieve this, even if FoMoCo established transplant manufacturing resources on these shores, the prices would need to rise. I think Ford’s mngmt has accepted their stance in the automotive market as a low-mid level manufacturer, offering value, not performance or class or style. Even if they threw a Mercury badge on a Euro Focus, I can see myself paying $35,000 for an ST, even though, as a pistonhead, I know what it can do.
In Europe, Ford doesn’t have these branding issues, They are viewed as the “Premium Mid-level” brand, similar to Volkswagen or Volvo on our shores.
CeeDragon: “But… if I’m a GM senior executive, then my compensation plan only pays out if I meet some metrics THIS fiscal year.”
Well, we can hardly expect those execs to live on their pitiful base salaries alone.
This article really befuddles me. I drove 2 Ford Focuses for work conferences and I’ve never been more disappointed with a car in all my life.
The Ford Focus’ interior had cheap grade plastics and a “half arsed” feel to it. I’d understand if these plastics were in a Fiesta or Ka because they were DESIGNED to be cheap little knockabouts, but not a small family hatchback. I found the ride unresponsive, mainly due to the car being quite heavy. The fuel economy was poor and gearstick felt awful. Now I do know why the Ford Focus does sell well in the UK (hint: rhymes with “viscounts”) but as a car it’s pretty poor. A Honda Civic or Toyota Auris is pretty much the same pricing and a far superior car to boot. Hell, you could buy a Renault megane for about 25% less than a Ford Focus and have a similar amount of stuff on the car (note: reliability will be slightly lower than the Ford)
Now if these Ford cars are what Americans want, then I can only wonder how poor the cars Stateside are! My father has a Ford Mondeo and continually laments how poor the car is and is looking for another Toyota the moment he can get rid of the Mundano! I don’t doubt that Ford have some world class engineers, they do. I just wish they’d stop letting accountants loose on the cars. The Ford Focus really could have been a great car, but its cheapness lets it down.
The problem with the Focus’ introduction here wasn’t so much with the value engineers. It was more a matter of a totally mismanaged launch. Some things had to be changed for crash, for UAW assembly, dynamics tweaked, cost taken out, etc. It was rushed, the changes were poorly managed, and proper design validation was not done.
If instead of taking a made for Europe design and trying impliment on the fly design changes to rush it into production in the US, they did an upfront world platform design where all these issues were flushed out at the beginning and properly tested and suppliers sourced and assembly plant trials conducted this process would go much more smoothly and the US and Europe could both have a great Focus/Mondeo/Madza 3/Mazda 6/Volvo S40/S60/etc. This would even allow for minor changes to be incorporated into the platform to satisfy the different markets without huge cost, timing, or quality issues. Theres a reason why Toyota can sell a Corolla all over the world.
The reason this didn’t happen and doesn’t happen at Ford is the systemic bureaucratic, everybody’s hand in the pot, indecisive, cya, cancer that will be difficult if not impossible for Mullaly to cure. He could at least start by front loading program resources like the revamped again, and again product development process always says to do but is never followed instead of focusing (pun intended) all the resources on removing pennies from languishing products in exchange for higher warranty costs.
You are all too harsh on the Focus. I leased a 2000 Focus Wagon. It was inexpensive and fun transportation. I had the car for 3 years and 80,000 km and never had one mechanical problem.
There were many recalls, but if you save them up, they can be done in two easy trips to the dealer where they will change the oil and wash the car.
My wife seemed to find the smell of the car quite nauseating, but she was pregnant, and sometimes found me nauseating too. The seats were poor and the plastics hard, but it was a total riot to drive fast.
The car had a fantastic start to life in the Americas. They just didn’t improve it year over year (I think that Honda is the only company that can get away with letting a car go year over year without updates).
Katie- I think you pegged it. The European Fords are still below the European brands in quality, but they’re still light years ahead of the American Fords.
Actually, every quality study I’ve seen shows that European Fords are quite competitive with other European makes in quality. They also do quite well in comparison tests, too.
When I do consulting work, the first thing I tell a client is: You don’t really need me. Your company already knows everything it needs to know. Your only problem is: you’re not reaping your own knowledge properly.
It’s only a shtick — but it’s true.
Ford knows how to build good cars, as Sajeev eloquently pointed out.
Assuming, for example, the built-in-China S-Max bares a decent resemblance to the original Euro version, Ford also knows how to build good cars for a super-low price.
I think it was Karesh who wrote about intelligent versus stupid companies. He was talking about processes: an intelligent company knows how to learn, and how to teach. If Mullaly wants to succeed, he will have to force Detroit to learn from its overseas affiliates.
Geeber,
I’ve also read the GM’s quality and reliability is on par with Toyota and Honda’s.
I also read that Jesus Christ was adopted, but I think someone might have been pulling my leg? :oS
Isn’t the euro Focus just the Mazda 3?
@Sajeev Mehta:
Thanks for this article. As you’ve seen, people on the interwebs have been whispering about this kind of thing for some time but no one has addressed it directly.
@Katie Puckrik:
I’m surprised to hear what you’re saying, because my friends in the UK and on the Continent feel differently about the Fords than you do. That said, I have observed and read about differences in interior quality between lower and higher specced versions of the same car.
Have you driven or sat in the new Mondeo? I also would expect the refreshed Focus coming out soon to have a far better interior than the one in the car you were in.
@OldandSlow
When Ford brought the XR4ti over to America, and they plopped it down in Mercury showrooms, the dealers were positively confused. Salesmen would routinely shift customers coming in for the Merkur from “that little 4-cylinder foreign economy car” to the larger, ostensibly better value V8 Cougar. The dealers are not of the European mindset and have no idea how to deal with those customers. They’re accustomed to selling to the same people that have been buying American cars for years (see the current blog post) and expect big, cheap, and cushy. Would enthusiasts come into the showroom for Euro Fords? Well, yes, but the dealer could very well drive them away.
Mr Berkowitz,
I haven’t driven the new Mondeo but my father’s Mondeo is the last generation and I wasn’t impressed, to be honest with you. It’s a OK car and the only reason it sells well is because of its discounts. Comparatively, I’d rather go for a VW Passat or a Honda Accord. Admittedly, the Accord is a touch more expensive, but you can see where the money goes!
Side note; I think James May loves Focus STs and Modeos :)
Mullaly is looking to have one Ford in the future so condensing platforms and utilizing all of Ford’s assets (including Ford of Europe and Mazda).
I hope that Mullaly has some definite plans for his three brands Ford > Mercury > Lincoln because Mercury and Lincoln are severely hurting and Ford is only getting by. GM is doing this with their Saturn brand which will be identical to Opel. No reason to not do it with Mercury.
Katie: Everyone I met in London either liked the Focus/Mondeo or had nothing bad to say about them. I was there for a month, and I swear to you that will never happen if you spend a month here in the USA.
Your impressions of the Focus/Mondeo seem like mine about US-spec’d Honda Accords or Civics. They are nice machines overall, beancounted here and there, but spending more for a Volvo C30, Audi A4, VW Passat, etc would net you a nicer car…but price sells cars (esp low lease payments).
I expect a Mercury Mondeo would fare well against a Camry XLE or Accord EX. Or a Focus vs. a Civic. Or a Focus ST vs. a GTI. Not to mention Euro-Fords seem pretty reliable overall, not sure the German makes can say that. (Even the Transit seems way more reliable/cost effective than the Sprinter)
America is primed for a premium (by Detroit standards) marque and Mercury is ready to take it. The 1970s were bad: the Capri and Pantera didn’t have a chance. The 1980s Merkurs were much better for the times: even my father considered an XR4ti (Sierra) but found the American muscle-car style and strong value proposition of a Cougar XR-7 hard to beat.
But the Cougar flagship is dead. Considering Mercury has nothing impressive these days, history can be proven wrong this time around.
“I think that Honda is the only company that can get away with letting a car go year over year without updates”
There are only 3 cases in history where that has happened; the NSX, S2000, and Integra. The only sort-of mainstream model there is the Integra. I don’t know how they kept it going for as long they did, even after having owned one. Maybe the Type R gave it some street cred.
As for the current Focus. I didn’t even drive it when I went to test drive because the interior was just so terribly depressing. The used one I saw there was even worse. 1 year old and already wearing away. I could never own a car that gets me down whenever I sit inside it, unless it was out of financial necessity.
Mr Mehta,
I think it’s safe to say we have differing opinions on Ford’s Euro offerings (either that or what you’re trying to say is “I’m a freak!” lol), but one thing I do agree with is that Ford need to bring those cars to the United States on the basis of this one principle:
their current cars don’t sell, give these a go.
So what I’d do sell the Taurus/500 as a Mercury and sell the Mondeo/Focus as a Ford. The more different the car is the more people will try it. Mr Mullaly’s key goal is to revive the ailing Blue oval brand and the best way to do that is introduce a new product to show how the “old” Ford has gone and “new” Ford is born.
OK, that sounded rather pretenious, but you know what I mean!
Katie: I too was surprised at your Focus and Mondeo comments—thanks for clarifying that these were older versions. During trips to the UK, I have driven both the Focus and the new Mondeo and found them to be very solid and fun to drive. Hopefully Mulally can find the key to better integrating Ford’s global assets so they can be better leveraged in the US.
Maybe Ford can’t bring the Euro Focus over here part for part – I’m OK with that; it’s a sub-$17k car here. However, why on God’s green earth did they have to style them so differently? If nothing else, keep the same frame/motor combo, I think they’re fine, keep the interior, OK, but for craps sake just make the US Focus look the same as the Euro Focus!!! The new US Focus makes me want to vomit and poke my eyes out, while the across the pond they have rather handsome automobiles. What on earth is that all about?
The Saturn model hasn’t proven itself to work yet, and I believe they’re losing money on the Opels they’re selling here now, so I don’t expect Ford will follow suit quite yet.
umterp85,
The Focus was the current generation. there may have been a few facelifts since then, but essentially the same car.
It’s shame, because I’ll give a car credit or a pounding if it deserves it (The Toyota Avensis is shockingly boring!) but if Ford are making worse cars than that Focus in the world’s biggest and most profitable market, then it’s little wonder they are in trouble. I hated the styling (halfway between a coupe and a hatchback. Be one or the other!!!!!) and the interior! Like Mr Nemphre said, and I totally agree, if I had to get into an interior like that everyday, it would have to be out of financial necessity. It really was bad, in my opinion! What made the interior worse for me, was the way they put some wood trim on top of the plastics. It was like putting a garnish of alfalfa sprouts on top of a Big Mac!
Mr Kazoomaloo,
GM do lose a lot of money on the imported Opels because they don’t make them Stateside. They’re made in Germany and exported. And, as I’m sure everyone is aware (except GM management), the Euro is at an all time high against the U.S Dollar. Which exacerbates the lack of profitability of the Opels in the United States.
A good idea, in theory, Sajeev, but not in practice. Ford has been bringing European models over here for almost 40 years: Capri, Fiesta, Sierra (XR4Ti), Granada (Scorpio), Mondeo (Contour), Cougar, and Focus. Only the last had any serious success, and even then the styling eventually had to be toned down for American tastes.
As I am fond of saying, Americans *think* they want European cars, but they really don’t. True European cars are too small, too radically styled and too underpowered for American tastes. Note the success (or lack thereof) of European staples like the VW Golf and Opel Astra (when it was brought here as the Pontiac LeMans). There’s a reason European automakers don’t bring cars like the BMW 1-series hatchback and VW Golf Plus to the US. Saturn’s just dipping their toe into the water, and while the Aura may do OK, it certainly wouldn’t do well in Euro-friendly 2.0 or TDI form.
GM has the right idea: Platform sharing. Building market-specific cars off common platforms (ie Cobalt, Astra) is the way to go. I will be amazed if the new Saturn Astra sells enough to rival US best-sellers like the Civic and Corolla. Build it (and build it well) as a 2.2 liter sedan, and then you might see six-figure yearly sales.
FWIW, Ford says they will re-integrate the US and European Focuses around 2011, give or take.
Katie
For about the first time I found myself disagreeing with you, then you clarified and said it was the last generation Mondeo. I’ve just got the new one (2 weeks ago), and already decided that I want to be buried in it when it’s my time to go. It’s a very different vehicle to that last one – looks are stunning, the feel is solid, interior is about the best I’ve seen, and the driving is outstanding. Take your Dad to a Ford dealership (don’t go to an Essex one – too many Ford employees there so the dealers don’t have to work at it), and get him to test drive before ordering the Toyota.
KatiePuckrik: I’ve also read the GM’s quality and reliability is on par with Toyota and Honda’s.
I also read that Jesus Christ was adopted, but I think someone might have been pulling my leg? :oS
I’m going by the European JD Powers survey, as well as a survey conducted by one of the major British auto magazines (can’t remember whether it was Top Gear or Car). Overall, Ford scored on par with other European marques.
And here in the U.S., even the domestic Fords are more reliable than the European marques. And that’s not just from surveys – every independent mechanic I’ve asked has said the same thing.
Also, the last-generation Focus received rave reviews in every European magazine I read. The Mondeo didn’t do too badly, either.
Sajeev Mehta: Mercury is doomed by Ford’s structure. Ford won’t spend the money to give Mercury unique models (actually, now it CAN’T spend the money to give Mercury unique models).
If Ford does give Mercury unique models, however, and said models are a success, then Ford dealers will immediately demand a similar version.
Which will eliminate the reason for Mercury to exist.
Also, note that the Opel-based Saturns haven’t been setting the world in fire in the sales race. People who are looking for European-inspired sedans aren’t shopping at Saturn dealers, and people who are shopping for Saturns won’t spend the extra money for the upgraded vehicle.
Katie: fair enough. I haven’t researched Ford in the UK but they are better off in public opinion than here in the US. As for selling the Taurus/500 as a Mercury, they are already doing that and its failing miserably. And who wants to spend $28k+ for a Ford when you can have a VW?
The Euro-Fords need a Brand to go with. Lincoln-Mercury has a better dealer network for a niche player, and an entire division that’s better suited to exclusive marketing of a niche product lineup.
A good idea, in theory, Sajeev, but not in practice. Ford has been bringing European models over here for almost 40 years: Capri, Fiesta, Sierra (XR4Ti), Granada (Scorpio), Mondeo (Contour), Cougar, and Focus. Only the last had any serious success, and even then the styling eventually had to be toned down for American tastes.
Autonerd: you forgot the DeTomaso Pantera. That right there was Mercury’s finest hour. :)
Sajeev Mehta: Mercury is doomed by Ford’s structure. Ford won’t spend the money to give Mercury unique models (actually, now it CAN’T spend the money to give Mercury unique models).
If Ford does give Mercury unique models, however, and said models are a success, then Ford dealers will immediately demand a similar version.
geeber: and that’s pretty much why it’ll never happen. The corporate culture, dealer infighting (Ford dealers hate the Lincoln Mark LT) and lack of money kill it off.
But still, how much of Mercury is a liability outside of the Lincoln-Mercury division? I think its a zero-cost brand in need of a product line to go with.
I’m confused here.
First of all, Saturn, AS OF YET, have not imported any Opels to sell here as Saturns. When (and IF) the Astra shows up here, it’ll be the first.
Second, isn’t the Volvo C30 and the Mazda3 built on the same platform as the Euro Focus? Further, isn’t the Volvo’s Turbo 5 engine the same engine as the Euro Focus ST engine? So, I’m not understanding WHY it would be difficult to meet US standards if Ford decided to sell the Euro Focus here, WHY it would cost $35,000, and WHY couldn’t they have a plant (the same one that builds the Mazda3 here) that could build the Focus here?
The Volvo C30 starts out at around $23,000 and goes to around $30,000 and that’s imported and the Mazda3 tops out at $24,000 with every option.
I think it’s viable.
It was not too long ago that you actually needed to travel to Europe to see for yourself that both Ford and GM made and sold betters cars across the pond than they do in their home market.
Today this is a known fact to too many potential American Customers. Both Ford and GM must now contend with the “F$%K you” factor! The fact that “OUR” auto companies show our own market less respect than those across the sea give many of us another reason to turn our backs on the “so-called” domestics.
When you compare the cars these companies sell in other markets to the garbage they push in the USA. You get the impression that Ford and GM actually believe Americans are just plain stupid and do NOT understand value.
“Sell that crap in America, they will buy anything”! On the other hand those Europeans demand better products so we build and sell them there.
Guess what Ford, I demand a better product also and someone else is selling it right here in YOUR home market!
Sorry but you get NO sale!
I’ll give you my (German) perspective:
While the new Mondeo is getting rave reviews, the Focus is just among the competitors for hatch-backs. The Golf is still the undisputed #1 with the Focus nowhere in sight. Here are some sales numbers for August in Germany:
VW Golf: 16817
Opel Astra: 6546
Audi A3: 5290
Mercedes A-Class: 5248
Mercedes B-Class: 4461
BMW 1-Series: 4039
Ford Focus: 3446
You may say that this is due to the fact that people always rather buy the domestic product (and with VW it’s true to some extend) but in Germany, Ford Europe is also perceived as being German (just like Opel). Anyway, if the Focus can’t compete with the Golf in Germany/Europe, how is it supposed fare in the hatch-back unfriendly US of A?
We’ll have to see how the new Mondeo does, but that seems like a much better choice for America IMHO. And AFAIK, the next gen Fusion and the next gen Mondeo will indeed be the same car (I’ve read that somewhere). That’ll probably be too little, too late (for Mercury anyway) and looking at the history it’ll also be stripped down to be able to offer it for a cheaper price.
Side note: This also shows that the product cycles at Ford North America are quite long, or in other words, they don’t give a shit about their product as long as it’s cheap.
Nino: I read somewhere that–because of the synergies you mentioned–Ford admitted that bringing over the Euro-Focus wasn’t more expensive than the 2008 US-Focus redesign. Wish I could find that article again.
Link Windswords said, why don’t they just get duplicate sets of tooling for the body and some other bits, and order larger quantities of the smaller bits, and build them here? Or Mexico I guess. Isn’t one of the benefits of being a multinational supposed to be that you can ‘pass things round’?
Geeber: I was typing a similar reposne on Ford domestic and Euro quality and you beat me to the punch…thanks for saving me the type strokes !.
In fact Ford quality is improving (although it would take a directive from Jesus Christ for some to admit Ford can do anything positive)—they need the get the product right (and soon) to turn the ship around in the US.
“WHY couldn’t they have a plant (the same one that builds the Mazda3 here)”
Well, the Mazda3 is built in Japan, but I agree that they should be able to find somewhere to build these things in the US. There ought to be plenty of factory capacity, what with their sales going down the tubes and all.
Ford Germany is almost a place holder, take a look at their web site, they don’t offer hot versions of anything. I would be more interested to see the British hatchback sales.
Sajeev,
I’m with you on this one, I made a comment calling for a euro-overhaul of the Mercury lineup months ago.
One reader pointed out that it didn’t work for Merkur in the ’90s, so it won’t work for Mercury now… but I beg to differ. There was a huge stigma attached to Merkur as it was perceived to be some fly-by-night new carmaker coming out of Europe, whereas Mercury’s got full service and support back home.
Like you said, today’s Mercury doesn’t stand for anything… they’re only slightly restyled Fords, and the sales are so low that there’s hardly any justification of the brand’s existence. They don’t even bother selling them in Canada anymore.
Use platform sharing and world engines to build Europe’s best here in North America. Mercury Mondeo sounds nice, doesn’t it? The cars will be premium, not luxury, perfect for what Mercury needs to be (and will push Lincoln back to where it needs to be).
Here’s an idea: revive the Cougar by starting off with ye’ olde Mustang, but give it independent rear suspension, a few high-tech goodies inside, and sleeker-than-Jaguar styling. You won’t get a 500 hp variant, but it will be Merc’s halo car for ‘pace and grace’.
Here’s an idea: revive the Cougar by starting off with ye’ olde Mustang, but give it independent rear suspension, a few high-tech goodies inside, and sleeker-than-Jaguar styling. You won’t get a 500 hp variant, but it will be Merc’s halo car for ‘pace and grace’.
Me likey. But…
If Mercury gets reinvigorated with American metal, the Euro transplants get weaker in return. One of the problems with Merkur’s Scorpio/XR4ti was the radical 1986 Sable and turbocharged/5.0 Cougar XR-7 offered a similar car for a much better value. Both Mercs sold well, well enough to make Lincoln-Mercury long for the good old days.
Now more than ever, branding and product “focus” is important for Lincoln-Mercury.
tankd0g:
Ford Europe sells exactly the same cars all over Europe. The only difference is that in the UK, the steering wheel is on the wrong side.
Thomas: $25,000 Euro for a Focus, are they kidding? Does Germany put big tarrifs on non German cars or something?
IF
If the UAW plants in the US make as good a car as the japanese…
If Ford knows how to design a desirable car…
If the dollar is at historic lows…
THEN
Then any MBA who can work a spreadsheet should be able to figure out that they should be EXPORTING cars from the US to the EU.
Then they should be able to sell the cheaper cars quite easily at a discount and still have high margins.
BUT
If the premises are not true, the conclusion likely will not be either.
Thomas Minzenmay :
September 27th, 2007 at 11:56 am
tankd0g:
Ford Europe sells exactly the same cars all over Europe. The only difference is that in the UK, the steering wheel is on the wrong side.
I think you mean “the correct side”? :O)