Bill Ford Hearts Akio Toyoda

Do you think being the scion of a global brand is easy? Well think again, it’s hard work. No-one knows this more than Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford. So, when Akio Toyoda got thrown into a quality nightmare, Bill Ford empathised with the fellow (and currently not so great) grandson of Kiichiro Toyoda, the one who had founded Toyota. Bill feels for Akio, in the family way.

“Any time anything happens to Ford, it’s personal, good and bad, and I’m sure he feels the same way,” Bill Ford said about Akio Toyoda, according to Business Week. “Other people can resign and go home and do other things. But when your name is on the building and you have the history and the passion, you’re in for the long haul.” Of course. Other people would get fired.

When asked whether Bill Ford had some words of advice for Mr Toyoda, Bill got stage fright. “The last thing he needs is me calling him right now,” Bill Ford said after a speech to the Livonia Chamber of Commerce in suburban Detroit. “I admire him and I think he’s a good executive. I’d like just to catch up when things settle down a little bit.”

You may be waiting a long time, Bill. There’s 8 million cars to fix. In the meantime, Bill Ford takes “no joy” in Toyota’s troubles. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve had a lot of really, really difficult moments as a company and I have had personally,” Bill Ford said. “You feel it personally. It’s not a job. It’s your whole life.” According to people close to the matter, Bill’s nose did not grow one bit.

Family, schmamily, Bill Ford takes his responsibilities at Ford very seriously. So seriously, that they’re trying to woo Toyota customers to the blue oval. Hey, Bill likes Akio, but business is business. And taking a little market share for safe keeping while the other fellow is going through a bit of a rough patch is just part of the business. As long as it stays amongst us scions …