QOTD: Can You Build an Ideal Manufacturer Lineup?
The news lately has been plenty full of speculation and angry comments about Ford’s decision to kill off anything with a trunk (save the Mustang, for now).
Generally, the consensus among the B&B seems to be that Ford is making an ill-advised and short-sighted decision. Well, today’s your chance to build your own lineup of profitable, future-proof vehicles in a game I just invented.
The idea is pretty simple: Create a brand lineup that you think would sell well and be profitable for at least the near future (10 or so years). Like any fun game, there are some rules.
- You must have exactly one entry for each of the following segments: sedan, small CUV, mid-size CUV, large CUV, sports/convertible, truck, another truck, SUV.
- Selections can be from any brand you like, as long as they’re currently in production today somewhere in the world.
- Pick a single brand from which to sell all these vehicles.
That’s it, Three Simple Rules. Each vehicle selected will be rebadged, and go on sale at all the dealers of whichever brand you choose. Said brand’s lineup will be replaced with your picks, and will not sell any other cars.
Be wise with your selections, and build that perfect brand.
[Image: Polestar]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
More by Corey Lewis
Comments
Join the conversation
Brand - Kia 1. Sedan - Kia Stinger (best value performance sedan, 5 star safety rated, not 3 like the Mustang) 2. Small CUV - Suzuki Vitara, long wheelbase 3. Medium CUV - Izuzu MUX 4. Large CUV - Toyota Landcruiser GXL V8 diesel 5. Sports - Ferrari 812 Superfast 6. Truck - Ford T6 Global Ranger 7. Truck, other - Izuzu N Series 8. SUV - Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series
Brand - AUDI sedan – Tesla Model 3 large sedan - Audi A8 small CUV – Jeep Renegade mid-size CUV – Jeep Compass large CUV – Porsche Cayenne sports - Audi RS6 wagon convertible – Porsche (any 718 or 911) truck – VW Amarok V8 SUV – Range Rover missing the daily car daily car - Golf GTD 4x4
The best brand to put the required hodgepodge under is Holden. They have sold cars from a huge variety of manufacturers with recycled model names. It's kind of like Chevrolet in Europe (used to be) - the only real Chevy was the Corvette. All the rest were captive imports and miscellaneous odds and ends.
Manufacturer: Audi Sedan: Genesis G80 Small CUV: Mazda CX-4 Mid-size CUV: Mazda Cx-8 Large CUV: Volvo XC90 Sports/convertible: Audi RS6 wagon Truck: F150 Another truck: Ram 1500 SUV: Toyota Landcruiser