<johngdole@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:210f75f0-c172-4756-886c-81537d0033e6@a35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> That's what happens when they don't build vehicles the customers want.
> And now all three in Detroit are under new management. I like the
> turnaround in GM so far. Time will tell.

So where does that leave Toyota? For the last ten years they have devoted
far more dollars in the US to building ever larger trucks and SUVs. The
Toyota car line is stagnant (except for the Prius). Seems to me they have
been following exactly the same strategy as Ford. The only difference being
they have a protected home market, lower cost labor, and a lot of positive
press for some really ordinary products (as a friend of mind explained it -
Toyotas are EXTRA ORDINARY). Almost every company that sells vehicles in the
US has rushed to produce some mix of vans, SUVs, Crossovers, and Trucks.
Even BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and VW are selling SUVs. Apparently the Ford
strategy was not so bad.

Ed

> On Dec 3, 3:54 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Ford car production ain't what it used to be
>>
>> Automotive News
>> December 3, 2007 - 12:01 am ET
>>
>> Fifty-seven years ago, Ford Motor Co. passed Chrysler Corp. to become the
>> No. 2 producer of cars in North America behind General Motors. Ford held
>> that position from 1950 through 2006, but this year things have changed.
>> Ford has slipped from second place in car output to fourth place.
>>
>> From January through October of this year, Ford built 711,889 cars at six
>> plants in North America. That's down from 998,989 cars in seven plants
>> through the first 10 months of 2006.
>>
>> It's been a tough decade for Ford cars. Consider the first 10 months of
>> 2000. During that stretch, Ford produced about 1.5 million cars in North
>> America.
>>
>> Ford loses its place
>> North American car production, excluding light trucks. Ford has slipped
>> two
>> places since last year.
>> Jan.-Oct. 07 Jan.-Oct. 06 % change
>> 1. General Motors-- 1,403,701 1,657,582 -15.3%
>> 2. Toyota Motor Corp. 835,332 799,996 4.40%
>> 3. Honda Motor Co. 722,918 705,168 2.50%
>> 4. Ford Motor Co. 711,889 998,989 -28.7%
>> 5. Nissan Motor Co. 697,748 578,853 20.50%
>> 6. Chrysler LLC 659,316 678,582 -2.8%
>>
>> The dropoff this year was mainly caused by the demise of the old Taurus -
>> representing a decline of 174,124 units in 2007 from 2006. But other Ford
>> cars are down, too. Focus production is off 34,697 units; Mustang,
>> 28,947;
>> Fusion, 15,923; and the new Taurus/Five Hundred, 11,104.
>>
>> Toyota Motor Corp. is the new No. 2 in 2007, and Honda Motor Co. also
>> passed
>> Ford. Nissan Motor Co. is close on Ford's heels.
>>
>> Nissan has had the biggest gain this year in North American car output,
>> rising from 578,853 through October 2006 to 697,748 in the first 10
>> months
>> of this year - and passing Chrysler LLC in the process. Ramping up Versa
>> production in Aguascalientes, Mexico, is the main reason.
>>
>> Where does Ford rank in total light-vehicle production - if you include
>> all
>> those F-150s it builds, as well as other Ford and Lincoln trucks and
>> SUVs?
>> Still a solid No. 2 behind GM.
>