Ford Says Overseas Losses Will Triple in 2nd Quarter

[ausrutherford]

that^ would be very interesting to apply to Ford



like
could the CD4+3 ""Taurus"" actually be-or-include a (even) high(er)-end car?

The point is not to go bigger, but us the same size car and make it premium with special styling. 4 door coupes of the Focus and Mondeo platforms would be a good step.

[2b2]

The point is not to go bigger, but us the same size car and make it premium with special styling. 4 door coupes of the Focus and Mondeo platforms would be a good step.

yeahBut
the CD4+3 is on my mind AND the Taurus would have be re-worked for the platform change AND wondering if something could be developed that *might* sell in Europe (yeah unlikely)
+
since CD4 is kinda 'booked' for the near future: Fusion just starting & Mondeo delayed
actually/imho
a Focus/C-Max/G.C-M highend car would be even better for economizing Yurps
+altho
for the US, ^that sounds like my 2-sized MKE ... which all I heard is silence

[MKII]

afaik the euroAccord is/was the equivalent of the NA Acura TL

No the EuroAccord = North American TSX

[2b2]

No the EuroAccord = North American TSX

Thanks, MKII
guess since the canopener grilles came out I've blocked everything Acura out of my mind

[2b2]

via my friend Alex on facebook

Ford relies on its N. America playbook for Europe - Automotive News Europe
Bradford Wernle
July 30, 2012 06:01 CET

...Ford CFO Bob Shanks described the situation in Europe as "very, very serious," and said it could remain challenging for some time. Ford is reviewing "all areas of our business to address the near-term challenges," he said.

Ford recognizes that it has excess assembly capacity in Europe. One solution would be to close a factory, something Ford did in the United States and Canada. Ford hasn't closed a European plant since 2002.

"Ford management appears to be losing patience with Europe," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a research note issued before the second-quarter results were released. "And they should. After all, it's on track to lose more money than GM this quarter. Unfortunately, capacity exit in Europe requires years to execute."

Shanks declined to say what long-term steps the company might take to address the capacity issue. But it has taken short-term actions such as shortening workdays, reducing line speeds and laying off temporary workers. Ford expects to cut production by 31,000 units in Europe in the third quarter from year-earlier levels. In contrast, it says it will boost North American output by 34,000 units. And with capacity it has added in China and Thailand, it plans to boost production in the Asia Pacific Africa region by 65,000...


plenty More...

[2b2]

Ford not planning to close any European plants - Leftlane
By Andrew Ganz
Monday, Aug 6th, 2012

Despite ongoing economic woes and increasingly expensive manufacturing costs, Ford Motor Company says it is committed to keeping its European assembly plants even as it seeks to address over-capacity issues.

Like most automakers that build new cars in Europe, Ford has acknowledged that it has far more assembly capacity than it needs... ...complex European union deals make shutting factories down on the continent a costly and time-consuming affair.

“There are lots of ways to tackle over-capacity without shutting a factory,” Ford global manufacturing chief John Fleming told Automotive News at a summit in Traverse City, Michigan...

...By comparison, executives from other automakers – most notably Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn – have stated that their automakers are in dire need of fewer assembly plants on the continent.

[ausrutherford]

I wouldn't not even know which plant they could close. All of them are rather vital.

[2b2]

I wouldn't not even know which plant they could close. All of them are rather vital.

this is the THIRD time just today that I've been reminded (& have to post):

"if I've learned nothing else, it's that when Ford states something as "presently" or just doesn't state a specific future date/range,
it's only good FOR THAT MOMENT.

ex: when Ford said on Aug. 2 that they have no plans at present to bring Lincoln to China (Bloomberg)
that^
expired at 12:01am Aug. 3 and no longer has any meaning."


in the case of closing a plant in Europe, I fully expect a Fomoco spokesperson to say something about "AS A LAST RESORT" in about a month
with the Closure Announcement about another month after that



pre-edit
on 2nd thought, replace ^CLOSURE^ with "CONSOLIDATION"
much more 'Fordish'