US Automobile Industry: Ford cutting 1,400 jobs - by Chris Isidore

The company said Wednesday that it expects to use early retirement and other buyout packages to cover most of the cuts. Most of the workers will depart by the end of September.

The reductions will mostly be in North America and the Asia Pacific region. The automaker's product development unit and Ford Credit will be spared, as will operations in Europe and South America, which have already cut staff, and Africa and the Middle East, where Ford is trying to grow.

The company said Wednesday that it expects to use early retirement and other buyout packages to cover most of the cuts. Most of the workers will depart by the end of September.

The reductions will mostly be in North America and the Asia Pacific region. The automaker's product development unit and Ford Credit will be spared, as will operations in Europe and South America, which have already cut staff, and Africa and the Middle East, where Ford is trying to grow.

The cuts do not include the hourly workers on the assembly lines at American factories, who have union protection. About 57,000 members of the United Auto Workers union work at the company.

General Motors and Fiat Chrysler have cut hourly jobs since the end of last year, as the first decline in U.S. auto sales since 2009 has resulted in excess inventories of new cars on dealer lots. 

Read more: Ford cutting 1,400 jobs - May. 17, 2017

Car Industry: Ford’s hot hatchback has Volkswagen playing catch-up - by Craig Trudell

Stan Visnesky wanted to spice up his daily drive with a souped-up small hatchback. Rather than go for a more popular and pricey road rocket from Germany’s Volkswagen, Visnesky bought Ford Focus ST.

“It’s definitely a steal,” said Visnesky, 26, of Deptford, N.J. He paid $27,000 in December for his black Focus ST with racing seats and touch-screen controls. “For anything around the same specs, you’d be paying probably more than $30,000.” 

Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally had many triumphs to discuss Thursday at his seventh annual meeting at the helm of the No. 2 U.S. automaker. Ford is on a winning streak with its new Fusion mid-size sedan complementing the F-Series truck line. Now Dearborn-based Ford also is appealing to more young male buyers in a corner of the market ruled for the past 30 years by Volkswagen: racy little hatchbacks.

Read more: Ford’s hot hatchback has Volkswagen playing catch-up - The Trentonian

Ford will close three European plants at a cost of $1.5 billion - by Jerry Hirsch

Ford Kia

Ford Motor Corporation has launched a broad restructuring of its European operations, a move that will shutter plants in England and Belgium, cost  about 6,000 workers their jobs and will incur a $1.5-billion loss for its business in the region this year.

“The challenges facing the European car industry have become more structural than cyclical in nature and require decisive action. The actions we are proposing come after extensive review and consideration,” said Stephen Odell, chief executive of Ford of Europe.

The automaker said its business in the U.S. and elsewhere is strong enough to offset the money it is bleeding in Europe. Excluding one-time items, its third-quarter 2012 pre-tax profit and earnings per share will top this year’s second quarter “despite the substantial loss in Europe,” Ford announced.

Previously, Ford said it expected to lose about $1 billion in Europe this year. Ford will release its full third-quarter financial results on Oct. 30.


Read more: Ford will close three European plants at a cost of $1.5 billion - latimes.com

Bloomberg.com: . Ford Returns to U.S. Minivan Market by Adapting Car From Europe - by Keith Naughton

For the complete report from Bloomberg.com click on this link

Ford Returns to U.S. Minivan Market by Adapting Car From Europe - by Keith Naughton

Ford Motor Co. will start selling a new small U.S. minivan in late 2011, five years after exiting the market for those vehicles, by adapting a model from Europe. The Grand C-Max, based on the Focus compact car, will seat seven and have minivan-style sliding rear doors, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief. Dearborn, Michigan- based Ford unveiled the auto today at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Ford is targeting baby boomers’ offspring, known as Millennials or Generation Y, as they enter the child-rearing years, Kuzak said. The wedge-shaped design is a departure from the Windstar and Freestar minivans that were outsold more than 4-to-1 in 2006, their last year, by Chrysler Group LLC’s Dodge Caravan.

Wired.com: Electric Cars - Ford's First Electric Car is a Delivery Van assembled in Turkey with a British motor

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Electric Cars - Ford's First Electric Car is a Delivery Van assembled in Turkey with a British motor

Ford confirmed today that commercial customers will have the choice of ordering their 2010 Ford Transit Connect with a battery or electric power train. The announcement also said the delivery van formerly known as the Smith Ampere will be proudly re-rebadged with a blue oval when it appears at "select Ford dealerships" sometime next year. We're thrilled to see a domestic carmaker selling a fully electric vehicle, even though this one will be assembled in Turkey with a British motor.

Global Product Development VP Derrick Kuzack said that Ford is positioning the electric Transit Connect as the "strong, silent type," perfect for customers who are interested in environmental sustainability but need a rugged work truck. According to Smith, who converts the Transit Connect for electric operation, the van will get 100 miles per charge, reach 70 mph, and can silently carry almost 1,800 pounds -- perfect for early morning deliveries.

Motortrend.com: To Sell Volvo, or to Say You're Selling Volvo - by Todd Lassa

For the complete report from Motor Trend click on this link

To Sell Volvo, or to Say You're Selling Volvo - by Todd Lassa

Ford is in the same position with Volvo that GM is with its Hummer division. Volvo's sales in the U.S. this year have been nearly as dismal as Hummer's. And it's not doing that much better in Europe. Now that Ford has made the most of sharing the Volvo's S60/S80 platform with cars like the Taurus, Flex and Lincoln MKS, Ford is ready to return to simple, streamlined roots, concentrating on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury. That last brand will be essentially a collection of trim bits and grilles on Ford models, designed to keep Lincoln dealers happy with high-volume, low-priced models. No matter what you think of Mercury's future, its cars are cheap to build and necessary in keeping Lincoln from going further downmarket. So this is the best possible time for Ford to sell Volvo. It's also the worst, in that it won't find the kind of buyer it needs: a full-volume automaker that can build Volvos with shared parts from its low-priced lines. Rumors that BMW was interested a few years ago were nothing more than rumors; it doesn't build low-priced cars, and after nine years owning Rover almost brought BMW down, it doesn't need another semi-premium front-wheel-drive brand. Both Renault and Fiat could attract buyers with Volvo who wouldn't consider Renaults or Fiats, but Fiat already has its hands full trying to reverse the decline it brought on for the reputation of its Lancia brand. Renault/Nissan's Carlos Ghosn already has dismissed the idea of buying or merging with other automakers in the current economy.

The Real Truth: GM, Ford “On Verge of Bankruptcy”?

For the complete report from The real Truth click on this link

GM, Ford “On Verge of Bankruptcy”?

U.S. automotive giants General Motors and Ford Motor Company are facing record losses as they work to restructure under a threat of bankruptcy. Professor Robert Altman of NYU’s Stern School of Business told Bloomberg that “both are in very serious shape and the markets reflect that.” According to Prof. Altman’s mathematical formula for measuring risk, both companies are “on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Posting a $38.7 billion loss in 2007, GM’s troubles appear to stem from circumstances in the market. With the high cost of fuel, the company was slow to react to the higher demand for fuel efficient vehicles, and instead continued producing larger SUV’s, trucks, and commercial vehicles. This large loss and the bankruptcy of a major part supplier—combined with the fact that GM has not turned a profit since 2004—place the company in what appears to be a real threat of bankruptcy, according to Prof. Altman.