Ford doesn't want your money

[Silver R/T]

Ford is only manufacturer (of Big Three) that didn't take bailout money. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/10/ford-bailout-money-unnece_n_149824.html


The New York Times
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July 2, 2009
June Sales at Ford Fall Less Than G.M. or Chrysler
By NICK BUNKLEY

DETROIT — Automakers had another difficult month in June, but sales figures released Wednesday included faint glimmers of hope for the industry.

The Ford Motor Company has been hoping to separate itself in consumers' eyes from its domestic rivals, General Motors and Chrysler, which have been forced to accept government lifelines and to file for bankruptcy.

June sales suggest that is happening. Ford, which has not asked for a government bailout, said its sales were down 11 percent from June 2008.

By contrast, sales fell 33 percent for General Motors, which has temporarily shut many of its factories to pare inventories, and 42 percent for Chrysler, which closed all of its United States plants while it operated in bankruptcy protection.

Ford also outsold Toyota in June for the third consecutive month, and the company is regaining share while discounting its vehicles less than G.M. and Chrysler.

Ford said its sales in more than half of the country were about even with or greater than a year ago. Stagnant demand in the West and Southeast, where the housing market has been hit hardest, dragged the company's overall sales lower.

"Ford is a much stronger brand than a lot of us give it credit for," said Jesse Toprak, executive director of industry analysis at Edmunds.com, a Web site that gives car-buying advice to consumers. "They're able to sell the car and not the deal."

The plant closings at G.M. and Chrysler cut sharply into both companies' sales to car rental companies and other business customers, but their bankruptcies have not scared away as many consumers as their executives say they had feared.

"Customers are cautiously coming back into the market, although the industry remains very weak," Mark LaNeve, G.M.'s vice president for North American sales, service and marketing, said.

Asian automakers reported declines ranging from 32 percent at Toyota to 23 percent at Nissan.

Over all, industry sales fell 28 percent compared with June 2008, a dismal figure on its own but the smallest decline since September.

"The last two months of improvements are showing signs of life in the market," said Mr. Toprak. "If nothing else we can easily say that things are not getting worse, and this is happening at a time when we're dealing with so much volatility in the marketplace. Out of that mess we came out with a number that wasn't the worst of the year, and that's positive."

Ford said this week that it was increasing production in the third quarter, which starts Wednesday, to meet the rise in demand its dealers were seeing. The company now plans to build 67,000 more vehicles than it did in the third quarter of 2008, a 16 percent increase.

"We're making steady progress and are firmly focused on our plan to build a sustainable and exciting Ford," said James D. Farley, Ford's group vice president for marketing and communications. "We remain grounded, however, given challenging industry and economic conditions."

Meanwhile, Ford's domestic rivals have had to spend time reassuring would-be customers that they are not going out of business, and have been taking a beating from late-night comics. (Conan O'Brien said President Obama should hire G.M.'s chief executive as warden of the Guantánamo Bay military prison to make sure it closes.)

Even a modest recovery would not put the market anywhere near its levels for most of the last decade, when auto sales in the United States were about 17 million a year before plummeting in the second half of 2008. Fewer than five million vehicles were sold in the first half of 2009, a decrease of nearly 37 percent.

But declining new jobless claims and higher consumer confidence ratings "suggest to us that the worst is behind us," Ford's chief sales analyst, George Pipas, said this week. "We may have seen the low point in auto sales."

Automakers are hoping for a modest jump in demand beginning later this month, when the so-called cash-for-clunkers program begins. Eligibility requirements and financing limitations will prevent the program from stimulating the market as much as automakers had hoped, but they are eager for any increase in showroom traffic it creates.

Sales were on pace to be even higher in June, but they fell off in the final week of the month, after President Obama signed the cash-for-clunkers bill. The program, which starts in late July, lets consumers trade in an older vehicle for credit toward a new, more fuel-efficient model, and automakers say they believe many shoppers, upon hearing of the program, were waiting to see if they qualified before buying a car.

"I think it definitely put some people on the sidelines at the end of the month," said Mr. LaNeve at G.M. "It softened up the last week of the month which is traditionally the week of the most sales."


GM and Chrysler were forced into taking bailout money....I don't know about that. 

[OneofNoneRT]

Sure they do..
Jun 25, 2009 ... Ford Motor Company accepted a $5.9 billion federal loan subsidy this week under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA).

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/economy/markets-mainmenu-45/1290

dont get me wrong..of the "Domestics"  I think we should look their products over first because of the way they handled this mess ( bankruptcy, Loans etc,,).

[Silver R/T]

I guess news company F***up then. First they say Ford didn't take money, others say they did...
Fact is that Ford is not losing as many sales as Chevy, Mopar or even import competitors.

[moparstuart]

isuzu stopped selling cars in the us in january and suzuki and subaru are doing so bad they may leave soon also

[hemi-hampton]

I heard Ford got a big loan back when GM & Chrysler did, Ford just did not get there loan from the government but elsewhere. LEON.

[nh_mopar_fan]

Uh, this really isn't news is it? 

Ford got private financing the year before the economy tanked. That's why they don't need any government cash.

[Todd Wilson]

Ford  refinanced a lot of thier long term debt right before the banks all took a dump. When it was easy to borrow $$$!  Chrylser was in the process of refinancing their debt last fall when the banks took a dump. Chrysler needed 30bil refinanced and could only get about 23 bil or so refinanced and was stuck with 7bil they couldnt do a thing with. They had no real choice but to take the Government money/deal.   GM is in terrible shape and also got caught in the refinance game and couldnt get it done.  Chrysler was a helathy company with many billions of cash also last fall. Between the normal refinancing of debt not happening and the major drop in auto sales put them in a bind.  Chrysler now has no debt  and like it or not is merged with Fiat a car company that  is looking to the future of cars. I think the cerebus or how ever you spell it company was what caused a lot of chryslers problems. They were in it to walk away with some fast cash not really caring if Chrysler surivived. Since it was a private held company we will never really know for sure how bad they rippee Chrysler of $$$ and walked away.

I dont doubt Ford has benefited from all this with some extra sales but bottom line is in the next few years it will be time to repay some of their debt and then they will fall short. They overall are not in that good of shape. GM is still a floundering mess. I think you will see a lean and mean Chrysler in the near future. We are al ready seeing them kick the door wide open on this cash for clunkers deal matching what you get for your clunker.

The 2010 Cummins Rams will have the first every factory engine brake  The new Charger is expected to be different.   There will aslo be a new 500  car. Joint dela with Fiat with gas and diesel engine models in the 40-50mpg range.


Todd

[hemigeno]

The 2010 Cummins Rams will have the first every factory engine brake 

Todd, is this a different style engine brake than my '07 6.7CTD has?

[Todd Wilson]

The 2010 Cummins Rams will have the first every factory engine brake 

Todd, is this a different style engine brake than my '07 6.7CTD has?

You had to order yours didnt you?   The way I understand it, its standard on all the diesels.. Exhaust style brake. Perhaps my wording was wrong.


Todd

[hemigeno]

I think back then it came standard on all the auto-equipped 6.7 CTD's then (not sure about the manual trucks), but it's been a while since I looked at the catalog.  It really is a sweet thing for towing.

[694spdRT]

I think back then it came standard on all the auto-equipped 6.7 CTD's then (not sure about the manual trucks), but it's been a while since I looked at the catalog.  It really is a sweet thing for towing.

[Silver R/T]

my uncles 3500 came with standard exhaust brake and its not 2010 model. It's 6.7 and its either 2006-2007...

[Steve P.]

I don't know about that, Todd. I drove a 3500 Diesel dually more than a year ago with an engine brake. I did not like it or the fact that you had NO CONTROL over it. That thing felt like you hit the brakes hard when all you wanted to do was coast. (Not hitting the brakes). The dealer said: Ahhh, you get use to it.  I DON'T THINK SO...  It was an automatic and felt like a stick. No coast. 

[Silver R/T]

I don't know about that, Todd. I drove a 3500 Diesel dually more than a year ago with an engine brake. I did not like it or the fact that you had NO CONTROL over it. That thing felt like you hit the brakes hard when all you wanted to do was coast. (Not hitting the brakes). The dealer said: Ahhh, you get use to it.  I DON'T THINK SO...  It was an automatic and felt like a stick. No coast. 

My uncle doesn't mind it. He tows his tandem axle trailer with bobcat on it and usually truck bed is loaded also (he's contractor) and going downhill he doesn't have to work brakes and they never burn like they used to on his F250

[Steve P.]

Just found this. :

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VERSION OF THE JACOBS EXHAUST BRAKE NOW AVAILABLE!

For the 2006 model year, Jacobs is excited to announce the Jacobs Exhaust Brake for Cummins powered automatic transmission-equipped Dodge Rams.  The Jake Brake brand exhaust brake, the only OEM-approved brake for the Cummins-powered Dodge Ram, is available at Dodge dealers and Cummins Distributors in the US and Canada. The Mopar part number for the 2006 exhaust brake (automatic and manual) is 82209823 and the Cummins part number is 4955192. The new exhaust brake utilizes updated powertrain software to maximize torque converter lock-up performance and to protect the Ram's 48RE four speed automatic transmission. This results in up to 170 retarding horsepower to provide enhanced vehicle control and increased service brake life.



Now if they made it a (CONTROLLABLE) feature, I might go for it, but the one I drove felt like I was on a killer roller coaster. Also I think i would rather waste my brakes at normal intervals than waste my Tranny... 

Also if memory serves, that tranny shifted like a race car. It was tough on my back..

Sorry for the curve in the topic.