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SVT out of business?


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Unfortunately even if SVT is alive, it seems that the Ford is a musical chairs place. Every once in a while shining stars come along, then bam they are gone... Chris Theodore, John Colletti, Hau Tai-Tang. All gone....

Hau Tai-Tang gone? I didn't know this. Where did he go? Why?

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Will the current GT500 be the last "SVT" badged car from the factory?????????????

 

Well the SVT website is dead and gone and all references of SVT that were on the Ford website are wiped clean now I would say this is the last car you will ever see with the letters SVT associated with it.

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I bleed Ford Blue.

 

That being said, I think we are not going to see the Ford we know now in a year or two. They are seriously hurting. You just cant loose that much $ year after year and make it. They already unloaded several exclusive nameplates, lets hope Mazda and Volvo are not next as they make money.

 

I am not sure what Mullally is doing but he is doing it slowly. IMHO they need to bring the Euro Focus here in droves now if they want to preserve market share in what is going to be tuff times for Historic makers of trucks and SUVs. I have seen several business articles listing Ford as the most likely of the big 3 to go away. They are still a predominately privately held company and that limits their banckruptcy options severely.

 

They need to be solvent to fund the fun stuff for guys like us. Guys like us can't buy enough product to solve their woes. At this point, I want them to survive. There have been bad times before and performance returns during the better years. I wish it were otherwise.

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I don't think the reality is competing with Holden. It is competing with Toyota and Honda. They need to sell some volume to keep the machine running. Personally I think they already have the answer in the Euro Focus.

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I don't think the reality is competing with Holden. It is competing with Toyota and Honda. They need to sell some volume to keep the machine running. Personally I think they already have the answer in the Euro Focus.

 

The euro focus would not sell well when you figure how much it would cost us. The euro is alot higher and ford buyers would not pay and extra $4000 for it. Check out how the astra is doing for gm.

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They are getting out of trucks and suv's. They are playing it smart. The f150 was huge for their bottom line. They are starting to break into the B class car with the fiesta it will be a mix between euro fiesta and the verve. They are also bringing out a whole new line by 2010. Thats what your seeing and it is getting better. I loved my mach but look what we have now ;). Be patient guys they have been gluttonous for the past 15 years. Reorganiztion doesn't happen overnight.

 

Roger

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I bleed Ford Blue.

 

That being said, I think we are not going to see the Ford we know now in a year or two. They are seriously hurting. You just cant loose that much $ year after year and make it. They already unloaded several exclusive nameplates, lets hope Mazda and Volvo are not next as they make money.

 

I am not sure what Mullally is doing but he is doing it slowly. IMHO they need to bring the Euro Focus here in droves now if they want to preserve market share in what is going to be tuff times for Historic makers of trucks and SUVs. I have seen several business articles listing Ford as the most likely of the big 3 to go away. They are still a predominately privately held company and that limits their banckruptcy options severely.

 

They need to be solvent to fund the fun stuff for guys like us. Guys like us can't buy enough product to solve their woes. At this point, I want them to survive. There have been bad times before and performance returns during the better years. I wish it were otherwise.

 

The problem is that when you are 2-3 design cycles behind everybody else (except Chromoco) and have no money, it is really hard to compete.

 

I really had hoped that the big three could capitalize on the one strength the foreign competition couldn't touch and that was the bigger power cars with classic names and looks. More cars like the 300C, etc... Unfortunately $4 gas came along and the entire automotive world changed overnight. Now it is a big status symbol to drive a Prius.

 

I really wish Ford good luck, but I really can't see how they can make it work now. They can't possibly compete with a quality hybrid or even a competent sedan. They will never achieve "percieved quality" and the dealer network is still weak. The one thing I saw for them all was V8 rear wheel drive sedans with throwback styling and nameplates, but like I said $4 a gallon killed that dream.

 

I used to covet SHO's, SVT Focus, and Lightnings. I loved my SVT Contour. But now only one car brings me into the Ford dealership and that is the Mustang.

 

Build me an SVT Fusion with a 6 speed manual and I might at least test drive it. The way it stands, that car offers nothing I desire. And the Taurus......imagine an attempt at an SVT on that thing. It couldn't even happen if they put the best design team on the planet on that assignment.... The flex??? What it that thing? It looks like a darn undertakers car.

 

Ford should be run by a car guy / gal. Somebody who actually takes his cars to car shows and knows what people want. Any chance that Ford has lies directly in getting somebody in charge that doesn't care about corporate BS and simply cares about cars. They should hire Bob Lutz....that guy actually gets it...

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The problem is that when you are 2-3 design cycles behind everybody else (except Chromoco) and have no money, it is really hard to compete.

 

I really had hoped that the big three could capitalize on the one strength the foreign competition couldn't touch and that was the bigger power cars with classic names and looks. More cars like the 300C, etc... Unfortunately $4 gas came along and the entire automotive world changed overnight. Now it is a big status symbol to drive a Prius.

 

I really wish Ford good luck, but I really can't see how they can make it work now. They can't possibly compete with a quality hybrid or even a competent sedan. They will never achieve "percieved quality" and the dealer network is still weak. The one thing I saw for them all was V8 rear wheel drive sedans with throwback styling and nameplates, but like I said $4 a gallon killed that dream.

 

I used to covet SHO's, SVT Focus, and Lightnings. I loved my SVT Contour. But now only one car brings me into the Ford dealership and that is the Mustang.

 

Build me an SVT Fusion with a 6 speed manual and I might at least test drive it. The way it stands, that car offers nothing I desire. And the Taurus......imagine an attempt at an SVT on that thing. It couldn't even happen if they put the best design team on the planet on that assignment.... The flex??? What it that thing? It looks like a darn undertakers car.

 

Ford should be run by a car guy / gal. Somebody who actually takes his cars to car shows and knows what people want. Any chance that Ford has lies directly in getting somebody in charge that doesn't care about corporate BS and simply cares about cars. They should hire Bob Lutz....that guy actually gets it...

 

Tree huggers, Political correctness, and Corporate politics rule America these days and is what is going to drive this country DEEP into the ground. We are already too deep to get out IMHO.

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Well, you will see an svt esk fusion after the redesign hits. The ecoboost motor will be in place. The focus is selling with an adm right now. When the redesigned Tauras comes out they will sell as well. Look at what happened with the new chevy sedan. The thing is advertising. Spend the money to get car and driver.... and the other rags to get behind you. They started a marketing strategy that was making headway and let it fizzle when they decided a more aggressive restructure was in order. Anyway I do believe you will see more after 2010. If the new MKS/Z is a sign of the times it will get better.

 

Roger

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Here is my understanding:

 

SVT no longer exists as a seperate organizational entity within Ford, but it is alive as an overlay initiative and brand. What it means is that SVT is a secondary matrixed responsibilty for the differnet product groups (Mustang, Fusion, Ford Racing, etc)....

 

Did I just confuse things worse with my corporate speak?

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