Just saw on the 6:00 news that Ford is going to give the Taurus name to the 500. Hope it helps.
Gas_Pumps
Ford better do something because they are royally sucking right now. They need to change the car, not the name. Thank God for the F-150 or Ford would be long gone. If they keep on the same path their on, it'll be the Toyota Mustang.
Uhmmmm, yeah, as if a name change is going to help. So, to make the world a better place, lets just name unsuccessful things with a name from something slightly less unsuccessful. I got it, lets call the war on terror "Valentine Decade!". There, it's ALL fixed now. I feel better.
Ford needs to get their act together and build a PRODUCT we need, not re-name existing issues. A new name should not denote failure. You could have called the Mustang anything, it would have sold. Boy, they just DON"T get it.
Ford needs to get their act together and build a PRODUCT we need, not re-name existing issues. A new name should not denote failure. You could have called the Mustang anything, it would have sold. Boy, they just DON"T get it.
Clutching at the air. Hoping to pull something in. Catch-up ball always sux as no competitor or product buyer is going to wait for the magic "elixer" to appear. Taurus didn't get any curtain calls when it left the scene. A couple years ago, at the Chicago Auto Show, a high ranking, now retired, Ford exec openly stated to a CNN reporter that the Camry was a better car than the Taurus!! Hello!!! Taurus lost it's top selling sedan badge when it's overall reliability record became common knowledge. So now they rename a "dull normal" car with another lackluster moniker! This characterizes much of Ford's logic in the last decade or so. Oh yes, they did hatch the Exploder and it became a success only to be ridden hard, along with the Expedition and the ugh! Excursion. Unfortunately, the competition, noses to the air, sensing changes, passed them by, seriously eroding their market position. Look at Ford's stock average of late. Damn sad. Wondering if importing a car from Turkey is to be introducing another "turkey"! :crazy:
Can you imagine the stress levels in the Ford think tanks. Not a pleasent place to work. Reminds of a Seinfeld episode.......hmmmmm
http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/showtopic.php?tid/1451502/post/new/#NEW
already covered in the correct forum
already covered in the correct forum
You use to see the Taurus all over the place. It was a big seller for Ford. A lot of people owned them, so they are trying to make that reconnection (In desperation maybe). The 500 should have been named Taurus right from the start. We have a 04 escape which we like a lot, but it doesn't have many of the creature comforts I would expect. (Map light shines right in your face, no light in the glove box, instrument knobs feel "plasticky" and cheap). I would look at them (Ford) again for a new car, but the quality needs to improve. Retro 60's cars are creating a lot of excitement in the American car industry, how about bringing back another muscle type car like the Torino? ....might be interesting.
Guess I'm like the ugly short fat kid drawing attention to himself!
I'm not atraid to say I like the 500! It's a car actually made for full size people, has nice conservative stying, didn't follow the "Our car can be wierder than yours" trend.
Obviously I'm an old fart who isn't with it. I think the 500 will stand the test of time!
IMO Ford should have called it the new Taurus in the first place!
Notice Toyota doesn't keep renaming the Camry.
Adding to my unpopular opinion IMO Chrysler goofed with the Intrepid, shouild have kept the name.
Also IMO the name Mustang is a sales/marketing tool. I doubt a 2008 Pooch would be greeted/accepted like a 2008 Mustang
!
I'm not atraid to say I like the 500! It's a car actually made for full size people, has nice conservative stying, didn't follow the "Our car can be wierder than yours" trend.
Obviously I'm an old fart who isn't with it. I think the 500 will stand the test of time!
IMO Ford should have called it the new Taurus in the first place!
Notice Toyota doesn't keep renaming the Camry.
Adding to my unpopular opinion IMO Chrysler goofed with the Intrepid, shouild have kept the name.
Also IMO the name Mustang is a sales/marketing tool. I doubt a 2008 Pooch would be greeted/accepted like a 2008 Mustang
!
My point was it should not matter WHAT it is called, if it is good, it will sell. Even the Pontiac Aztec had buyers (perhaps blind and/or desperate) but not many. Calling it a Fiero wouldn't have helped.
Toyota shows that if a product is good enough, you can sell it here. Most are made here now too, so there needs to be a more concentrated effort to sell us something we want, and priced right. What do I mean by that? The model T in 1908 was just over $900. By 1926, the same model could be had for as little as $260. It was basically the same car, but because the cost of tooling had been amortized over time, Henry felt that he could still make as good of a profit and lower the cost to sell more.
Look at the Fox Mustang. From 1979 to 1993 that car, like the T was pretty much the same, but compare the prices over the life. Always up. Yes, there were technical issues that were updated, but there were with the T too. Neither car was the same at the end of their respective runs as they were at the start, but still close enough to it to lower the production costs.
Toyota shows that if a product is good enough, you can sell it here. Most are made here now too, so there needs to be a more concentrated effort to sell us something we want, and priced right. What do I mean by that? The model T in 1908 was just over $900. By 1926, the same model could be had for as little as $260. It was basically the same car, but because the cost of tooling had been amortized over time, Henry felt that he could still make as good of a profit and lower the cost to sell more.
Look at the Fox Mustang. From 1979 to 1993 that car, like the T was pretty much the same, but compare the prices over the life. Always up. Yes, there were technical issues that were updated, but there were with the T too. Neither car was the same at the end of their respective runs as they were at the start, but still close enough to it to lower the production costs.
I agree a name shouldn't matter if a car is going to sell. I have heard good things about the 500, but maybe the problem with the 500 is that Mercury and Lincoln have similar cars just with nicer options.
I did read in Motor Trend that Dodge and Chevy are going to have a hard time competing with the base model mustang. They can't price the new base model challenger and Camaro as cheap as the mustang. So thats a plus for Ford.
I did read in Motor Trend that Dodge and Chevy are going to have a hard time competing with the base model mustang. They can't price the new base model challenger and Camaro as cheap as the mustang. So thats a plus for Ford.
I had Taurus' for years, mainly company cars.Not bad because we flipped them every 2-3 years. After I retired bought a two year old 2002 Taurus wagon (We ski) with 19K on it. Just like a new car in the beginning. Then, almost immediately warped brake rotors which have been replaced twice now. In addition, the worst (noisy) struts/shocks I have ever experienced. The dealer got the car back (under warranty) 5 or 6 times and could not fix the problem in the rear. After warranty expired, fronts started to get noisy too. My son and his girlfriend both had Focus' and he tells me the struts are a joke. Coupling this with what Ford is doing to vendors with the word "Mustang" in their company's name was the last straw, I've had it. I have had until recently three cars: 68 Mustang, 83 Datsun 280ZX and the 2002 Taurus. I just bought a 97 VW Golf GTI as a winter beater (soon to be a father/son tuner car project). I looked at Ford products but passed and will continue to pass as long as they sell boring, poor quality products. This company is turning into a dinosaur! Mark
In comparing the Model T with the Mustang II you're comparing apples with bread (not oranges).
The original T was low volume with a lot of hand labor brass trim color of choice. The later T's were high volume assembly line with low paid non union workers.
Mustang II was made in the period of extremely high inflation where labor and materials were going up 10-12% a year! Home mortgages were 12%.
I had CD's that paid 10%/yr.!
Toyota, Honda and other "foriegn" cars made in the US aren't saddled with the unbelievible long term debt/obligations of GM, Ford and Chrysler because of employee benefits like pensions, lifetime insurance etc. The "foriegn" car companies don't have a huge number of people that worked there who they owe 'til they and their spouse die!
The original T was low volume with a lot of hand labor brass trim color of choice. The later T's were high volume assembly line with low paid non union workers.
Mustang II was made in the period of extremely high inflation where labor and materials were going up 10-12% a year! Home mortgages were 12%.
I had CD's that paid 10%/yr.!
Toyota, Honda and other "foriegn" cars made in the US aren't saddled with the unbelievible long term debt/obligations of GM, Ford and Chrysler because of employee benefits like pensions, lifetime insurance etc. The "foriegn" car companies don't have a huge number of people that worked there who they owe 'til they and their spouse die!
I agree that Ford, GM and Chrysler have union cost disadvantage over Jap cars, but that wouldnt matter if they build what people want - BMW and Benz for example dont have problems selling high end cars at great margins. Benz doesnt even have good quality or theyd be doing better! Lexus is another example, they are just high end toyotas after all. While the 500 is a nice car, its styling is really bland, as is the Freestyle. And their now saviour, the Edge, gets really poor mpgs. The Ford family just has too much money and not enough brains - they are managing the company like they have the Lions - terribly.
What are you saying? The Ford family far as I know has little involvemnt and doesn't meet the payroll, pay for plants, tooling etc. Even a few billion if they made it availible doesn't go far!
By the way a large part of the tradition of FOMOCO is that Henry and the Ford family is so well known and has a huge foundation.
Anyone know who Mr. GM or Mr. Toyota is? Many have heard of W.Chrysler...is there a Chrysler foundation?
I stated that I personally like the 500. No accounting for taste!
I admit I didn't like the '57 Chev when it was introduced! Thought the original Taurus too radical!
By the way a large part of the tradition of FOMOCO is that Henry and the Ford family is so well known and has a huge foundation.
Anyone know who Mr. GM or Mr. Toyota is? Many have heard of W.Chrysler...is there a Chrysler foundation?
I stated that I personally like the 500. No accounting for taste!
I admit I didn't like the '57 Chev when it was introduced! Thought the original Taurus too radical!
All Ford-critique aside, they'll probably sell more of them with the "Taurus" badge than they did with the "Five Hundred" badge.
That alone is enough reason to do it, considering the state-of-emergency they are working within.
Plus it's getting a snazzier front end and much-needed power... combine that with a decent platform and spacious packaging, it may have a chance to turn its luck around...
At least Mulally is doing....SOMETHING... for the short-term, as it will take years to accomplish substantial changes in manufacturing, product, and balance-sheet..
Alan Mulally seems to be taking the bull by the horns (no pun intended) as aggressively as Iacocca did with Chrysler years ago, using common-sense and fixing dumb decisions that are easy to fix, like dropping a name that had so much equity...
That alone is enough reason to do it, considering the state-of-emergency they are working within.
Plus it's getting a snazzier front end and much-needed power... combine that with a decent platform and spacious packaging, it may have a chance to turn its luck around...
At least Mulally is doing....SOMETHING... for the short-term, as it will take years to accomplish substantial changes in manufacturing, product, and balance-sheet..
Alan Mulally seems to be taking the bull by the horns (no pun intended) as aggressively as Iacocca did with Chrysler years ago, using common-sense and fixing dumb decisions that are easy to fix, like dropping a name that had so much equity...
The Ford family still has LOTS to do with the direction and leadership there. Bill Ford was in charge until he finally came to his senses a short time ago and turned it over to someone with successful business experience. While the charity work they do is great, Im talking about running the business. The car business today is about styling, quality and perception. The perception is that Japanese cars are higher quality and get much better mileage, which is true. The Mustang in 05, and the new Saturn Aura are good examples of what a little common sense styling can do to revive a model/brand. I think Saturn is getting it right across the brand, Ford not so much, but we will see. While the edge seems pretty good at first glance, the 500, while a real nice car did not impress the masses. Then they re-skinned the Escape, but kept a very similar cheap interior and poor drivetrain in it... Sad, because Ive been a Ford guy my whole life...
DO IT!Huskinhano said:
Bring the diesel Focus too.
Plus all the good stuff Ford AUS has!
Falcon XR8
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