Comments on: For Auto-Sector Investors, Ford Truly is the “Better Idea”

By: Why Asia Will Supplant Detroit as the Global Center of the Auto Industry

Why Asia Will Supplant Detroit as the Global Center of the Auto Industry — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:11:28 +0000

[...] Motor Co. (NYSE: F) has picked up market share in the United States from GM and Chrysler's problems. It should benefit both from "Cash for Clunkers," [...]

By: Has Asia Dethroned Detroit as the Auto Sector Leader?

Has Asia Dethroned Detroit as the Auto Sector Leader? — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:02:12 +0000

[...] that one right. One doesn’t like to blow one’s own trumpet excessively, but if you’d followed my advice in May, you would today be sitting on a profit of nearly [...]

By: Ford Loss Narrows as It Heads for a Rebound

Ford Loss Narrows as It Heads for a Rebound — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:59:28 +0000

[...] Detroit's "Big Three," Ford is the only one worth looking at for investors, Hutchinson said in May, before Chrysler sold to Fiat SpA (OTC ADR: FIATY) and GM went in and out [...]

By: Charity

Charity — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:26:32 +0000

I guess my husband and I are two people with “silliest ideologies” because we just bought a brand new Ford Fusion and we did it purposely desiring a Ford product. We are suppose to be a capitalist economy. If a business is doing bad- let the business take care of it- not the government. Another business that is more efficient will replace it. Supply, Demand, and Common sense is how our economy is suppose to work!

By: Chrysler-Fiat Deal Cleared by Supreme Court

Chrysler-Fiat Deal Cleared by Supreme Court — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:33:30 +0000

[...] Money Morning: For Auto-Sector Investors, Ford Truly is the "Better Idea" [...]

By: Kevin Beck

Kevin Beck — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:24:38 +0000

Now, if Fiat can come up with a new version of the X1/9, then maybe they would have a car worth buying; otherwise, they don't have a chance.

By: Chrysler, GM Dealer Cuts Point to More Rough Times Ahead for U.S. Automakers

Chrysler, GM Dealer Cuts Point to More Rough Times Ahead for U.S. Automakers — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:42:15 +0000

[...] The eradication of hundreds of hundreds of American auto dealerships is merely the latest development in the ongoing dismantling of the so-called U.S. “Big Three’’ – a process that seems likely to leave Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) as the last American automaker standing. [...]

By: TCN

TCN — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:56:01 +0000

As an owner of Canadian Private Companies it urked me to see the US and Canadian Governments bailout companies whose management teams not only put them in the hole their in but paid out bonuses to obviously underskilled management. In privately held business you get paid on success not on showing up for work!!! I applaud Ford for their efforts on not using Govt money to survive. I will not buy a GM or Chrysler product again and help the terrible management try to survive. I (and many of my associates) say let them go under and let the strong survive. Our economy will make it without them, we'll just drive other brands and those who it effects will adjust to other jobs. Hail to the free market! Capitalism not Communism is why we live and work in N America.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:43:04 +0000

I have owned a 91 ford aerostar and a 91 alfa romeo spider, the aerostar being new and the spider being used. The aerostars "supperior", ohhh wait "highly supperior" quality burnt my car to the ground almost catching the gas can on fire. Nearly killing me and on comming traffic on a highly busy street. Real nice quality. Real nice. I guess thats the "best detroit has to offer" My fricking alfa spider just had some clutch and electrical problems otherwise strong as an ox. Hmmmm Ill take the non life threating " safer" italian car. Thanks for your article mr. dumass (Its a pun I know.)

By: TG

TG — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:37:30 +0000

Going unnoticed under the radar of the auto bankruptcies is the 2010 Ford line up which rocks. (The Fusion hybrid gets 41 mpg)! I just bought a new '09 Escape to replace my '03 model with 74k miles and never been in the shop. Ford will surprise the markets soon enough in its turnaround results, methinks.

By: Big Surge in Secondary Stock Offerings Will Lead to a Major Uptick in IPO Profit Plays

Wed, 13 May 2009 10:02:07 +0000

[...] If the market shakes out as Hutchinson expects, Ford could emerge as only real winner among the U.S. automakers. [...]

By: Jose Velez

Jose Velez — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:48:32 +0000

You are absolutely correct. Even Ford's action today to issue 300 million shares despite short term dilution of my and other current shareholder's value is right. Ford will be the only true US car maker and will be at the top of the global auto manufacturers. So if you want to be investing, Ford is the company today to invest in!!!

By: Audra McKay

Audra McKay — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:23:25 +0000

I believe that Ford has had themost effective management than any of the other US car operations. They had the foresight to make the cars the public wanted and now they are positioning themselves to again provide the consumer wants.

Overall, I think this says a lot for the management of Ford. Ford had a conservative outlook and this has paid off. They are surviving without the taxpayers money bailing them out. I am not in favor of using taxpayers money to bail out any industry….what happens to our form of government if we let the government take over the private sector?

I know, because worked for Ford years ago.

By: Sue Byers

Sue Byers — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:14:30 +0000

I was very pleased to read that Ford is "taking care of itself".
we are a Ford and Lincoln family and business. We appreciate the product Ford puts out, a reliable, consistent product. We live in a rural area, and our business takes place in the "country." It takes the toughness of a Ford truck to get the job done and keep on working for 200,000 miles or more. In this age of bailouts, I have to appreciate a management that makes the decision to take care of business, make the necessary changes and try like hell to hang in there. As a business owner doing the same thing, I have major problems with these huge businesses that are failing, and the "big boys" are still getting bonuses.
Hang in there, Ford. You are now in the role model position.

By: Earl Ellison

Earl Ellison — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:15:42 +0000

I also keep a car until junk time or if repairs equal 15%+ of a new car selling price. It just happen to my "99 ford Escort and I looked at Ford, Toyota, & Hyundai. The Toyota Corolla was great, but steering and cost lead to getting the Hyundai Elantra. Cost, luxury, warranty, roominess, road service, mileage, & consumers reports reliability ratings made it a clear choice even though I tried hard to want a Ford Focus. My last 4 autos were used but, with the sales tax rebate for 2009 new cars, we went for the gold and love it.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:15:07 +0000

Martin, I agree with you r analysis if Ford can hold on they will do well. However your market share numbers are way off. Ford is running about 14-16% of the US light vehicle market, not 32%.

By: Lewis

Lewis — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:44:19 +0000

Ford's principal US competitors will be owned by the UAW and the US government. Both of these have shown that they will play very hard ball when it suits them. Do you believe Ford could survive the combined pressure of its UAW workers and its Washington overseers if they felt GM and Chrysler were endangered by Ford competition?

By: DG

DG — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:14:50 +0000

When it comes to automotive quality and marketing perceptions your are still living in the 80s; just like Chrysler and GM were stuck.

Fiat Automotive is not the same as Fiat Corporation; and even Fiat Automotive has moved on since the 80s.

Just an example; New Holland; Ford (!!) Tractors and even Magirus Deutz are now all part of Fiat Corp. So are Ferrari and Maserati. Guess what happened to their quality and market share since Fiat CORP took over… right it improved drastically.

There is a lot of profit to be made in the US car market; it is still the second largest in the world (after the EU common market; that is right Fiat Corp's home market). And some your states are benchmark setters for emissions standards (CAFE).

It would be unwise to ignore such an important world market for any automotive manufacturer that understand the global consolidation that is currently taking place.

Fiat Corp and some Chinese brands understand this; heck even some Russian oligarchs get this (Magna Steuer anyone) — and they should seize the opportunity American corporate mismanagement has created and profit from your tax-dollars at work!

By: John

John — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:00:19 +0000

In the past 40-50 years or so we have wanted to live far from one another – that related to mainly to racial issues, civil rights and so on (though you can publicly say what you want). We have been driven into a "family values" sort of lifestyle retreating from broader society, and instead of buying swing sets for community playgrounds, we have bought them for our individual backyards (same idea with churches, clubs, and we all took out debt to pay for things we should have shared – Yards to mow instead of parks for instance.) Parents wanted their kids to marry within their race, so with busing came private schools, and as white flight turned into suburbs we spent lots of money buying more than we should and taking on debt to make each of these little family retreats a comfortable place to be -even though what we really did is give up time with our families to do so. Lately we have finally found new ways to stay separate (in marriage, not friendship) in cities, and in schools, and now people are moving back closer to one another and to cities and enjoying those benefits while keeping their families the way they want them. Many others will be further forced back closer to one another based on commodity pricing – which will be going back up eventually thanks to all the money the fed is printing and China's emergence as a world power (China being able to pay more for commodities will increase demand whether we have recovered or not.)

Small cars will be more popular in the future than they are now. Past performance is no predictor of future results. We have been building things in stupid sort of way that cost us billions of dollars extra in gas. One other issue for automakers is that as we have been moving back into better planned towns, we have been able to get back to one car per family.

Ford is positioning itself to sell smaller efficient cars, and is not taking government money. People will be choosing Ford because of their not taking government money, the other two have a more uncertain future now for sure.

By: Richard Guardiani

Richard Guardiani — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:43:43 +0000

You are wrong. Many, many people will refuse to buy cars from GM (Government Motors) and the Chrysler equivalent. They will also refuse to buy from Ford if there is a mere hint of government interference at the decision-making level. Also, this "recession" will be "L-shaped", not "U-shaped"; higher taxes, cap and trade, universal health insurance, peak oil, inflation, and general government mucking around will make it so.