The Conservative Cave

Current Events => Economics => Topic started by: Chris_ on July 24, 2008, 11:22:51 AM

Title: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Chris_ on July 24, 2008, 11:22:51 AM
Quote
Ford Reports Nearly $9B Loss

(AP) Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it lost $8.67 billion in the second quarter largely because of a reduction in the value of assets.

The company also announced that it will bring six European small car models to North America by the end of 2012 as it deals with a market shift from trucks to cars brought on by high gasoline prices. The company also will retool two more North American truck and sport utility vehicle plants to build small, fuel-efficient vehicles.

The second-quarter loss was $3.88 per share, compared with net profit of $750 million, or 31 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

The loss includes $8.03 billion worth of write-offs because of a decline in value of North American assets and Ford Motor Credit Co.'s lease portfolio. Even excluding those special items, Ford lost 62 cents per share, worse than Wall Street expected. Twelve analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, on average, expected a 27 cent loss per share.

Ford's second-quarter revenue was $38.6 billion, down $5.6 billion from the year-ago period. Analysts expected $34.6 billion.

Ford said it will retool the Michigan Truck plant in suburban Detroit, shifting its products from large SUVs to make global vehicles off the European Focus platform by 2010.

The SUVs made at Michigan Truck - the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition - will be shifted to the Kentucky Truck plant in Louisville.

LINK (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/24/business/main4289322.shtml)

Ouch.  How much more "stimulus" like this can the US Economy take?
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: DumbAss Tanker on July 24, 2008, 11:56:02 AM
The performance of the stock is beginning to mirror that of the electrical systems in every Ford product I've ever owned.
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Jim on July 24, 2008, 12:01:59 PM
The performance of the stock is beginning to mirror that of the electrical systems in every Ford product I've ever owned.


The funny thing about what you mention is that the one thing Ford did to help Jaguar was to vastly improve their sorry electrical engineering issues (as well as general reliability ones) ! 
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: DumbAss Tanker on July 24, 2008, 01:30:36 PM
The performance of the stock is beginning to mirror that of the electrical systems in every Ford product I've ever owned.


The funny thing about what you mention is that the one thing Ford did to help Jaguar was to vastly improve their sorry electrical engineering issues (as well as general reliability ones) ! 

From where they started, anything was an improvement.  Unfortunately GM's transmissions are just not nearly as durable as Ford's, and the Ford electrical stuff is a whole lot cheaper to fix when it does fail (and it will).
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Chris_ on July 24, 2008, 01:36:55 PM
The performance of the stock is beginning to mirror that of the electrical systems in every Ford product I've ever owned.


The funny thing about what you mention is that the one thing Ford did to help Jaguar was to vastly improve their sorry electrical engineering issues (as well as general reliability ones) ! 

Perhaps, but as an automotive purist, I prefer my Jags (warts and all), pre Ford.

All Ford managed to accomplish besides the previously mentioned quality issues, is take one of the world's most beautiful automotive designs, and turn it into an expensive "Taurus".

doc
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Lauri on July 25, 2008, 11:26:46 AM
well, hopefully the Barackstar!! will just nationalize all the auto makers across the world ..  :popcorn:
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Chris_ on July 25, 2008, 11:31:14 AM
well, hopefully the Barackstar!! will just nationalize all the auto makers across the world ..  :popcorn:

He will just give a free Ford to everyone who is poor.  That fixes two problems, right?
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Lauri on July 25, 2008, 11:33:14 AM
well, hopefully the Barackstar!! will just nationalize all the auto makers across the world ..  :popcorn:

He will just give a free Ford to everyone who is poor.  That fixes two problems, right?



well, is that the actual poor, or the idiots with cell phones who just think theyre poor? cause... i could see how Barry would confuse those ..
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: RobJohnson on July 25, 2008, 12:04:50 PM
The performance of the stock is beginning to mirror that of the electrical systems in every Ford product I've ever owned.

 :-)
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Chris_ on July 25, 2008, 07:09:20 PM
At least they're getting smart and bringing over some of the good stuff from Europe, where Ford has a solid presence.

http://www.conservativecave.com/index.php/topic,2210.0

(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/kayaktn/08focus_Europe_small.jpg)
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Chris_ on July 26, 2008, 08:00:50 PM
2009 Ford Festiva (http://www.popsci.com/cars/gallery/2008-07/london-motor-show-2008)
Quote
As for high-volume global cars, Ford’s usual singing-and-dancing hoopla revealed the new Fiesta. Singing star Alesha Dixon and backup dancers unveiled the car amidst pounding music, strobe lights, smoke effects, and confetti. On the green end of the range, the Fiesta ECOnetic returns an astounding 61 mpg from its 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine. Its CO2 emissions of 98 g/km, in fact, exempt it from British Road Tax (annual registration) altogether.
All that, and no batteries.   :cheersmate:
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: Chris_ on July 26, 2008, 08:57:50 PM
Ha!  I was right.  :-)

HOLY CRAP, IT'S A CONVERTIBLE!  And it looks good.  At least it looks good compared to the dullsville sedan-omatic US customers will not be buying.  If the board of directors at Ford are scratching their heads wondering why their US market share is evaporating, this would be a good place to start looking.  To make things even more unfair, there will probably be a diesel version sold overseas.  With a turbo.  Forget the Prius, if you want 50 mpg in a small car that you can actually drive, drop a turbo diesel where the four-banger used to be.


edit:  okay, I realize that is the Focus and not a Festiva, but still.  :p


edit x2:  I think they should probably start using car names with a little more cachet than the Festiva.  The Falcon was a nice little car before it morphed into the Mustang.
Title: Re: Ford Reports Nearly $9 Billion Loss
Post by: NHSparky on July 27, 2008, 07:19:37 AM
61 mpg?  Even at $4.80/gallon for diesel, that's a steal.