What if... Ford had made all the Right Moves
If Ford had made all the Right Moves from around the turn of the century to the present, it wouldn't need a Bold Move to pull it back from the brink. This post will imagine a Ford lineup of today that could have been had the Blue Oval been bold back then. Such a lineup, we believe, would have made Ford a top contender today in terms of product. Instead, for many reasons, Ford is forced to turn itself around while mired in a product lineup that's ill suited for today's tastes. So let's put on our imagination caps and envision the lineup that Ford took a pass on.
We'll begin in the full-size sedan segment, where currently the Ford Five-Hundred and Mercury Montego are treading water. In 2003, Ford debuted the 427 Concept at the North American International Auto Show, a slab-sided rear-wheel drive sedan with tasteful retro styling cues and a honking 590-horsepower V10. It was well received, and then forgotten. The following year Chrysler began selling the 2005 300C, a slab-sided rear-wheel drive sedan with tasteful retro styling cues and available V8 power. Ford missed the boat big time here. In our imaginary lineup, the Ford 427 would be the Blue Oval's flagship sedan, either produced on the same platform as the new Mustang (four-door Mustang?) or the Australian-built Falcon. In fact, if Ford had the foresight and desire, it could have found in the 427 a replacement for the Crown Victoria, as well. In our lineup, one big rear-wheel drive sedan atop Ford's lineup would replace both the Vickie and the Five-Hundred. One day the Crown Vic will have to be replaced anyway, and law enforcement and taxi services are just going to have to deal with it. After the 427 had established itself in the marketplace, Ford could then have worked on switching over its fleets customers to the new model, replacing Crown Vic production with more capacity for the 427.
Speaking of the Ford Five-Hundred, this large sedan with Passat styling should have never been a Ford at all. The decision to produce it seemed to come at a time when Ford didn't have a cohesive plan for its products, so it was given the green light, along with the Freestyle and Mercury Montego, and so Ford's stuck with it now. But all is not lost, as there is room for these vehicles in our imaginary lineup. The Five-Hundred and Freestyle should have never come to be, at least now with Blue Ovals badges, but giving Mercury the Montego and the Meta One (shown), a version of the Freestyle built just for Merc, would have been the right move. With the Montego and Meta One, Mercury would have a pair of unique vehicles all their own, something that without which the brand remains a parasite on Ford's own products. The Five-Hundred/Montego and Freestyle are good products, which is why they remain in our lineup (just not in Ford's), but Ford didn't believe in Mercury enough at the time, and still doesn't despite claiming all the while that the brand is viable.
Moving down a segment we reach the Fusion, which is a great Ford product. As a matter of fact, its design was clearly inspired by the 427 Concept, though it should have come out after the 427 had reached production as a larger, rear-wheel drive sedan and established itself as the new hotness. Again, let's look at Chrysler, which delivered unto us the 300C and the Dodge Charger, and now we're being given the front-wheel drive Avenger that steals all its great styling cues from the in-your-face Charger and packages them in a more accessible platform. Ford had this opportunity and passed. But alas, the Fusion arrived without a big brother, but it's attractive, has good handling and is the best built Ford in ages. Despite the cries of many, including myself, that Ford should bring over the next generation Mondeo from Europe, we're going to make the call that the Fusion can handle the mid-size front-wheel drive segment for Ford in North America just fine on its own. So the Fusion stays, although in our lineup there would be no balking about offering it with the new, more powerful 3.5-liter V6. It would have launched with this engine and all-wheel drive as an option. Would Mercury still get the Milan? We'll leave that up to you, but it needs something to offer below the Montego, that's for sure.
The Focus. Not much else needs to be said about this car. Our current Focus was a contender back in the day. It performed well in the marketplace, despite some quality issues early on, and got Ford back in the game at the lower end of the spectrum. But let's face it folks, the Euro Focus built on the C1 chassis should have replaced our current Focus by now. It's in our imaginary lineup (along with a new SVT version!) and we're certain there's a market for premium small cars that could support it. The argument that customers here don't want to pay more for better built small cars is bunk. The fact is, each generation of a vehicle gets larger are more expensive than the last, and by now the Focus should be as large and expensive as its Euro-counterpart. It should be its Euro-counterpart. Instead, development of the Focus has slowed to a trickle, and I'm hard pressed at the moment to think of another small car that hasn't been substantially redesigned since the Focus debuted in 2000. Even the Sentra's all-new! It's the oldest car on the block and has no place in our lineup in its current form.
Now we go even further down the lineup where currently resides a large, vacant hole. Again we look across the pond where Ford of Europe has not one, but two small cars available: the Ford Fiesta and Ka. We would cherry pick the larger Fiesta for our lineup, because we don't think Americans are quite ready for a real minicar, but by this time Ford would have a diesel engine on the ready for the 2007/08 model year and have a compact capable of 60 mpg on the highway. Prius, who? Mark our words, whoever is first to offer North American customers a small, diesel-powered car that can equal or exceed the economy of that most beloved hybrid will make a huge impact. Plus, the market is ripe for a competitor to the MINI that captures that car's charm and razor handling, but offers it for less.
What about the upcoming production version of the Fairlane Concept? Development of that vehicle should proceed, as we would market it as Ford's answer to the modern minivan, a decent example of which the Blue Oval was never able to produce. However, in our lineup the Fairlane wouldn't be sitting on a dealer lot next to the Freestyle, which is pretty much the same thing but a little smaller. The Freestyle would be over at the Mercury dealership, leaving the Fairlane alone to attract customers seeking something different from a minivan and not quite a station wagon from Ford.
Finally, we come to the Mustang. The Mustang is literally Ford's only homerun in the last few years. It's receiving constant attention and development, despite lacking any direct competition for at least another two years, and for the past couple of months has been Ford's best selling passenger vehicle. The Mustang, however, should have been developed in conjunction with other products, like the 427 and, perhaps, a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan for Lincoln to properly replace the LS and/or Town Car. In our estimation, not developing the Mustang in conjunction with other products to distribute the burden was a big missed opportunity, and a particularly sad one. Ford was the only mainstream domestic brand that didn't completely abandon the rear-wheel drive platform at some point in the last decade. Chevy did. Dodge did. But Ford carried on with the Mustang and Crown Vic. Unfortunately, it developed the Mustang in isolation and has nothing to share now that rear-wheel drive is back in vogue.
So there you have it. Gone would be the Crown Vic, Five-Hundred and Freestyle, and instead Ford's lineup of passenger cars would include the rear-wheel drive 427, front- and all-wheel drive Fusion, C1-based Focus and Fiesta from Europe, and the Mustang. Meanwhile, Mercury would be offering the Milan, Montego and Meta-One, perhaps all with available hybrid drivetrains to further separate Mercury's image from that of Ford's. Lincoln would also likely keep its MKZ/Zephyr, but would have another, larger rear-wheel drive sedan in place of the now defunct LS and aged Town Car.
We haven't discussed trucks, SUVs or CUVs at all in this post, which we'll address in a later one. And keep in mind, we know nothing of the logistics that would have been required to pull off a lineup like this, but we can't imagine it would have been as difficult as what faces Ford today. We're curious to hear your thoughts, though. Imagine your own dream Ford lineup that could've been. Would it look like this one?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
vectorbug 8:10PM (10/13/2006)
What about the GT?
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Tom 8:13PM (10/13/2006)
I definetely agree with your suggestion about making the 427 but, also think there should have been a Lincoln derivative. Ford simply needs to drop Mercury as a branch and focus on Ford and Lincoln
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Carlos Rivera 8:42PM (10/13/2006)
I agree with all of you, with that lineup the story would be very diferent
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Alex Nunez 8:30PM (10/13/2006)
#2, Lincoln's another ball of wax. The Continental concept should have been built to headline that division. Talk about a missed opportunity...
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Michael 8:20PM (10/13/2006)
I wholeheartedly agree that Ford could have and should have done something with its boring lineup in the past product cycle. They also had a Lincoln Continental concept similar to the 427 concept (large rear drive vehicle with mild retro design cues) that would have done well in this current market. I suspect that the upcoming MKS will not be the savior for Lincoln as well. Why do the two domestic auto manufacturers seem to build better cars for the European and Australasian markets than the domestic one?
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idawson 8:24PM (10/13/2006)
Finally someone puts to light the fact that the 427 would have been a hit in this 300C world. Ford needs to start being an innovative leader if it wants to survive.
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DJ 10:58PM (10/13/2006)
OK, keep the Fusion, but replace the MKwhatever with the European Mondeo in Lincoln trim as a TL fighter.
If they have to keep Mercury, then kill the Freestyle and use it as the Meta One. Also bring the Massenger concept into production.
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Sammy B 8:29PM (10/13/2006)
I agree with the post. I also agree that Mercury can stand up in its own right if it is given the kind of character and attention that it needs to compete. Having a badge that is more of a mid-level luxury sport mark is exactly what it needs to be. I may be a little biased based on my love of the 60's mercury cougar, but so be it. Mercury can be a brand that sits in the same spot that Pontiac is being placed. A domestic competitor to the likes of BMW.
That said... if only things were the way you write about them. I think the key right now is rear wheel drive. One thing that was overlooked was that development costs could have been spread out with Jaguar, perhaps the S-Type. This would have been a much more successful use of this asset than the short lived rebirth of the thunderbird.
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Robert O 8:29PM (10/13/2006)
I agree about the 427, but what about that slab-sided Lincoln that harkened back to the classic 60's Continental? Another missed opportunity. And lets talk about a Ford Ranger that is practically 25 years old. Ugh! The market needs a small truck. Better alignment of their products around the world should help. I see some of these European and Australian offerings and I wonder what's up with the North American market?
In the final analysis, until the quality and reliability are equal to Toyota or Honda, looks and performance can't save any U.S. auto manufacturer. My 81 Lynx died with 30K on it when the timing belt broke and killed the engine. My 86 Ranger lost its transmission at 100K, at a cost of $2K to replace. Now, why am I supposed to buy these cars???
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Dan 8:40PM (10/13/2006)
I believed most of your thoughts are "spot on" and I agree.
I woulld also add a new Mustang based, retro style Mercury Cougar. As it was 40 years ago this would be an up-scale version of the RWD Stang and it would now compete with the G35, IS350, and BMW 3 series.
I would also produce the REFEX with Bio-Diesel Hybred - 65 MPG. They would not be able to produce these fast enough to meet demand!
Ford just needed to up-date the RWD Lincoln LS - it was a great car and with a freshening it could easily go up against the BMW 5 series and the GS300/400 class.
Ford really just needs to got for it with in-your-face American bold styling (as in the 427 concept) and not water down the products as to not offend anyone.
Also - all of these products should be offered with a reasonable choice of engines (small-medium-large). They should also be offered with Bio-Diesel Hybrids that get 60 MPG to over 80 MPG.
Ford would be making a lot of $$$$$. Let's hope they are able to find the one thing they have been missing for a couple of decades - and that is PASSION, PASSION, PASSION for great cars!!!!
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Rob 8:48PM (10/13/2006)
speaking of the mustang, i actually have one right now as a rental vehicle. it drives great and looks great too (its red!), especially on the outside. inside, though, the plastics used on the doors and the dashboard remind me of the econoline vans we rent sometimes to move stuff. i can't understand how a car as nice as the mustang (ford's bread and butter) has such cheap plastics! i would definitely consider buying one myself based on its exterior looks and the way it drives, but i don't think i could spend so much time surrounded by such a cheap interior. i do give ford kudos for its cool retro styling on the steering wheel though...
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Dan 8:54PM (10/13/2006)
Does anyone at Ford Motor Company read this stuff?
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Chivo 9:07PM (10/13/2006)
The 427 would of been the perfect competitor to the 300C/Charger. Too bad Ford is full of idiots.
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Phil 9:17PM (10/13/2006)
How can you compare the Fiesta to the Prius? They're in a different size league, for a start. People that buy the Prius in Europe would never have considered the Fiesta. And vice versa. Here in Ireland you're seeing a lot of taxi-drivers take on the Prius. It's about as small as would be acceptable for a taxi. The Fiesta carries two in comfort, four at a push
You've also neglected to mention other small cars on offer from Ford: the European, Fiesta-based Fusion, the C-Max (a Focus on stilts, as to call it an MPV would be false advertising, of sorts), and the S-Max, at a stretch. It's a seven-seater, but not in the true sense the way the Galaxy is.
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Gardiner Westbound 9:13PM (10/13/2006)
Ford's most pressing issues are quality control and customer relations. There is little point in producing great looking cars if they spend most of the time in the shop and only the favored few benefit from the secret warranties.
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dude 9:18PM (10/13/2006)
You're using Chrysler as a comparision of strategic vision?! LOL
The Chrysler 300 has little staying power due to it's limited appeal. It sold well early in it's cycle but is now fading fast. So building the 427 would not have been a remedy for Ford. Additionally, police departments and taxi companies are not the only ones that buy the Crown Vic, lots of seniors still buy them.
And enough with the Euro version of the Focus please! Ford is right by simply freshening the design of the Focus instead of wasting money importing the Euro Focus, because the euro Focus looks so similar to the current Focus that the average person isn't going to know the damn difference. The currenet Focus is the only car that Ford sells that provides the combination of low price/good mileage/good handling/good reliability. (even Consumer Reports recommends the car). Ford should have spent more advertising dollars promoting the Focus and stressing these great qualities in the car.
Lastly, they should never have killed off the Taurus. It was once the best selling car in America and even when it wasn't it still had major name recognition with consumers, and was periodically recommended by CR. What they needed to do was keep improving it's quality and give it a less offensive design.
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Chivo 9:27PM (10/13/2006)
Dude, your are completely wrong about the 300. Yes, the 300 is slowing down in sales, but it is slowing down at the same pace that the average car sales slows down; even an Accord and Camry slow down in sales after a couple of years in the market.
And you failed to mention the Charger, which has actually INCREASED in sales. It is selling more per month than it did in the last six months of '05.
Therefore the 427 would have been a hit for Ford. Sheesh, DCX is well on its way to selling over 220,000 LX cars this year. How is that a failure?
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Tim UF 9:50PM (10/13/2006)
chevy always had the vette, a RWD V8 car, granted it (the corvette) really is its own brand...
otherwise... great article.
and yea, while DCX was releasing cars that resembled their concepts, ford was throwing out concepts as design studies... the only thing i saw with the 427 concept that made it unrealistic was the V10 (and they easily couldve tuned the triton V10 for a SVT 427). Ford retooled the crown vic recently, significantly strengthening the frame... they couldve adapted the 427 concept in that retooling, and still called it a crown victoria.
Ford also could get more street cred for the lincoln brand. the navigator was popularized by hip hop culture, why not try and make the other lincolnc "cool"? Worried about alienating the classic towncar/conti crowd? they don't watch mtv anyway. (and if they do, they want a Navi with 24's). The Lincoln LS from most accounts was a very competant car, just was never pushed well in marketing. Oneof the best commercials for a car ever was for the Mark VII that couldnt make it under the bar when it idled, but at highway speeds, it slipped under it (was an ad for lincolns speed sensitive suspension, and it for the late 80's mark series coupe). aside from the navigator with the dancing automated movement bits, i cant remember any other licoln commercials... caddy on the other hand has had quite a few.
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Hagetaka 9:41PM (10/13/2006)
Add one more to the list- instead of approving the over-priced, under-marketed and all-around mediocre new Thunderbird for a very short run of poor sales, the Ford on Earth-2 approves the Ford Forty-Nine concept for general production. You thought retro sold with the PT Cruiser and new Mustang?
Do a Google search and tell me you wouldn't love seeing it around.
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ckm 9:43PM (10/13/2006)
Lack of continuity. That's the problem with both Ford and GM.
Look at successfull Asian and European manufacturers. They develop models over decades to make them into icons. VW GTI, 3-series, C-class, Accord, Camry. These are badges which represent a certain segment and consitently delivery what the badges promise.
The Lincoln LS and the Taurus are the worst examples of lack of continuity. Here, by all accounts, were two great cars that were killed of because? No one knows, but all the $$$$ spent on building up those badges have been lost.
If a customer, buying a new car every 3-4 years, has to re-educated themselves about your model lineup, they'll just go elsewhere.
Chris.
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