Ford tries simply offering what people want
At the prodding of Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Co. is relenting and giving its customers what they want. At least most of them. What Ford's up to is reducing the number of options for buyers to choose from and rolling all that goodness into the standard package. By reducing the number of possible variations on the general theme, production costs decrease. With fewer configurations, things move more smoothly at the assembly level, and engineering and management costs decrease, as well. The effort has already kicked off, and it will snowball from model to model, making it easier for customers to get what they want, and increasing the odds that dealers will have the cars customers want on their lots. The simplification effort is a step that can be enacted quickly; a lot faster than bringing over a platform from somewhere else. It's all part of an effort to chip away at the losses and return black ink to the ledger. More stuff, packaged the way we like it? Sounds like a win.
[Source: Auto News - sub req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
J.Crew 10:08AM (10/30/2007)
Sounds like a good idea, I just hope they price it right as well.
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Marcin 10:16AM (10/30/2007)
So when can I get my F-150 with a V6 Turbo Diesel?
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Steve 10:17AM (10/30/2007)
This would be a great idea if everyone really did want the same thing.
With this kind of thinking, it won't be long before we all have one choice (someone else's): 4-cylinder automatics.
If money is the only factor, we could go back to the original Henry Ford idea -- "You can get it in any color you want as long as it's black."
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Shipey 10:41AM (10/30/2007)
Just FYI,
While most people attribute that quote to Ford, there is no record of him actually saying it. Also, Model T's were available in a variety of colors, so it doesn't really ring true.
Dan Roth 10:49AM (10/30/2007)
I think the move to black paint on the T was because it was the only color that would dry in the allotted time - or is that another myth?
At its inception, the T was available in a variety of colors, which then went to only black - color returned with the A, though.
BLS 10:18AM (10/30/2007)
What??????? I need 1,000 different editions of the Mustang. What will I do with out every choice ever?
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compy386 10:19AM (10/30/2007)
While I typically prefer the a la carte approach to buying a car, the problem with that is you can never find the exact car you want. Binning options together is in economic terms a better approach (think cable TV).
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policyvote 10:23AM (10/30/2007)
It also sucks. Oh, you want the upgraded sound system in your sports car? Sorry, you HAVE to get leather seats, because everyone knows that freezing in winter, scorching in summer, and sliding off the seat in corners are integral components of the sports car driving experience.
/rant
Peace
policy
compy386 10:28AM (10/30/2007)
Yeah it does some times. It's one of my biggest complaints about Mazda. I'd actually like leather seats, but oh you can't get it unless you get the grand touring package.
Araemo 11:12AM (10/30/2007)
Or, for my car: To get Anti-lock brakes, you HAVE to get the sunroof and upgraded sound system. What does a safety feature have to do with a subwoofer taking up trunk space and a sunroof?
Tool 10:25AM (10/30/2007)
This is the first BOLD MOVE I've seen Ford make.
Simplifying the line-up and streamlining the packages makes total sense. Look what GM did with the new Chevy Malibu. Same thing. Three levels and each one with very few options, if any. Very similar to Honda.
If you want to beat Toyota/Honda/Nissan, you've got to take a few plays out of their playbook.
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ChristianD 10:26AM (10/30/2007)
All this really means is we'll go back to having 3 packages. There will be the bare minimum for the college students, the medium package with Sport wheels, the extra cup holder and optional leather and finally the luxury package with all the goods thrown in. Sounds like a sane plan to me. Options just keep you talking to the salesman longer anyway, when you should be looking straight at the business manger to begin with.
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Christian 10:28AM (10/30/2007)
All this really means is we'll go back to having 3 packages. There will be the bare minimum for the college students, the medium package with Sport wheels, the extra cup holder and optional leather and finally the luxury package with all the goods thrown in. Sounds like a sane plan to me. Options just keep you talking to the salesman longer anyway, when you should be looking straight at the business manger to begin with.
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Da rookie 11:09AM (10/30/2007)
Nice, in fact this works well for the japanese (but that doesnt mean it will work for Ford). On the other hand, japanese manufacturesr lose clients because of silly packages in Europe. If you need dual zone aircon, buy xenon and sunroof, yet the price of the package is much higher than the option originally wanted. I wonder if it will work out over there in the US...
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Gardiner Westbound 10:31AM (10/30/2007)
The car business has come full circle. U.S. automakers invented options to understate car prices. In the 50s even the heater, mirrors and turn signals were "available". Few could tolerate the advertised stripper even if they found one on a dealer's lot.
Manufacturing costs and shipping distances forced Japanese automakers to offer well equipped cars from the outset. Consumers couldn't believe a radio was standard equipment and that there were no "ups" on the advertised price.
Now the Japanese makers are offering myriads of options to keep advertised prices low, if largely fictional, and Detroit will offer complete cars.
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tanooki2003 10:34AM (10/30/2007)
Sorry Ford I'm not buying this new line of bull to save you a few pennies. You have already proved that your current 3 bar grille design is hideous, the new focus is more than just an insult to us Americans who are looking for something more unique, not cliche, and not listening to anyone when it comes to your offerings. The stupid mustang and F-150 are just not enough.
The ONLY way for you to have cars that people like is to import almost all platforms from Europe and Australia to here because the American designs here are just plain atrocious and god awful. Also fire every person in charge of designing, designers, and any other old farts that are still stuck in the 60's, 70's, and 80's when it comes to only predicting the consumer's tastes in cars for the next 3-7 years instead of actually listening and considering the consumer's choices.
I don't care to hear about the cost of importing, what people are willing to spend...blah blah blah blah. Just do it damnit and stop delaying and denying what people want. It's no wonder the import companies are gaining more and more customers, I myself included. Ford would have been the Only domestic company i would still buy if they did not kill their entire car lineup and given us crap.
Come on Ford!!! If GM can do it with success why the hell are you just giving us excuses and more crap on top of insults. For your sake i better see something imported or halfway decent at the 2008 Auto show in CHicago that will make it's way to production or that's it. I want to see at least a Mondeo or SMAX here, weather it is branded as a Mercury or Ford
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Dan Roth 11:14AM (10/30/2007)
Did you miss the part where I said:
"The simplification effort is a step that can be enacted quickly; a lot faster than bringing over a platform from somewhere else."
Mulally's on record about trimming the number of global platforms, eradicating duplication, and streamlining offerings. That stuff takes time. You can't just "bring over" a model from another market. They need to be federalized, which takes a lot of time, management, and engineering to ensure the car behaves properly and performs to the level of reliability and refinement that our market will bear.
This is something they can do in concert with the overarching effort, and it's quick to implement. This is what the Japanese brands do, for the most part, and it seems to work well for them.
Allan 10:43AM (10/30/2007)
It has potential to work. Take the basic (most common?) options and make them standard. Power everything, a few safety things, etc.
Then do NOT make packages out of the rest. Let people pick and choose. Or if you want to have packages to let them save a few $ on multiple things they want, keep them simple and still offer the a la carte stuff if they don't want a package.
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Gennaro 10:47AM (10/30/2007)
Hey Ford, how about making a performance car that doesn't start with M-u-s-t-a-n-g.
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SuperSkyline89 10:57AM (10/30/2007)
Yes, exactly, why don't you stop making a new friggin Mustang variant every week and make something else. The Mustang used to be cool, well guess what, it's not anymore, it's boring and old. And no I'm not hating, a car with as many variants as the Mustang is simply not cool, it's about as interesting as seeing the Google homepage every time I start Firefox.