After 30 years, Ford and Navistar still friends, but going to see other people
1979; Kramer vs. Kramer was the top grossing film, Rod the Bod was riding "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" up the charts, and the late, great Fox-body Mustang was brand new. In that heady last year of the 1970s, Ford and Navistar gazed deeply into each other's corporate eyes and dreamily vowed "I do." The relationship had been one of give and take – Navistar giving engines (most recently diesel ones for Ford's heavy-duty pickups), Ford taking the motors and in turn giving cash to its supplier – until things turned contentious around the current engine contract. The differences have become too much to bear, though the companies are being far more civil now than in the past. Ford and Navistar have reportedly settled all lawsuits flying back and forth between them, and the current engine supply contract will end amicably on December 31, 2009. Ford will also slide a palimony check to Navistar. It's a different story in South America, where Ford and Navistar are going to keep it together, and the companies say they'll continue to collaborate in other areas, but this particular union is kaput.
[Source: Reuters]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Avinash machado 10:37AM (1/14/2009)
So is this the automotive equivalent of an extra-marital affair?
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Mobius_1 11:29AM (1/14/2009)
Ford changed it's relationship status to "It's Complicated" with Navistar.
Matt 11:02AM (1/14/2009)
Good. Navistar engines were too good to put into Fords.
Isn't it funny that Navistar did not have NEAR the problem with the 6.0 in their applications that Ford did?
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Eddie Saenz 11:39AM (1/14/2009)
Navistar did produce the 6.0 liter diesel engine, and that engine was a disaster, it ruined Fords reputation in the Heavy Duty segment.
Richard 2:06PM (1/14/2009)
My God you are as big of a troll as that JDM guy and you only ever post in Ford related topics and all you do is whine.
hun 12:25PM (1/14/2009)
yes they did. It was also used in many International application (medium dutys and school buses). They used a different injection system then the one they developed for use on the Fords, but it wasn't any better.
MikeK 11:00AM (1/14/2009)
I'm pretty sure no one ever called Rod Stewart "Rod the Bod".
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Ian 11:07AM (1/14/2009)
You sir, are incorrect. My step mother LOVES Rod Stewart and all through the 80's and 90's referred to him as 'Rod the Bod'.
Randy 3:10PM (1/14/2009)
That's just unfortunate! Poor guy!
LoneWolf 11:33AM (1/14/2009)
"kaputt" is written with two "t". JFYI
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Ken Stamper 11:49AM (1/14/2009)
Although it can be spelled with two t's, usually in English it is spelled with just one.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kaput
LoneWolf 2:05PM (1/14/2009)
Well then. I thought it was borrowed directly from the german "kaputt", like the "über-"word.
Mr. Luke 12:23PM (1/14/2009)
"No, really. We can still be friends! It's just that we are better off as just friends."
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Paul P. 12:29PM (1/14/2009)
My only question is:
Does this mean I can finally get a diesel in my F150/Expedition?
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Mattias 4:15PM (1/14/2009)
Of course:
http://www.ford.com.ar/ford2007/pdf/f100.pdf
Mattias 4:13PM (1/14/2009)
In South America the Ranger is sold with a Diesel called Powerstroke 3.0. I first thought that is is the VM Motori (a GM subsidiary) built Euro Transit engine we Europeans get in the new Ranger. It is actually an engine from "Motoren Werke Mannheim", short MW a company that is not located in the German region Baden but in Brasil.
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Brad 6:05PM (1/14/2009)
Navistar owns MWM as well...