Autoblog

Scion xB, xD models getting the axe

Chris Paukert — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Wagon, Hatchback, Scion

Scion has long been labeled as a "youth brand," so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to read word of parent Toyota turning over the marque's aging nameplates so quickly. According to Ward's Auto, Scion is set to kill off its xB and xD models - the first a onetime icon for the brand, the latter an econobox that never truly caught on with buyers (not unlike it's predecessor, the xA).

A model like the xB was always going to be a love-hate proposition, and indeed, the subcompact sharply divided opinion because of its its t-square styling and funky stance back when it was introduced in 2004. But enough buyers fell enough with its good qualities - remarkable space efficiency, solid fuel economy, ease-of-driving and low pricing that the xB sold surprisingly well, in the process becoming something of a totem for the brand. The second-generation model, which bowed for 2007, seemed to alter all the things that made the original so endearing: the xB grew substantially, had the uniquely sharp corners of its design chamfered off, and it gained more power without adding much in the way of performance because the vehicle had been so radically upsized. Fuel economy dipped, too, as did the xB's popularity with shoppers. Last year, Scion only moved about 17,000 examples - in its heyday, the xB sold over 60,000 units.

A couple of years ago, Jim Farley, Ford's vice president of global marketing, told Autoblog that Scion's intent wasn't to be a youth brand at all - it was to be an experimental division, an incubator for product and marketing techniques. Farley, as you may recall, was one of the driving forces behind Scion, ascending to the role of its vice president before being reassigned to Lexus. By Farley's yardstick, perhaps Scion had pushed the xB and xD as far as they could go, and now it's simply time to test new vehicular hypotheses. Indeed, more recent models like the tiny iQ and FR-S coupe show the brand experimenting in bold new directions... exactly the sort of innovation we can get behind.

Scion xB, xD models getting the axe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fusion couldn't outsell Toyota Camry even if Ford wanted it to, which it apparently doesn't

Dan Roth — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Earnings/Financials

"I don't think we're very enamored with being Number One just to be Number One," Ford Global Marketing Vice President Jim Farley says of his expectations for the 2013 Ford Fusion. Interest in the Fusion spiked after the 2013 model's premium-look sheetmetal made a splash at this month's Detroit Auto Show, so it's natural to expect that Ford wants to grab the sales volume brass ring. After all, the Ford Taurus was the best-selling car in the U.S. for nearly half of the 1990s, but Farley points out that Ford is "much more enamored with getting the right price point and the right kind of people to buy the car."

Simply put, that means that while Ford is bringing additional Fusion production to the AutoAlliance International facility in Flat Rock, MI, success won't be measured just by total units sold. Besides, even with the added capacity, Ford's 400,000 per year full-tilt capability still trails the 500,000 Camry models Toyota can assemble in Kentucky and Indiana. Ford apparently thinks it's smarter to focus on the technology, style, and efficiency that customers will pay more for, rather than forcing dealers to take more cars than they want and dumping the rest into fleets just to get the sales crown.

Instead of crowing about a short-term metric that ultimately cheapens the brand image and drives down resale values, Ford's posture suggests they want to drive continued profitability by getting more money per sale than the competiton. Finding tech savvy buyers will mean spending heavy dollars on digital marketing campaigns, including social media, and for a change, that may mean strong Fusion sales in markets that don't traditionally embrace the Blue Oval as strongly as the stalwart support of the midwest.

We have to agree that profit-per-vehicle and a good reputation strikes us as a better strategy to long-term health than a strategy based on volume dominance, but we're guessing that Farley and company would still be pleased as punch if the Fusion managed to outsell the competition.

Fusion couldn't outsell Toyota Camry even if Ford wanted it to, which it apparently doesn't originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

List of Mulally successors narrowed down to four

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford

How do you replace the man credited by Time Magazine with managing "the biggest business turnaround of the Great Recession?" That's a very good question, and one that the Ford board of directors is grappling with as company CEO Alan Mulally edges closer to retirement age.

At 66, Mulally isn't exactly far past his prime, and Executive Chairman Bill Ford is said to be in no hurry to welcome in a successor. That said, the timing of Mulally's exit from Ford is likely to be a determining factor in the decision to hire his replacement.

Current CFO Lewis Booth, at 63 years of age, could potentially hold the seat at the head of Ford for a few years if Mulally were to retire earlier than expected. If that doesn't happen, Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas, is cited as the most likely choice as its next CEO.

There are two other potential candidates, reports Automotive News. Jim Farley, vice president of global marketing, is on the short list, as is Joe Hinrichs, who heads Ford's Asia Pacific and African operations.

Insiders suggest that Ford may choose to keep Alan Mulally on its payroll in some unknown capacity to help mentor his replacement. Such a move could potentially keep both the rank-and-file Ford workers and Wall Street investors satiated.

List of Mulally successors narrowed down to four originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford marketing VP Farley pushes real Shelby Cobra around Laguna Seca

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Convertible, Videos, Ford, Racing

The 2012 Monterey Motorsports Reunion will certainly be a loud one. The featured marque will be the Shelby Cobra, which will celebrate 50 years of exciting existence. Ahead of next year's festivities, one man decided to get a taste of on-track action a bit early. That man is Jim Farley, and if his name sounds familiar, that's because his day job is Group Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service at Ford Motor Company.

A well-liked, well-known car guy, Farley got to push a U.S. Road Racing Championship Cobra around Laguna Seca during California's recent Monterey Historics weekend. The rare, open-top racer had a few cameras, a lap timer and a g-meter strapped to it, which is good news for the rest of us. The Cobra produces sounds that would make modern race cars shriek in terror, and Farley does a good job of pushing it around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Click past the jump to check it out.

Continue reading Ford marketing VP Farley pushes real Shelby Cobra around Laguna Seca

Ford marketing VP Farley pushes real Shelby Cobra around Laguna Seca originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally

Paul Eisenstein — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford

Who Could Possibly Replace Ford's Golden CEO?

Insiders say the jockeying for Mulally's position has already begun.

There was a time when some folks in Detroit were convinced Lee Iacocca's last name was really an acronym for: I Am Chairman of Chrysler Corp. Always. Indeed, it took a shove from an increasingly frustrated board to finally get Lido to name his successor.

If anything, those on the Ford Motor Co. board of directors are putting CEO Alan Mulally in a bear hug, Chairman Bill Ford suggesting he'd keep the chief executive firmly planted in his office at Glass House until he was 80. For his part, the still-boyish former Boeing executive has said on more than one occasion that despite turning 65, he's not rushing to leave as long as he's having "fun." But as his fifth anniversary in Dearborn approaches it is no surprise that there's plenty of speculation about who might eventually replace Mullaly, if not when.

In decades past, Ford was land of the long knives, where power trumped all, and doing away with your rivals was only slightly less bloody than when the Borgias ruled in Rome. Mulally has made much of instilling a sort of "greater-good" mindset and one of the reasons for the maker's recent success has been that the highly political nature has been toned down a number of notches. Nonetheless, insiders say the jockeying for position has already begun.

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally

Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chicago 2011: Ford's Farley talks Apple Genius Bars and the push to "democratize technology"

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Ford

2011 Ford Explorer - Click above for high-res image gallery

Jim Farley, Ford's Group Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service, gave the keynote speech at the Chicago Auto Show this morning, and the only way it could have been more on-topic is if he had given his speech via Facebook chat.

Before Farley announced the new "What Would You Go Do?" campaign for the 2011 Ford Explorer, he laid out how the Explorer's Facebook launch set a new tone for how Ford has conversations with its customers, and even set a new tone for the company itself. Follow the jump for more and Ford's press release on the Explorer competition.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Chicago 2011: Ford's Farley talks Apple Genius Bars and the push to "democratize technology"

Chicago 2011: Ford's Farley talks Apple Genius Bars and the push to "democratize technology" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford named Marketer of the Year by Advertising Age

Dan Roth — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Ford has been named Advertising Age magazine's Marketer of the Year for 2010. The full-court press that the Blue Oval team has been applying continues to pay off, with $4.7 billion in profit for the first half of 2010 - a 17-percent boost over 2009 and the biggest company payday since 1998. No single part of Ford's strategy is a selfish star player; Jim Farley, Ford's vice president of global marketing has plotted a course for combining disciplines since his arrival in Dearborn.

The positive impression Ford's foregoing of federal TARP funds had on the public is the kind of PR coup you couldn't ever buy, and it continues to resonate positively with the public. According to a report, fifty-five percent of consumers surveyed still cite the company's ability to secure its own lines of credit as a reason for considering Ford vehicles above other brands. Shrewd PR moves aren't the whole story, though. Social media savvy launch campaigns for the Explorer and Fiesta have played into the decision to honor Farley's efforts, too.

All the clever and effective marketing in the world won't help if the product isn't compelling, however, and that's been a key piece of the puzzle for Ford. The string of hits includes the Edge, Mustang and Fusion, as well as technology like the ever-evolving SYNC infotainment system that has helped put this domestic automaker back on consumers' radars. Popular spokespeople like the Discovery Channel's Mike Rowe (shown above) haven't hurt either.

Roll all of these factors up into a Blue Oval-shaped bundle, and you have AdAge's Marketer of the Year.

[Source: Advertising Age]

Ford named Marketer of the Year by Advertising Age originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Paris 2010: Ford pondering bringing five-door C-Max to U.S. [w/poll]

Chris Paukert — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Ford

2011 Ford C-Max - Click above for high-res image gallery

Following the second press day at the Paris Motor Show at a drive event in Southern France, Ford's global vice president of marketing, Jim Farley, let slip to Autoblog that Dearborn decisionmakers are mulling over whether to import the C-Max to the U.S. As you'll recall, Ford has already committed to bringing over the C-Max's larger line mate, the seven-seat Grand C-Max, a vehicle that Farley tells us won't hit American soil until early in calendar 2012 (likely as a 2013 model).

Unlike its bigger brother, the C-Max has conventional front-hinged rear doors (the Grand has a pair of sliders) along with a more aggressive roofline and rear graphic to complement its shorter wheelbase. Think of it as more of a pent-roof Focus wagon and less of a smallish minivan in the mold of the Mazda5 and you've got it.

Interestingly, Farley maintains that Ford won't necessarily wait until the Grand C-Max goes on sale in the U.S. to determine whether or not to bring the model to America, and it will actively solicit feedback from both journalists and consumers to see if there's a business case to be made. While such language is common among PR folks looking to assuage media members always clamoring for the importation of forbidden automotive fruit, Farley sounded quite optimistic. Further, he reminded us that there was "absolutely no plan" initially to market the next-gen five-door Focus in the States, but that all changed after the 2007 Verve concept was met with an enthusiastic response from media members and show goers. A few years ago, we probably would have discounted such talk, but with CEO Alan Mulally and product chief Derrick Kuzak pushing the One Ford agenda globally, who knows? It might just make it Stateside after all.

If Ford does decide to bring the C-Max to America, it may have a minor naming conundrum to deal with. At the moment, the Grand C-Max moniker is expected to be shortened to just 'C-Max' when it goes on sale in the U.S., or the MPV might take on the name 'Focus C-Max,' though a final decision has not yet been made. As the Blue Oval won't sell both models with the same name, the five-door model would ostensibly need a different name.

Do you think the short-wheelbase C-Max would sell? Check out our high-resolution galleries of both models and then be sure to vote in our poll below. We'll have firsthand drive impressions of the European-spec C-Max range to share with you next week, so stay tuned.

Gallery: 2011 Ford C-Max

Gallery: 2011 Ford Grand C-Max

View Poll

Paris 2010: Ford pondering bringing five-door C-Max to U.S. [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2011 Ford Explorer unveiled, tries crossing over on road to redemption

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Safety, Crossover, Ford, Design/Style

2011 Ford Explorer Deep Dive - Click above for high-res image gallery

UPDATE: When you're done reading part one, check out part two of our introduction of the 2011 Ford Explorer that focuses on new technology, powertrains and fuel efficiency.

In creating the 2011 Explorer, Ford engineers and designers had an enormously difficult task set before them. Ford's President of the Americas, Mark Fields, described the job as "Reinventing the SUV for the 21st century." Despite the near complete collapse of the traditional mid-to-large SUV market over the last several years, Ford still sees a substantial market for the capabilities of these boxy behemoths. Customers just don't want the traditional downsides that accompany these body-on-frame 'utes - specifically, their higher fuel consumption and poor ride and handling.

The new Explorer remains squarely targeted at traditional SUV buyers.

Since its debut some 20 years ago, the Explorer has sold over six million units, four million of which are still traversing the world's roads. Through much of the late-1990s and early part of the last decade, the Explorer was Ford's second-best-selling vehicle behind its F-Series pickups, regularly selling 400,000 units a year. Fast-forward to 2009, and that volume had plummeted to just over 52,000. Even so, Ford believes it still has an opportunity. According to the automaker's vice president of global marketing, Jim Farley, each year, at least 140,000 Explorer owners come back to Blue Oval dealerships looking to purchase new vehicles. And obviously, they just aren't buying Explorers.

When word got out that Ford was developing a new unibody Explorer off the same platform architecture that underpins the Taurus and Flex - not to mention the Lincoln MKS and MKT - many people wondered why Dearborn had elected to develop yet another crossover, especially since the Taurus X/Freestyle had just been killed due to slow sales. This predicament was not lost on Ford's product planners, and their four-wheeled response is a new Explorer that remains squarely targeted at traditional SUV buyers - shoppers that Ford sees as a distinct group from most crossover intenders. Long ago, Jeep proved with the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee that a unibody chassis isn't necessarily an impediment to building a fully capable off-roader, and Ford appears to have taken that lesson to heart, along with targeting big improvements in fuel economy and driving dynamics. Follow the jump to find out if they succeeded.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer

Continue reading 2011 Ford Explorer unveiled, tries crossing over on road to redemption

2011 Ford Explorer unveiled, tries crossing over on road to redemption originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford's Jim Farley reportedly promoted to global marketing post

Chris Shunk — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Volvo, UAW/Unions

Ford Motor Company is making changes at the top of its organization, including an expanding roll for up-and-coming marketing chief Jim Farley. A new Detroit Free Press report indicates that the former Toyota marketing whiz will be elevated to the roll of global marketing chief effective August 1. That's significant in part because this will be the first time The Blue Oval has ever had a head of global marketing - in the past the job was handled on a regional basis.

In other FoMoCo management moves, Stephen Odell, vice president and CEO of Volvo Cars, will move over to the top spot at Ford of Europe as soon as the sale of Volvo is completed. The move will free current head of Ford Of Europe John Flemming to concentrate on his other role as head of global manufacturing and labor affairs. The top spot in labor figures to be a particularly important post in the near-term due to the 2011 contract negotiations scheduled with the United Auto Workers.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Ford]

Ford's Jim Farley reportedly promoted to global marketing post originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Who will succeed Mullaly at Ford? It's never too early to start handicapping

Chris Shunk — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford

When Alan Mulally arrived at Ford Motor Company three years ago, the Blue Oval was in bad shape. New product wasn't exactly pouring in and the company's cash hoard was steadily shrinking. And word on the street is that the corporate culture at Ford was in as much trouble as the product lineup, making change difficult. Now in 2009, it appears Mulally has done the near impossible, turning around Ford's product lineup while supposedly positively altering FoMoCo's corporate culture.

For all of Mulally's success, there is one problem: he's 64 and can't continue to run the company forever. And although Mulally has given no signals of separating from Ford any time soon, industry insiders are already speculating on who will become his successor. The four names that continue to come up are Ford Americas President Mark Fields, global marketing boss Jim Farley, manufacturing whiz Joe Heinrich and Ford Europe savior Lewis Booth.

The Detroit Free Press feels the early money is on Fields. The Harvard grad has been with Ford for 20 years, and he's lead some high profile success stories. He turned around Mazda and is currently piloting Ford North America in the midst of what appears to be a substantial product renaissance. Farley has an advantage in that he came to Ford from Toyota/Lexus and is seen by many as a real up and comer.

By many accounts, Heinrich is a bit of a manufacturing genius. The Harvard Business grad came from General Motors, where he became the company's youngest ever Plant Manager at age 29. Booth has the longest resume and arguably the most examples of success. He appears to have consistently met and exceeded expectations everywhere he has been, including Mazda, Ford Asia Pacific and Ford South Africa. Booth is different from his fellow executives in that he is the only one who isn't in his 40s.

We have no earthly idea who would become the next head of Ford, and we're guessing that we're at least a couple years away from finding out. We're OK with that, because this Mulally guy appears to know what he's doing.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Who will succeed Mullaly at Ford? It's never too early to start handicapping originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

REPORT: 10 Ford Focus variants coming to the U.S.

Chris Shunk — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:39:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Crossover, Hatchback, Ford

Ford C-Max - Click above for high-res image gallery

While the first-generation Ford Focus certainly had its faults, it was also ahead of its time, with engaging driving dynamics and a ton of different variations. You could get a Focus sedan, a three- or five-door hatch and even a wagon. For a few years there was even a high-revving SVT Focus (those were the days). While the current Focus is relegated to only sedan and coupe variants, the 2011 Focus will reportedly have a lot more options from which to choose.

Car and Driver recently sat down with Ford marketing chief Jim Farley, and when the subject of the Blue Oval's long awaited next-gen global Focus came up, Black Sheep's first cousin came up with the number 10. That's 10 as in the number of Focus variants we might expect here in the U.S. While Farley didn't go too far into which Focus variants will be available here, the list isn't difficult to guess.

One vehicle that we know has been given the green light for sale here in the U.S. is the Focus C-Max and Grand C-Max minivan, which will come in five- and seven-seat variations. Then there's the sedan and coupe, three- and five-door hatch, the promised Electric Focus, the Kuga crossover and possibly Lincoln and Mercury versions that will utilize Ford's global C-Segment platform. The next couple of years will be pretty interesting for Ford as it finally gets serious about small cars here in the U.S. With 10 Focus-based vehicles and an excellent new Fiesta, customers will finally have some solid small car choices from which to choose. The new Focus we've all been waiting for should make its global debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January, so stay tuned.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Ford C-Max

[Source: Car and Driver]

REPORT: 10 Ford Focus variants coming to the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Slow Ford Flex sales blamed on...

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:34:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Ford

Click above for more high-res pics of the Ford Flex

Ford's boxy new Flex crossover wagon is far from meeting its sales expectations. And while part of its slow sales can be chalked up to the overall downturn in the auto market, and specifically sales of large 'utes, some believe that there could be more than meets the eye to this particular story.

Up to this point, Jim Farley, Ford's main marketer, has been running a very stylized advertising campaign to accompany the launch of the new people mover, and certain members of Ford's board reportedly believe that a more mainstream or conservative launch would have worked out better.

Farley defends his approach to The Detroit News, and he points out that half of all Flex's are sold to conquest buyers from other brands, especially from foreign-made minivans. Plus, more are sold loaded with all the goodies and are going for prices in the high 30's. Regardless, expect to see more ads touting the Flex's roominess and sound core family values moving forward.

Gallery: 2009 Ford Flex

[Source: The Detroit News]

Slow Ford Flex sales blamed on... originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford firing letting go up to 12% of salaried workers

Michael Harley — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford

Perhaps 'fired' is the wrong word, as that does imply that these white collar workers did something wrong. The only thing some 12% of Ford's salaried workforce did wrong is get hired by a company that dug itself into a hole relying on strong truck and SUV sales during the 1990s. Now, with consumers avoiding gas-hungry vehicles, the restructuring effort faltering amidst high gas prices, and news that the company has abandoned its goal of returning to profitability in 2009... cutting more salaried workers was inevitable.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally told reporters last week that sales of big trucks and SUVs crashed once gas hit $3.50 per gallon. In April, full-sized pickups accounted for 11 percent of sales. By the second week of May, the number had fallen to just 9 percent. "I don't think we've ever seen a decline week over week like this," Mulally said. "It was clear to us it was time to act." And act they did. While details have not been finalized, Ford expects to eliminate up to 12 percent of its salaried work force (with about 24,300 white-collar workers in the States, this means more than 2,000 positions will be gone). Ford Vice President Jim Farley couldn't sugar-coat the news, but he did try to spread the doom around when he spoke to his employees on Friday, saying "I would expect other car companies to make similar announcements... they have the same issues that we do -- even Toyota."

[Source: The Detroit News]

Ford ~~firing~~ letting go up to 12% of salaried workers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 May 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford's Drive One campaign moving full speed ahead

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

After spending a few days with Ford's main-marketing-man Jim Farley and his team, we can truly say that the excitement surrounding the company's new Drive One marketing strategy is palpable. They believe that the story they have to tell is rather compelling; the real struggle will be convincing car-buyers that their vehicles are every bit as good as their competition from Japan -- as recent studies indicate. To show people what's going on behind the scenes, Farley and his posse brought Ford's best and brightest engineers with them to Las Vegas to introduce their dealer-base to the new campaign. They let us tag along so we could see what all the fuss is about, and the dealers we spoke to seemed pretty pumped about Drive One and felt that Farley's new team at Ford was finally listening to them and doing something with their input. Keep reading to find out what else we heard in Sin City.

Continue reading Ford's Drive One campaign moving full speed ahead

Ford's Drive One campaign moving full speed ahead originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford shoots for 100,000 Flex sales a year

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Ford

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Flex.

The SUV exodus means Ford's Flex has the potential to be a hit and it's gearing up for an onslaught of orders when sales begin this summer. Ford's group veep of marketing and communications, Jim Farley, told Automotive News that consumers leaving the full-size SUV fold and others who haven't considered putting a Blue Oval badge in their garage might be ready to give something like the Flex a chance. CUV sales have been strong over the last year, and Ford and Farley believe that the Flex could rack up 100,000 sales annually if the trend continues.

Gallery: 2009 Ford Flex

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Ford shoots for 100,000 Flex sales a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford shows the SVT Raptor to dealers

Chris Shunk — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Ford, Rumormill

As the days go on, the much rumored F-150 Raptor is becoming less wild speculation and more solid reality. Dealers were given a glimpse of the forth-coming truck at the Ford Dealer Show in Las Vegas, and they haven't shied away from spilling the beans regarding what they saw. Ford marketing boss Jim Farley unveiled the Ford-embossed front grille of the baja F-150, then showed video of a juiced-up off-road mule tearing it up in the desert.

Farley also revealed some details about the Raptor's new powerplant, which is believed to be the 6.2L "BOSS" V8. Power was quoted at 380 hp, but both PickupTruck.com and Four Wheeler believe Ford is sand-bagging on the engine's real power quotient, which they feel will be in the ballpark of 420 ponies. We're guessing 420 would be a much more appropriate number considering the size of the engine and rumors that the truck may be formally labeled as an SVT product. Dealers were also shown one of the Raptor's long-travel shocks, which was built by Fox Racing especially for the Raptor and has a full 12 inches of travel.

Ford is reportedly very excited about the Raptor, and execs allegedly went as far as saying that the Blue Oval was going to drive the truck "right up Toyota's ass." Ouch, we hope that's a metaphor. At this time there is no word as to when the Raptor will be available to customers, but since it's being shown to dealers, it likely isn't too far off.

Gallery: Ford F150 "Raptor" - Spy Shots

[Source: PickupTruck and Four Wheeler]

Ford shows the SVT Raptor to dealers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mulally's replacement could come from within Ford... or maybe not

Chris Shunk — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford

Joe Laymon isn't on the short list of successors for Ford CEO Alan Mulally, and it's unlikely you've ever heard of him, but if you want to get to the top at the Blue Oval, this is the guy you stop by Starbucks for on the way to work. Laymon is in charge of keeping a list of internal candidates ready in the event Mulally retires (or quits, is fired or for some other reason exits his position), which could come as soon as 2011 when he turns 65.

Both President of the the Americas Mark Fields and new marketing chief Jim Farley are on the short list of six execs on which the company is keeping tabs, but some less familiar names are considered, as well. Europe boss Lewis Booth, CFO Don LeClair, Europe COO Stephen Odell, and manufacturing chief Joe Heinrich round out the list of internal CEO candidates that will be given to the Ford board in the event of a Mulally exit. The list isn't static, either, as names are reviewed and added or dropped each year. If the board doesn't like its choices, though, the list is completely worthless and the company will again look outside its hallowed halls for help, just like it did in Mulally's case.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Mulally's replacement could come from within Ford... or maybe not originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford's Jim Farley wants the Fiesta hatchback in the US

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Ford

Click the Fiesta for a high-res gallery

Until recently, Ford had only planned to sell the new Fiesta small car as a sedan in the US market. Judging from the reaction of readers in the comments here when we showed photos of the production version of the car, which is based on the Verve concept, most people disagreed. The vast majority of commenters chiming in said that they wanted the stylish little hatchback. Apparently, they aren't alone. When the Verve sedan concept appeared at the Detroit Auto Show, it was supposed to be shown alone. A last-minute change of plans was prompted by new Ford marketing chief, Jim Farley, who insisted that the original three-door hatchback concept from the Frankfurt show be displayed as well. The hatchback concept was on a European tour and was detoured for a stateside visit to judge reaction from American showgoers. It now looks like there is indeed a very good chance that the hatchback will be offered to US drivers in addition to the sedan.

Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta

[Source: Ford]

Ford's Jim Farley wants the Fiesta hatchback in the US originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford's "effing" problem needs a fix

Chris Shunk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:04:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Ford

Towards the end of 2003, Ford unveiled the Freestar. It was a lousy minivan, and its name wasn't much better. From there the f-bombs started pouring in with the Freestyle, Five Hundred, and Fusion. Ford had a Shakespearean stranglehold on alliteration, but outside of the decent success of the Fusion, Ford's effed-up naming convention brought little name recognition to the Blue Oval's car lineup. When Allan Mulally came to town, he scrubbed the Freestyle and Five Hundred names for the much more recognizable and respected Taurus and Taurus X, but unfortunately the basic shape of the family haulers didn't change enough for customers to want them.

Detroit News Columnist Daniel Howes accurately points out that Ford is back to effing up the names of its vehicles. The Flex arrives this summer, and the Fiesta arrives in 2010. The News says Ford marketing head Jim Farley questioned why the Flex name would adorn Ford's full-size crossover, but even the ex-Toyota wunderkind is unable or unwilling to lose the F. We don't understand the fixation Ford has with the sixth letter of the alphabet. The Dearborn automaker's two most successful cars of the past 40 years are the Taurus and Mustang, both of which are decidedly sans F. As a matter of fact, the Camry, Civic, Accord, Impala, and Malibu are all alliteration-free. Sure, if the Flex and Fiesta are great products they'll sell no matter what they're called, but we'd like for Ford to give us an effing break.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford's "effing" problem needs a fix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments