Can An Airline Guy Steer An Auto Company?

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...014/BUSINESS01

He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford Motor
down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.

Patrick

On 5 Sep 2006 16:28:40 -0700, wrote:
>http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...014/BUSINESS01
>
>He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford Motor
>down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.
>
>Patrick

Doubtful.

When Ford & GM were run by sales and design they did well.

When the bean counters took over, the companies dived. Look what Roger
Smith did to GM.

Now the "all businesses are the same" MBA's take over, and Mustang's
will have tail lights from a Pinto to save money in the short run.

If any of these companies get their act together, they will put car
people back in charge of the car business.


Looks like the Ford family decided not to buy the company back.

His first order of business should be to fire the entire marketing
department and all their advertising consultants. Then systematically
bring back Ford's bread and butter name plates like the Taurus,
Thunderbird, Escort etc. Finally, get the designers and engineers
together and tell them to start thinking outside the box and develop
some innovative and forward thinking vehicles.

wrote:
> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...014/BUSINESS01
>
> He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford Motor
> down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.
>
> Patrick
>

Culburt wrote:
> On 5 Sep 2006 16:28:40 -0700, wrote:
>http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...014/BUSINESS01

> >He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford Motor
> >down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.

> Doubtful.

> When Ford & GM were run by sales and design they did well.

> When the bean counters took over, the companies dived. Look what Roger
> Smith did to GM.

> Now the "all businesses are the same" MBA's take over, and Mustang's
> will have tail lights from a Pinto to save money in the short run.

> If any of these companies get their act together, they will put car
> people back in charge of the car business.

While I agree car people should run the car business, I think it's too
early to tell if Alan Mulally will be another Roger Smith-type guy.
Let's hope not!!! And let's hope he has the business sense to know
good products, desirable products, keep auto manufacturers from running
into the ground.

Patrick

Just read an article about this in today's business section of the
paper. The whole gist was that Ford desparately needs an "outside" guy
to run things. "The Family" is just too close to things to make the
right decisions.


"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in
:

> His first order of business should be to fire the entire marketing
> department and all their advertising consultants. Then systematically
> bring back Ford's bread and butter name plates like the Taurus,
> Thunderbird, Escort etc. Finally, get the designers and engineers
> together and tell them to start thinking outside the box and develop
> some innovative and forward thinking vehicles.
>
> wrote:
>> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060905/NEWS99/609050
>> 27/1014/BUSINESS01
>>
>> He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford
>> Motor down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.
>>
>> Patrick
>>
>

Bill Ford seems to be a likable guy but he has been a disaster for FMC.
I still think Ford's cars aren't that bad from a quality
perspective. They have done an absolute horrible job of marketing their
products though. The current "Bold Moves" marketing theme has got them
nowhere. I don't think the new guy could do much worse.

Joe wrote:
> Just read an article about this in today's business section of the
> paper. The whole gist was that Ford desparately needs an "outside" guy
> to run things. "The Family" is just too close to things to make the
> right decisions.
>
>
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in
> :
>
>> His first order of business should be to fire the entire marketing
>> department and all their advertising consultants. Then systematically
>> bring back Ford's bread and butter name plates like the Taurus,
>> Thunderbird, Escort etc. Finally, get the designers and engineers
>> together and tell them to start thinking outside the box and develop
>> some innovative and forward thinking vehicles.
>>
>> wrote:
>>> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
> AID=/20060905/NEWS99/609050
>>> 27/1014/BUSINESS01
>>>
>>> He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford
>>> Motor down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.
>>>
>>> Patrick
>>>
>

Michael Johnson, PE wrote:
> Bill Ford seems to be a likable guy but he has been a disaster for FMC.

>From what I've read, very likable but not hard-assed enough when he
needed to be.

"Disaster" for FMC, I think is way too harsh. After all, Team Mustang
under is tenure has been a huge success and he also greenlighted the
Ford GT[40] project. If he was a ball player, IMO, his average would
work out to be a low 200 hitter, with one home run, a few long balls
and a decent number of RBIs. Not a guy you want at the plate in the
9th inning and you're down a couple runs, but certainly not a guy
you're going to cringe when he walks up to the plate with two down.

> I still think Ford's cars aren't that bad from a quality perspective. They have done an absolute horrible job of marketing their products though. The current "Bold Moves" marketing theme has got them nowhere.

The problem is they have very few products. And the Lincoln and
Mercury divisions have completely forgotten what they're about.

Here's what I would do right off the bat if I was the new CEO.

Top 5:

1) Leave Team Mustang alone to do what they've been doing.
2) Update the Focus. It was great when introduced but the most recent
redesign didn't put it back in the front of the pack. They need this
car to continue to be a hit.
3) Lincoln needs to be a rear-drive division. And they need a
flagship... something with some retro. AND ditch the alpha/numeric
name idea!!
4) Mercury needs some stylish cars. A Mustang-based Cougar would be an
easy start.
5) The Hurricane V8 is proceeding, they have a new really nice V6 in
the pipline, now they need a world-class 4 cylinder engine. Something
really stout to bring import buyers into the showroom -- pair it up
with a new rally-inspired Focus option.

> I don't think the new guy could do much worse.

Two words: Jack Nasser.

Patrick
----

> Joe wrote:
> > Just read an article about this in today's business section of the
> > paper. The whole gist was that Ford desparately needs an "outside" guy
> > to run things. "The Family" is just too close to things to make the
> > right decisions.
> >
> >
> > "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in
> > :
> >
> >> His first order of business should be to fire the entire marketing
> >> department and all their advertising consultants. Then systematically
> >> bring back Ford's bread and butter name plates like the Taurus,
> >> Thunderbird, Escort etc. Finally, get the designers and engineers
> >> together and tell them to start thinking outside the box and develop
> >> some innovative and forward thinking vehicles.
> >>
> >> wrote:
> >>> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
> > AID=/20060905/NEWS99/609050
> >>> 27/1014/BUSINESS01
> >>>
> >>> He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford
> >>> Motor down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.
> >>>
> >>> Patrick
> >>>
> >

Before I retired I worked for Boeing and it correct that Mullaly is a
motivational and team building leader. But he also is a nut cutter! I
would like to comment on items 2,3 and 4.

2. They should have imported the European Focus which has a lot of
commonality with the Mazda 3 and Volvo S40.

3. Couldn't agree more! The new names are stupid!!! The name Zepher was a
good idea but... And no V-8, you've got to be kidding me.

4. The Cougar was an image builder in the late '60's. I can still remember
the TV commercial with a cougar sitting atop a Mercury sign and growing.

So, good luck Ford!


> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Michael Johnson, PE wrote:
> > Bill Ford seems to be a likable guy but he has been a disaster for FMC.
>
> >From what I've read, very likable but not hard-assed enough when he
> needed to be.
>
> "Disaster" for FMC, I think is way too harsh. After all, Team Mustang
> under is tenure has been a huge success and he also greenlighted the
> Ford GT[40] project. If he was a ball player, IMO, his average would
> work out to be a low 200 hitter, with one home run, a few long balls
> and a decent number of RBIs. Not a guy you want at the plate in the
> 9th inning and you're down a couple runs, but certainly not a guy
> you're going to cringe when he walks up to the plate with two down.
>
> > I still think Ford's cars aren't that bad from a quality
perspective. They have done an absolute horrible job of marketing their
products though. The current "Bold Moves" marketing theme has got them
nowhere.
>
> The problem is they have very few products. And the Lincoln and
> Mercury divisions have completely forgotten what they're about.
>
> Here's what I would do right off the bat if I was the new CEO.
>
> Top 5:
>
> 1) Leave Team Mustang alone to do what they've been doing.
> 2) Update the Focus. It was great when introduced but the most recent
> redesign didn't put it back in the front of the pack. They need this
> car to continue to be a hit.
> 3) Lincoln needs to be a rear-drive division. And they need a
> flagship... something with some retro. AND ditch the alpha/numeric
> name idea!!
> 4) Mercury needs some stylish cars. A Mustang-based Cougar would be an
> easy start.
> 5) The Hurricane V8 is proceeding, they have a new really nice V6 in
> the pipline, now they need a world-class 4 cylinder engine. Something
> really stout to bring import buyers into the showroom -- pair it up
> with a new rally-inspired Focus option.
>
> > I don't think the new guy could do much worse.
>
> Two words: Jack Nasser.
>
> Patrick
> ----
>
> > Joe wrote:
> > > Just read an article about this in today's business section of the
> > > paper. The whole gist was that Ford desparately needs an "outside"
guy
> > > to run things. "The Family" is just too close to things to make the
> > > right decisions.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in
> > > :
> > >
> > >> His first order of business should be to fire the entire marketing
> > >> department and all their advertising consultants. Then
systematically
> > >> bring back Ford's bread and butter name plates like the Taurus,
> > >> Thunderbird, Escort etc. Finally, get the designers and engineers
> > >> together and tell them to start thinking outside the box and develop
> > >> some innovative and forward thinking vehicles.
> > >>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
> > > AID=/20060905/NEWS99/609050
> > >>> 27/1014/BUSINESS01
> > >>>
> > >>> He sounds like a very capable guy. Let's hope he can steer Ford
> > >>> Motor down a long and bumpy road back to prosperity.
> > >>>
> > >>> Patrick
> > >>>
> > >
>

In article >, Dave Combs wrote:
> Before I retired I worked for Boeing and it correct that Mullaly is a
> motivational and team building leader. But he also is a nut cutter! I
> would like to comment on items 2,3 and 4.
>
> 2. They should have imported the European Focus which has a lot of
> commonality with the Mazda 3 and Volvo S40.

We do have a more or less european focus... just the previous generation
one. It would be nice if ford made successful foreign market cars for the
US market without messing them up.

> 3. Couldn't agree more! The new names are stupid!!! The name Zepher was a
> good idea but... And no V-8, you've got to be kidding me.

Most of them are...

> 4. The Cougar was an image builder in the late '60's. I can still remember
> the TV commercial with a cougar sitting atop a Mercury sign and growing.

What I would do product wise at ford:

Bring in successful foreign market cars. If they do well against japanese
and european makes overseas they should do well here. Namely focus and
falcon. They can be built in the US, but there is no reason not use
successful models elsewhere after they have proven successful. (some
exception for cars that obviously wouldn't sell in a particular place)

Create new models that people would care about. Not warmed over cars like
the 500. Cougar is a good example.

Challenge manufacturing to give detailed and widely varied option lists,
color combinations, and multiple body styles. One thing that bores me
about cars is that all models come in maybe 5 different appearances.
blah. Is every other 99-04 mustang silver? Seems like it. Let someone
order an orange car with a blue interior if they want to.

It's about the product. But someone from commerical products might not
get it. Then again, it was aircraft and a lot of those aircraft are
entirely custom... so maybe he can apply it.

"Brent P" > wrote in message
. ..
> In article >, Dave Combs wrote:
> > Before I retired I worked for Boeing and it correct that Mullaly is a
> > motivational and team building leader. But he also is a nut cutter! I
> > would like to comment on items 2,3 and 4.
> >
> > 2. They should have imported the European Focus which has a lot of
> > commonality with the Mazda 3 and Volvo S40.
>
> We do have a more or less european focus... just the previous generation
> one. It would be nice if ford made successful foreign market cars for the
> US market without messing them up.
>
> > 3. Couldn't agree more! The new names are stupid!!! The name Zepher
was a
> > good idea but... And no V-8, you've got to be kidding me.
>
> Most of them are...
>
> > 4. The Cougar was an image builder in the late '60's. I can still
remember
> > the TV commercial with a cougar sitting atop a Mercury sign and growing.
>
> What I would do product wise at ford:
>
> Bring in successful foreign market cars. If they do well against japanese
> and european makes overseas they should do well here. Namely focus and
> falcon. They can be built in the US, but there is no reason not use
> successful models elsewhere after they have proven successful. (some
> exception for cars that obviously wouldn't sell in a particular place)
>
> Create new models that people would care about. Not warmed over cars like
> the 500. Cougar is a good example.
>
> Challenge manufacturing to give detailed and widely varied option lists,
> color combinations, and multiple body styles. One thing that bores me
> about cars is that all models come in maybe 5 different appearances.
> blah. Is every other 99-04 mustang silver? Seems like it. Let someone
> order an orange car with a blue interior if they want to.
>
> It's about the product. But someone from commerical products might not
> get it. Then again, it was aircraft and a lot of those aircraft are
> entirely custom... so maybe he can apply it.
>
> A lot of aircraft are customer from the cockpit layout to the interiors.
The difference in flight controls and instrumentation goes back a long way
but if I'm not correct, the new 787 "Dreamliner" is standardized up front
and idea which was pushed by financiers and aircraft leasing companies.
Helps maintain the value. That's somewhat analogis to chassis platforms,
engines, etc. But when it comes to interiors, Katie bar the door! I think
a forest green interior would look better.
>
>
>
>
>