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Kenyon07 -> RE: Ford vs GM vs Others (7/29/2007 9:27:13 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: sabin_chicago GM built better cars that Ford anyway Your sure? "Ford Motor Company is currently one of the oldest surviving automakers, and it has lived a thriving life until now. With gas prices rising, Ford's high profit pickups and SUVs aren't selling as well as they used to and their passenger car lineup is in dire need of updating to compete with the imports (except maybe the new Fusion). But Ford does have one thing on their side, product diversity. Both GM and Ford own or have a controlling stake in an exorbitant number of companies. But Ford has been able to acquire automakers who offer cars dissimilar to those they already sell. Ford/Lincoln/Mercury are the bargain classic American cars whereas Volvo has its Swedish charm, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover have their British quirks, and Mazda (Ford holds 25% stake) has its Zoom-Zoom attitude. Each company offers a unique character by which their lineup attunes to. Some are fast supercars (Aston), some are great GT's (Jag) some are renowned for their off-roading capability (LR), and some have staked their claim on safety (Volvo). So, even though Fo. Mo. Co. is not looking great right now, it seems to me they have the better product line to compete. Now, GM...What is going to happen? GM was once the hallmark for graceful design and exceptional power. Now they are well represented primarily in rental car lots. GM also owns many different car brands yet their diversity cannot compare to Ford's. Sure they attempt to put attitudes to each brand (Pontiac=sporty, Chevy=entry level, Buick=luxury) but in reality, each is just a copy of the next but with different skin. GM, over the last few years, has poured its money into badge engineering (using the same platform, interior, etc. but with slightly different sheetmetal) and it is too evident. It seems GM only cares about Cadillac these days. Caddy seems to be the only GM brand that has potential. GM has put the money in to create expressive designs and powerful engines. If only they could do that for the rest of the company, they could be successful. It seems GM is finally catching on. There are plans to change Pontiac's entire line to RWD platforms developed in Australia (Holden) and Chevy's new trucks show a huge improvement in interior quality, panel gaps, and overall design. Hopefully this is the beginning of the American automakers Renaissance." -GM vs Ford
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