My idea for fixing "the big three"

[Gilitar]

After reading that Ford has off loaded AM I got to thinking of and idea to fix the three automakers.

Ford:

1. Off-load Jaguar and Land Rover
2. Kill the Mercury brand
3. Use Mazda and Volvo to design and build the Ford family of cars

GM:

1. Off-load Saab
2. Kill the Pontiac and Buick brands
3. Continue using Opel/Holden to design and build the Chevrolet and Saturn family of cars.
4. Use Cadillac to build all luxury vehicles and fill the gap created by killing Buick

Chrysler:

1. Kill the Chrysler brand (yeah you read that right)
2. Kill the Charger and bring the 300 over as a Dodge.
3. Kill the Durango and Dakota product line
4. Enter partnerships with Hyundai and VW to build economical cars.

I really think that my plans would work, but what do I know? I'm just a car guy.

 

[Brogy]

Blasphemy!

I agree ford could benefit getting rid of jaguar and land rover, but they should keep mercury and keep volvo and mazda the way they are.


GM should keep saab, pontiac, and buick. Buicks are known to the public as reliable and luxurious cars that arent too pricey, they sell fine. Pontiac is known as sporty, and now that they're making it even sportier I think they'll sell better. If they can stick on their course to distinguish their brands in the future, and get away from brand engineering, they should be good. At least now when they use the same car with a different name, it doesn't look or drive like it's sisters.

For chrysler, I don't even care anymore, first it was american, then it was german, now the germans want to sell it, next maybe they'll get into the aviation business. They're my least favorite out of the domestics.

 

[gonesurfing]

Dude, kill the charger? That is the second best car design DC has come out with, right after the 300C. The only thing that would scare me away with either is the fuel efficiency. The new avenger looks just OK, but the Caliber design is way better than the old Neon. I've never been keen on their transmission designs as they seem to opt for long mushy shifts versus a firm quick one. Just my $.02.

 

[Gilitar]

Quote:

---

Blasphemy!

I agree ford could benefit getting rid of jaguar and land rover, but they should keep mercury and keep volvo and mazda the way they are.


GM should keep saab, pontiac, and buick. Buicks are known to the public as reliable and luxurious cars that arent too pricey, they sell fine. Pontiac is known as sporty, and now that they're making it even sportier I think they'll sell better. If they can stick on their course to distinguish their brands in the future, and get away from brand engineering, they should be good. At least now when they use the same car with a different name, it doesn't look or drive like it's sisters.

For chrysler, I don't even care anymore, first it was american, then it was german, now the germans want to sell it, next maybe they'll get into the aviation business. They're my least favorite out of the domestics.

---

Mercury brings NOTHING to the table. They don't sell well and there is not enough product differnce between Ford and Mercury to keep the brand. This will happen just watch.

GM is in fact toying with the idea of killing Buick anyway and Pontiac is a product catagory that could easily be filled by the new Saturn line up. The others such as the G8 would be fine as a Chevrolet.

 

[Gilitar]

Quote:

---

Dude, kill the charger? That is the second best car design DC has come out with, right after the 300C.

---

I agree that it's not a bad design, but if you got rid of Chrysler and brought the 300 over as a Dodge you simply wouldnt need it.

 

[Gilitar]

The bottom line is that the American car companies have too many brands.

Toyota - 3 brands*
Honda - 2 brands*
Nissan - 2 brands*
Hyundai - 2 brands*

*US Market

Notice a trend here? There is no need to have 5-8 brands in one market. It's a waste of resources.

 

[ewetho]

As for the Ford Rec's

1. Here nor there if they are profitable keep them if not who cares but the Lincoln LS/Ford Thunderbird was a JAG.
2. Mercs are just a re-badged Ford that cost little or nothing to offer.
3. Already doing that
Fusion/Milan/Zepher/MKZ - Mazda
Ranger - Mazda
Five Hundred now Taurus in 08/Montego - Volvo
Escape - Mazda
Edge - Mazda

 

[Gilitar]

I don't believe the Ranger or the Escape was designed by Mazda. Correct me if i'm wrong. It cost more than you think to keep a brand like Mercury going. Think of the advertising dollars.

 

[g20ooh]

There is a useful distinction to be made between too many of the same brand " type " as opposed to too many brands in general .

You may want to take a look at various parts of the worldwide market - brands are being introduced ie increasing - its the number of manufacturers thats trending downward . This includes the JDM .

Really want to fix the Big Three and a whole lot more ?

Decide manufacturing is important and of value .
Then level the playing field - we are virtually the only industrial nation or wanna be that doesn't have mechanisms to protect the home team or really the home jobs who ever you want to define that as .In otherwords we are the only ones whose policies do not support much less cause to flourish manufacturing in general .
Actually , just getting the Japanese and Chinese Goverments to correctly value their currencies and a large part of the problem would be solved .
Most Americans are completely unaware that The Peoples Republic of China has a large tariff program designed specifically to all but eliminate imported automobiles -which is part of the reason why everybody is building capacity in China , including the Japanese .

 

[01rangerxl]

Quote:

---

Ranger - Mazda
Escape - Mazda

---

Not quite. The North and South American market Rangers were not designed by Mazda. Mazda does supply M5OD transmissions to Ford, but they did not have any input on the rest of the truck. In fact, the body style of Ranger (1993) that people incorrectly believe Mazda designed came out a full year before the first Ranger-based B-Series did (1994).

The Escape was a joint venture project. Both companies had input and the Escape and Tribute were released at the same time.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:

---

My idea for fixing "the big three"

---

Hang any board member that approves a multi-million dollar bonus for any declining year to any CEO...and make it retroactive and transferable to next of kin.

Problem solved.

 

[obbop]

But, yah' gotta' know what the contractual obligations are between dealers and the manufacturers.

Shut down a model and do you have to pay off the dealers with millions of dollars invested in land, buildings, personnel and intangibles such as "good name."

May be insurmountable barriers to entirely eliminating a brand name. Maybe not. But, gotta' know the facts in order to count the beans.

 

[Winston]

The "three brand" model that Toyota has is perfect.

Scion - Innexpensive interesting cars for the entry level buyer. Great start to build brand loyalty.
Toyota - Super reliable
Lexus - Quality at a price cheaper than the Germans.

 

[01rangerxl]

I do not think eliminating brands will be the solution. Divisions do need their own identity though. Throwing a waterfall grille on a car and calling it a Mercury is not good enough. Mercury needs to be offering something you cannot find at Ford or Lincoln. GM has been making big steps there (they were horrible when it came to brand identity in previous decades), but I think there is always progress to be made there.

 

[thunderchild]

Are you CRAZY!!! Get rid of the Dodge truck/Durango, Dakota line??? I drive Durangoes and they have been the most reliable and tough vehicles I have ever owned!! Never in the shop for anything except maintenance. The new ones are now getting a slight redesign but they are great vehicles!!

 

[ThirdeYe]

Quote:

---

I do not think eliminating brands will be the solution. Divisions do need their own identity though. Throwing a waterfall grille on a car and calling it a Mercury is not good enough. Mercury needs to be offering something you cannot find at Ford or Lincoln. GM has been making big steps there (they were horrible when it came to brand identity in previous decades), but I think there is always progress to be made there.

---

I agree completely. For instance, the Sable's just basically a rebadged Taurus with a different grill.

 

[Mitch Alsup]

How to fix the big three:: Fire everybody making over $200K/year in salary plus other compensation.

 

[ewetho]

Ranger may not have been absolutely designed by Mazda and neither was necessarily was the Escape. However they are so closely tied a the hip that esentially those vehicles are either Mazda's or Fords by the clothes they wear.

Essentially the same cars/trucks. That alliance or what ever is shared fruits by both of them.

 

[Duffman77]

My Solution
GM:
Chev: Build bare bones no thrills entry-level cars with decent quality and compete as a low cost leader.
Pontiac: Uses same platform as Chev where required. High performance div and marketed as such. Available High HP engines not offered to Chev and sometimes Buick. Offer a manual transmission in everything. Move Corvette over and get out of vans and LoPo Cars
Buick: High quality luxuries cars at a decent price (like now). Share platforms with Pontiac/ Chev as required.
Cadillac: Flagship div with only high end high quality cars.
Chev Trucks/GMC: Kill one of these.
Specialty Divs to share common dealerships:
Saab: maintain Euro engineering and quality
Hummer: as is without cheapening the brand
Saturn: Return to your roots as a specialty manufacturer with keen ideas such as plastic body panels, hybrids, elec cars, strong warranties and great service etc.

Ford Motor Co:
Right now Mercury adds no value to the line-up.
Build a ford/Merc relationship like the above Chev/Buick.
Build a Ford 500 size/type car on the mustang running gear.
Continue other divs as usual
Rely more on your international efforts for design and engineering.

DiamlerChyrsler:
Why are you waiting to get your strong European diesel expertise into your north American line-up.
You have always had the crapiest entry level model, sort that out.
Stick with your strengths of minivans when others abandon.
Get some manual transmissions in your cars (300/Charger,Rams...)