..and he's proud of it. HE says the LS is the best car in the world and he wants Ford to make cars that are even better.

Seems like Ford's got themselves an interesting challenge ahead with this new CEO.

Here's the article:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...SS01/609060459

 

Wow...good article.....

Mike

 

Great article. I hope Mulally can pull it off, I always liked Fords while I was a kid (Shelby Cobras/Mustangs, Boss Mustangs, Cobrajet Torinos, 427 Fairlanes, etc). So now Greg Penske, Mel Gibson & Ford's CEO drives the LS, who's next . . .

 

...let's call it "Flexus"

or

"Lexord"


If if Ford can pull off building Lexus-quality vehicles at mass market prices it would be THE biggest automotive story of our generation.

I think it will be VERY diffucult to change the Ford culture sufficiently to build a "Ford LS430"

Even Ford's lux brand Lincoln doesn't make a car that comes CLOSE to the LS. I've driven PLENTY of FORDS/Lincolns and LEXI -- the differences are VERY noticeable.

 

Funny story, in 2003, I tried to convince my Dad to buy a new LS, instead he chose a Town Car. He did buy a used '99 LS as a 2nd car. Within 18 months, the front console lid broke and a letter fell off the trunk of his new Lincoln, while the LS just kept pluggin' along. Nowadays I refer to the Lincoln as his 'Town Ca_' (with a lil' southern drawl) while my Mother silently chuckles in the background . . .

 

I have no doubt that lexus-quality vehicles can be produced here, but not at competitive prices! Aircraft engines can run thousands of hours w/ no failures and practically zero maintenance. OTOH, they are millions of dollar each. If a domestic carmaker were to build a vehicle w/ the quality/engineering of, say, a LX470, it would probably cost $200K. I worked for a major Japanese electronics maker in Japan for a few years, and the approach to QC is completely different than what is performed here. Here, we have a person randomly test parts and figure it'll have a probability of failure of xx according to an exponential distribution, etc. There, there are machines w/ AI that identify potential faults. Each part is also tested, statistics compiled from number of samples rather than distribution modelling. If a supplier's parts have too many failures, they are dropped. They also pay attention to details like the feel of the buttons, etc. One key thing is lots of automation in Japan. Back in the 80's and 90's when AI, robotics, and neural networks were the rage in research circles at US universities, lots of research was done, but hardly anyone here had the foresight to apply the results! As someone once told me, "You can send a man to the moon, but not at the price of a subway ticket."

 

well i doubt it can happen at the same or lower price then lexus. i think that article should be shown to people that doubt lexus... i mean to have the CEO of ford drive an LS cuz its the best car... it has to mean somehting.

 

That was my point. We can build quality stuff in this country, but at a price (e.g., airplanes, military stuff, etc., all costing millions/billions). To build a car in this country w/ the same quality/reliability/longevity/attention to detail as the lexus would cost many times more than what one could buy the Lexus for.

 

Guys I dont see ford meeting that goal. It would take many years and alot $$$$$$$$. Lets face the facts lexus makes great cars.

 

I disagee. Ford has the resources and economy of scales to do this, the questions is do the major stockholders/Board WANT to do this. Mulally is not your typical Yes-man **** kisser. His record at Boeing speaks for itself. The real question is Ford willing to give him the backing & resources he needs to pull this off. Guys, remember that Toyota SUBSIDIZED the orignal LS400 for it's initial launch to ensure it can sell for a low price in the US. Do you honestly believe that Toyota could launch a new division/brand and produce & sell the LS for a profit at $30k in 1990 ??? This was a major loss leader for Toyota in order to establish a new brand and new car line in the US (and it apparently was successful) . . .

 

I would never say Ford couldn't build a Lexus quality vehicle. Anything is possible, and believe it or not, they do have a form of an advantage- A Target. It is very hard to be a class leader, as soon as your product is out, it is torn apart by your competitors and made better. If they start with a Lexus vehicle as a target, even a close second is a victory. Look at the Ford GT, a first generation supercar that can embarass many established supercars on the road. I am not personally a fan of Ford, I am a long time GM buyer. Anyone who thinks a company the size of Ford does not have the resources is kidding themselves.

The question is will they appy it...

Historically American car makers made a 'good' product that met the average persons needs. They relied on loyalty and patriatism to sell the vehicles. The last few years have been a loud wake up call. Todays buyer in large will look to buy the best product they can afford.

It will take a lot of courage for them to elevate their vehicles to a Lexus level. I think GM is on their way, look at the distance Caddy has traveled in the last 5 years, they are not there yet, but they have closed the gap quite a bit. Also look at the new Solstice/Sky, I still can't believe that was put out by GM.

Ford has alot more work to do. Aside from the GT, I can't think of one car I would actually like to own from them.

They can't look at day one profits, they need to see engineering as their most importatant objective, they need to hire talented people and listen to them, they need to build great product, which if they see it through, they will.

Stranger things have happened, hell, look at Toyota.

 

When the new LS 460 comes out the new CEO of Ford can go buy that one too. He'll love it. I test drove it last Saturday at the Taste of Lexus event in Irvine California...

 

I plan to do the same. I wanted an LS430, but for whatever reason I was not comfortable in it. I could not place the reason, I am 6'5" and 250 lbs, so maybe my size was a factor. I am looking forward to seeing the 460 and hopefully getting one in the spring...

 

I'm not saying that ford can't do it. I'm saying it would take a few years and lots of $$$$$ that they may not want to spend.

 

[Even Ford's lux brand Lincoln doesn't make a car that comes CLOSE to the LS. I've driven PLENTY of FORDS/Lincolns and LEXI -- the differences are VERY noticeable]

I have to agree with you. Take a 90-93 lexus LS and compare it to any 90-00 Lincoln. How many do you know of that will go over 300K miles and still run like clock-work. Ford has a long way to go. Maybe they need to set the bar a little lower. But it would be nice to see a ford with lexus like quality.