Today is Not a Good Day for the Car Industry!
It is a shame that so many local dealers in the area will be closing. Having been in the car business for over 25 years, many of the local dealers closing are friends or acquaintances of ours.
We wish everyone luck in their future endeavors!
GM Stores Closing
11 Local Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Dealers Closing
Friday, 15 May 2009
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Ford's Foresight Will Put Them on Top
Ford's Foresight
This morning on the front page of MSNBC they ran the following article on Ford and Alan Mulally. They discuss Ford's current situation and the future of the auto industry. It is a good article. We think it should be noted that they attribute some of Ford's current situation to luck, and that can certainly be defended. However, it is ironic that once again Alan Mulally pulled up to Washington DC in a production Hybrid, while the other 2 CEO's of the Big 3 came in cocept vehicles. Ford was on the right path before the current problems began.
Ford’s foresight puts carmaker in pole position
Ford’s foresight puts carmaker in pole position - The Driver's Seat 
This morning on the front page of MSNBC they ran the following article on Ford and Alan Mulally. They discuss Ford's current situation and the future of the auto industry. It is a good article. We think it should be noted that they attribute some of Ford's current situation to luck, and that can certainly be defended. However, it is ironic that once again Alan Mulally pulled up to Washington DC in a production Hybrid, while the other 2 CEO's of the Big 3 came in cocept vehicles. Ford was on the right path before the current problems began.
Ford’s foresight puts carmaker in pole position
Gerald Herbert / AP file
Ford’s Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in a new Ford Fusion hybrid vehicle.
Sales are still dreadful, but the No. 2 carmaker is gaining share on rivals
By Roland Jones
updated 9:24 a.m. CT, Wed., May 6, 2009
As Chrysler makes its way through bankruptcy court and General Motors tries to avoid the same fate, Ford is emerging as the strongest of the Big Three automakers.
Ford has taken no federal bailout money, but it’s pulling ahead of its rivals because of well-timed financial planning and a focused and attractive mix of product. The automaker also is profiting from the troubles at GM and Chrysler.
“[Ford’s Chief Executive Alan] Mulally went out and got credit when it was available, and he has positioned the automaker with a global strategy using the Fiesta and the Focus,” said George Magliano, director of automotive industry research at IHS Global Insight. “So they have gone way up the ladder, and of course they look a lot better because they didn’t ask for a bailout.”
North American auto sales remain dismal, but Ford added market share in April, thanks to record sales of its fuel-efficient midsize Fusion. And with Chrysler in bankruptcy and likely to see sales continue to plummet, Ford will continue to gain, analysts say.
Ford sales were down 32 percent from a year earlier, but that was good enough to push past Toyota to reclaim its position as the nation’s No. 2 car company, with 16 percent of the market. GM, the largest automaker with 21 percent of the market, saw sales drop 34 percent. Chrysler, which filed for a government-engineered bankruptcy Thursday, reported the sharpest decline among major automakers, falling 48 percent.
Key to Ford’s success is its strong cash position. Two years ago, having just arrived in Detroit from Boeing and profiting from a stronger credit market, Ford’s Chief Executive Alan Mulally mortgaged every conceivable asset owned by the automaker — including the iconic blue oval Ford logo — to the tune of $23 billion to finance its turnaround plan.
Today, Ford has around $30 billion on hand, enough to finance its day-to-day operating needs until sometime in 2010, when the auto market is expected to pick up again, according to analysts.
Ford also has managed its product mix effectively, notes Tom Appel, associate publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, a guide for car buyers. In mid-2008, when the price of gasoline topped $4 a gallon for the first time, Ford was best-placed out of all the big U.S. automakers to “roll into the recession” and handle the sharp rise in gas prices, he said.
While Chrysler had developed a suite of compact and midsize cars, including the Dodge Avenger and the Jeep Compass, that all looked similar and unrefined, and were not especially fuel-efficient, Ford and GM were producing stronger vehicles in these categories, Appel said.
Ford’s Fusion and Mercury, in particular, were perfect for when the recession hit and car-buyers “got conservative,” he said. Dodge’s midsize Avenger sold 1,400 units in April, but the Ford Fusion sold 18,000 units, Appel added. Ford also managed to work nice new interiors into the vehicles, and they have benefited from good press surrounding the introduction of the Ford Fusion hybrid.
“Ford didn’t spend a lot of money on the Focus; they didn’t redesign it, so when $4 gas came they had this vehicle ready, and so they could sell it cheaply when people started looking for cheaper transportation,” he said.
Chrysler in particular missed the mark on vehicle introductions, bringing out the redesigned Dodge Ram pickup truck and updated minivans just when the auto-buyer market was shifting to smaller vehicles.
“The Dodge Ram is an outstanding vehicle, but the market is not good for trucks right now,” Appel said. “They might have the best pickup ever made, but this is not the time to get the word out on it.”
The Obama administration has said it will backstop Chrysler warranties even with the automaker in bankruptcy, and has promised to extend the same protection to GM customers.
But a recent survey by research firm TNS Automotive shows 20 percent of customers are less likely to buy cars from an automaker that is operating with government help. That figure rises to 37 percent when bankruptcy is introduced, according to report on the findings by IHS Global Insight. Only 12 percent say they would support a car receiving government aid, with that number falling to 8 percent if the company files for bankruptcy, according to the report.
IHS Global Insight’s Magliano says Chrysler is likely to lose 40 to 60 percent of its sales volume in bankruptcy, and something similar could happen to GM if it is forced into bankruptcy protection. What’s more, Chrysler is cutting plants and scaling back production, which also will weigh on sales, he added.
“Despite the government guarantees for when you buy a car or a truck from these guys, this is a serious issue for the automakers,” Magliano said. “These sales will be lost and spread throughout the industry, and so we think Ford could see their sales volume increase by 30 or 40 percent because there are people out there predisposed to buy an American brand. That’s a significant amount of value for them.”
However, Ford isn’t out of the woods yet, notes Magliano. They’ve had luck getting money to survive on, but they still have too many plants and too many dealers, and also too many dealers in a shrinking and increasingly fragmented industry.
“And they’re counting on a significant recovery in sales at the end of this year, expecting annual sales to come in at the 12 million range, but we are looking at something more like 9.5 million or 10.5 million,” he said. “So there could be significant pressure on them at the end of this year; pressure they haven’t been counting on.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30576127/
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Alan Mulally is one of Time's 100
Alan Mulally is on the "The 2009 Time 100"
Today "The 2009 Time 100" were announced and Alan Mulally made the list. The piece on Mr. Mulally was written by Steve Ballmer, a veteran Time reporter. At one point he writes:
Congratulations Mr. Mulally, we are rooting for you too!
The 2009 Time 100
Today "The 2009 Time 100" were announced and Alan Mulally made the list. The piece on Mr. Mulally was written by Steve Ballmer, a veteran Time reporter. At one point he writes:
"I'm rooting for him. My support is both emotional and rational. My father worked at Ford for more than 30 years. On the business side, the auto industry is an important customer and partner for Microsoft, with a long track record of shared technological innovation."
I think that this is a lot of people's sentiment. At Thoroughbred Ford we are seeing more and more people in the Midwest looking at Ford for the first time, or coming back to Ford. A lot of that has to do with the leadership at the helm.Congratulations Mr. Mulally, we are rooting for you too!
The 2009 Time 100
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG, Sets World Record with 1,445 Miles on Single Tank of Gas - Yahoo! Finance
The Fusion Hybrid 1,445 Miles on one tank of Gas
Over the Weekend Ford ran a test to see how far they could go on one tank of gas. They were trying to go over 1,000 miles. Well they did that and then some.
Yesterday I was discussing this with one of our Escape Hybrid owners, and she told me that twice she got 50+ MPG to the tank and is averaging just shy of 40 MPG.
Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5 MPG, Sets World Record with 1,445 Miles on Single Tank of Gas - Yahoo! Finance
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/090428/de06784.html?.v=1
============================================================
Yahoo! Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Kansas City's Deal of the Week
Deal of the Week
You can buy this brand new 2008 Shelby GT500 for $44,450, but buy it before May 1st and take an additional $1,000 off.
Call 816-746-7567 or email Sales@thoroughbredford.com
You can buy this brand new 2008 Shelby GT500 for $44,450, but buy it before May 1st and take an additional $1,000 off.
Call 816-746-7567 or email Sales@thoroughbredford.com
| 2008 MODEL YEAR |
| Ford Shelby GT500 Shelby GT500 |
| 8501 North Boardwalk Avenue Kansas City, MO 64154 - (816) 746-7567 |
| VEHICLE IMAGE | VEHICLE INFORMATION | |||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| STANDARD EQUIPMENT | INSTALLED OPTIONS |
| AM/FM Stereo Radio Accent Stripes Air Conditioning Alloy Wheels Carpeting Center Arm Rest Child-Proof Locks Clock Courtesy Lights Cruise Control Driver Side Air Bag Driver Side Remote Mirror Fold Down Rear Seat Front Bucket Seats Gauge Cluster Interval Wipers Keyless Entry Leather Upholstery Multi CD Player Passenger Side Air Bag Power Brakes Power Door Locks Power Driver's Seat Power Steering Power Windows Radial Tires Rear Defroster Rear Spoiler Reclining Seats Tachometer Tilt Steering Wheel Trip Odometer | |
| FUEL CONSUMPTION | |
 City MPG:Highway MPG: EPA mileage estimates are for newly manufactured vehicles. Actual mileage may vary with driving habits, road and vehicle conditions and vehicle age. | |
| Vehicle Price does not include any state, local, dealer fees or taxes. Any buyer must address errors or omissions before purchase. Dealer and Information Provider disclaim any warranty as to any errors or omissions. |
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Ford Is Going To Drive a 2010 Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas
| You can follow this on FORD's Twitter Account | |
| Ford Set To Drive 2010 Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas http://www.azocleantech.com/Details.asp?newsID=5333 | |
| George O'Sullivan sent this using ShareThis. | |
Take Test Drive and We Donate to Breat Cancer
Ford Gives $20 and Thoroughbred Ford Gives $20
Ford has just announced a Test Drive drive program to raise money for Breast Cancer research. For every registered customer that takes a test drive Ford will donate $20 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation. Along with Ford's donation, Thoroughbred Ford is announcing a matching donation of $20 for every test drive taken between now and June 1, 2009.
You must register at FordCares.com bring in your registration and we will fill it out for you.
Help Thoroughbred Ford and Ford give back to the Community.
This is from FordCares.com
THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO GIVE BACK
Ford has just announced a Test Drive drive program to raise money for Breast Cancer research. For every registered customer that takes a test drive Ford will donate $20 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation. Along with Ford's donation, Thoroughbred Ford is announcing a matching donation of $20 for every test drive taken between now and June 1, 2009.
You must register at FordCares.com bring in your registration and we will fill it out for you.
Help Thoroughbred Ford and Ford give back to the Community.
This is from FordCares.com
THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO GIVE BACK
In times like these, there’s never been a better time to give back. So when you test-drive any Ford vehicle between April 21, 2009, and June 1, 2009, Ford will donate $20 on your behalf to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, as part of their ongoing commitment to the fight against breast cancer.
When you test-drive a Ford, you’ll see a real difference. While others tell you there’s no credit available, Ford Credit is ready to help you finance your Ford vehicle. With the Ford Advantage Plan, you can buy or lease a new Ford vehicle and we’ll cover your payments for up to 12 months if you lose your paycheck.* Drive one today.
*Customer must be employed for 30 days after purchase. Must be employed full-time for 90 continuous days before job loss. Not available to self-employed, part-time or seasonal workers. Maximum monthly payment $700. Not available on E/F-450 and higher models. Program subject to change. Take new delivery from dealer stock by 6/1/09. See dealer for full program details and qualifications.
There's Never Been a Better Time to Give Back
In times like these, giving back to the community is more important than ever. So when you test-drive a Ford vehicle between April 21 and June 1, Ford will donate $20 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® on your behalf – to the Komen affiliate in the city of your choice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)