Woohoo GO FORD!
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Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 447
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From: Paradise, San Diego
Woohoo GO FORD!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...476898164.html
Ford Motor Co., showing little impact from rising gasoline prices or the Japan earthquake, said its first-quarter profit rose 22%, fueled by higher vehicle sales and pricing, especially in North America, its most important region.
An expanded portfolio of fuel-efficient vehicles helped the company grab more consumers as gas price pushed shoppers throughout March from buying larger cars and pickup trucks to smaller vehicles, such as the Fiesta subcompact, the company said.
The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker said it held the line on incentives while shoppers outfitted their purchases with more features, boosting its margins. In North America, Ford earned $2,806 on average on every vehicle it produced in the region, more than double the year-ago figure.
Ford's Fiesta compact, for example, is frequently sold with heated leather seats, an option rarely found in small cars just a few years ago. "This is a tremendous change in the automobile industry," Chief Executive Alan Mulally said during an earnings call Tuesday
That Ford was able to increase profitability even as gasoline prices neared $4 a gallon is a clear illustration how much the company and its Detroit rivals have reinvented themselves. In the past, Ford, General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC made most of their money selling trucks and sport-utility vehicles and made little or lost money on cars. In 2008, when gas prices spiked, all three company's ran up huge losses, and GM and Chrysler began their slide into bankruptcy. GM and Chrysler report first-quarter earnings later this month.
More to read in the article!!
D
Ford Motor Co., showing little impact from rising gasoline prices or the Japan earthquake, said its first-quarter profit rose 22%, fueled by higher vehicle sales and pricing, especially in North America, its most important region.
An expanded portfolio of fuel-efficient vehicles helped the company grab more consumers as gas price pushed shoppers throughout March from buying larger cars and pickup trucks to smaller vehicles, such as the Fiesta subcompact, the company said.
The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker said it held the line on incentives while shoppers outfitted their purchases with more features, boosting its margins. In North America, Ford earned $2,806 on average on every vehicle it produced in the region, more than double the year-ago figure.
Ford's Fiesta compact, for example, is frequently sold with heated leather seats, an option rarely found in small cars just a few years ago. "This is a tremendous change in the automobile industry," Chief Executive Alan Mulally said during an earnings call Tuesday
That Ford was able to increase profitability even as gasoline prices neared $4 a gallon is a clear illustration how much the company and its Detroit rivals have reinvented themselves. In the past, Ford, General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC made most of their money selling trucks and sport-utility vehicles and made little or lost money on cars. In 2008, when gas prices spiked, all three company's ran up huge losses, and GM and Chrysler began their slide into bankruptcy. GM and Chrysler report first-quarter earnings later this month.
More to read in the article!!
D
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,823
Likes: 15
From: Houston, TX
I agree that they have really cut back on incentives. I have toyed with the idea of buying a regular cab-short box Ranger before they go out of production later this year. However, after shopping around this past weekend, I found that (even on an old "gray beard" like the Ranger) they are offering such low incentives that I don't think I could buy a baseline regular cab Ranger today for what I paid for an extended cab well appointed version of the truck back in '09.
Good for Ford, but bad for the guy that is looking for a "sweetheart" deal on a Ranger.....
Good for Ford, but bad for the guy that is looking for a "sweetheart" deal on a Ranger.....
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,008
Likes: 28
From: Dover AFB DE / Harrisburg PA
Yup, when I bought my stick 6.4L for 20k, sitting right next to it was a five speed ranger, but no AC or cruse for 14k. No discounts available, so I spent 6k more for a diesel, cruse, and AC.
Adrianspeeder
Adrianspeeder