Found On Road Dead

As many of you may know, Ford has been in a bit of a bind lately.  Stock has been down, they are looking to be part of a $50 billion bailout from the government, and no one really wants an F-350 when gas is $4 per gallon.  So what’s Found On Road Dead to do?  Step one seems to be a major retooling of plants.  Since no one wants SUVs and trucks Ford has started the conversion of truck plants into small car plants.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting:

Equipment used at Wayne to make Expedition and Navigator large SUVs will be moved to a factory in Louisville, Ford said. The plant, which builds F-Series Super Duty pickups, will add the SUV models in 2009′s second quarter.

The Michigan factory is one of three in North America being retooled to produce fuel-efficient cars under Chief Executive Alan Mulally’s plan to end $23.9 billion in losses since 2005. Light trucks, which account for 63 percent of Ford’s 2008 deliveries, are down 19 percent amid record gasoline prices.

Ford is at least reacting to supply and demand.  These changes probabily should have come a year ago, but better late then never I suppose.  The next step would be to produce a car that runs longer then a month without something breaking.  My experiences with Ford vehicles has been, in a word, awful.  My parents had two Fords, both had numerous mechanical problems, my friend has a Ford, it is always in the shop, I have driven many Crown Vics, and I think they are honestly the most uncomfortable, poorly built car on earth.  Lets hope Ford can get it together and turn their reputation around with these plants.

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