Dave Pericak speaks a bit about the Mustang's future

[Dan243]

I wish Dave Pericak would have signed my car... he is great at what he does for ford, true icon.

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[analogman]

It is indeed a dicey time to be a Mustang enthusiast. There are a number of things happening at Ford that I think conspire against the Mustangs future.

The first potential problem for the Mustang is Jim Hackett. I think Hackett will go down in history as one of the worst CEOs Ford has ever had. The only person who could possibly be worse in that job is Jim Farley, and it certainly looks like Bill Ford Jr. is about to make the Hackett mistake worse by making an even bigger Farley mistake.

In what universe is it a sound business strategy to give up on cars and abandon a significant portion of your revenues and unit sales and gift it to the competition? With the insane hope that car buyers will simply switch to SUVs/CUV’s? That isn’t happening:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a29797141/ford-chevy-discontinued-compact-cars/

https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-new...due-to-ceased-production-of-small-car-models/

I've never heard of a company shrinking to greatness.

I can only imagine the fruit baskets the people at Hyundai must have sent to Ford for that one. I think Ford walking away from the US car business will go down in history as one of he most bone-headed moves ever by a major corporation.

It’s not surprising that Hackett hasn’t worked out. After all, his experiences are in selling office furniture, and the car business is a little harder and more complicated than that. But then, he’s just been doing what the Ford family ordered him to do – get the stock price up in the short term, whatever it takes.

The second and bigger problem for the Mustang is I think the Ford family is positioning the company to sell it to VW (who need a solution to their reputation/credibility problem in the US because of the dieselgate fiasco) or maybe BMW. Both of them would love to add trucks to their product line. It would be a very sad day to see the end of such a storied, legendary name as Ford and especially Mustang. I don't know what kind of loyalty either VW or BMW would feel towards the Mustang - it has no history with them, and what they're really after is the F150, the big money maker. In the meantime, seeing all this insanity happening at Ford is like watching a train wreck happening in slow motion.

I can understand why the Ford family wants out. All the laws and regulations in this country make it easier to make more money with less effort by being a financial speculator in the stock market than actually making things. Other than Bill Ford Jr., I think the rest of the Ford family is tired of all the headaches. Unions, supplier issues, employee strikes, parts pricing, uncertain import/export regulations and tariffs, pension funds. They no doubt would make more money and with no effort by just cashing out and putting it into the stock market. There's no way they could sell their shares on the open market without cratering the price. The only way they can get out is if the company is acquired. Therefore, courting VW and BMW.

First Chrysler ceased being a US company, with Ford perhaps to follow. That will leave GM as the only major ‘American’ based car manufacturer, which will be the saddest commentary of all on what has happened with manufacturing in America. This country once led the world in cars and manufacturing in general, but that time is quickly passing. It seems to be China’s turn next.

Peter DeLorenzo at autoextremist has a fantastic write up on Ford’s management soap opera:

http://www.autoextremist.com

 

[bluebeastsrt]

Says the person who is probably a die hard manual fan because of the "feeling" of driving a manual. Regardless if an A10 gives you .5sec quicker 0-60...

Strike one. I drive a 9 second stalled auto.

 

[zackmd1]

Strike one. I drive a 9 second stalled auto.

Point still stands as plenty of others on this site do feel that way. It is not just the younger generation....

 

[martinjlm]

I had to pick a number for illustrative purposes. Maybe $450/mo is closer to the median. Doesn't really change the calculus by too much. @martinjlm would know better what average selling price is for sedans across the industry.

Even though I can see average transaction prices, that only tells part of the story. The rest depends on the down payment and the interest rate. I got 2% for 6 years on my car with a $17k down payment, so my payment is very reasonable. Less than the example you showed of a $33k high end EB or base GT at 5 years, 3.5% with nothing down.

I think what Pericak may have meant is to expect that the way performance is achieved will be different but they still have to do it in a way that young buyers will still like the feel of the performance. I interpret that to mean varying levels of electrification. Mickey Bly (head of powertrain at FCA) and Tim Kuniskis (father of demons) have both already said that their performance cars will be electrified in the very near future. Electrified, not necessarily electric. So think Hemis with battery / electric motor assist. Now think about Mustangs with battery / electric motor assist. I’m gonna sound like a broken record stating that I fully expect the soon-to-be revealed Mach I will be a Coyote powered hybrid.

 

[zackmd1]

I’m gonna sound like a broken record stating that I fully expect the soon-to-be revealed Mach I will be a Coyote powered hybrid.

Don't do this to me.... I just bought a new car and need to hold off tell 2022 for the S650... I was much more comfortable thinking the Mach 1 was a parts bin vehicle....

 

[frank s]

So. The piped-in or bogus performance noise was a toe-in-the-water for enveloping those feelie buyers in sensually satisfying sensations? Push the right pedal and your seat squashes like real acceleration? Port the helm and the car tilts to the right, just as if you were really turning? Heck, you could get a bed and surround screens that would do all that for you, and you and the environment would suffer less.

 

[shogun32]

you could get a bed and surround screens that would do all that for you, and you and the environment would suffer less.

VR goggles and headphones do a pretty decent job all on their own. I guess we'd need a fore/aft tipping chair and chest strap actuators to finish the illusion.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

Point still stands as plenty of others on this site do feel that way. It is not just the younger generation....

You directed the comment at me numb nuts. So no the point doesn't stand! Instead just say I was trying to be witty......and failed.

 

[FreePenguin]

My car payment is 430 a month, like 3.74 interest rate, and a 90 mo insurance for full coverage. Hoping to have it paid off though sooner than later. I really didn't want debt, but I love my car. I agree with the comment that people are looking down on people with sporty cars/muscle cars. kind of reminds me of this scene.

 

[speedfrk]

This is funny, I don't care who you are... I'm actually all for both ICE and Electric. Let people buy what they like. But as the older generation dies off, so will ICE cars and they will be niche and collector vehicles.

 

[Timeless]

It's beyond bad out here...

As a conservative car enthusiast I am on an island, surrounded by a sea of vaping tesla owners being autopilot'd to work.

To be fair, you are safer this way. You would not want them to actually drive.

 

[zackmd1]

You directed the comment at me numb nuts. So no the point doesn't stand! Instead just say I was trying to be witty......and failed.

 

[NoVaGT]

I'm stunned at the replies here of people paying interest on their loans.

Ya'll know Ford does 0% on Mustangs in the fall, right?

 

[shogun32]

Ya'll know Ford does 0% on Mustangs in the fall, right?

not everyone qualifies you know... Or maybe it was 0% for 36mo which is too much of a payment. But it's good to see Ford Finance is raking in the bucks. It's not like we haven't seen trouble in this space in the past or nuthin'...

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