Ford shuts Flat Rock for a week- 32% sales drop

[Ground Speed]

Why don't they spend the time to make some GT350's so we can get one at MSRP :ford:

Came here to make this point. Was beaten to the punch. Well played, skinnysaurus. :cheers:

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[c-rizzle]

Why don't they spend the time to make some GT350's so we can get one at MSRP :ford:

Yep, Ford can make some money on some extra GT350's, instead of the dealerships making all of that ADM money.

 

[wireeater]

So Ford shuts it down because supply rose to 89 days but GM goes all the way to 139 days supply but people want to say it was GM's plan (sell less for more)... LOL. This is clear indication of how car manufacturing works and GM doesn't work any differently than Ford does but it shows exactly why Ford didn't fail the first time and GM did. GM is the type of company that tries to hide that it's sick until it's too late.

It's just a very stagnant time of the year. Elections, cold weather is coming and a refresh. There are just lots of reasons to hold off from buying a Mustang. I hope the best for all because I know it's a uneasy feeling being a worker as well when things get slow.

 

[Todd15Fastback]

So Ford shuts it down because supply rose to 89 days but GM goes all the way to 139 days supply but people want to say it was GM's plan (sell less for more)... LOL. This is clear indication of how car manufacturing works and GM doesn't work any differently than Ford does but it shows exactly why Ford didn't fail the first time and GM did. GM is the type of company that tries to hide that it's sick until it's too late.

It's just a very stagnant time of the year. Elections, cold weather is coming and a refresh. There are just lots of reasons to hold off from buying a Mustang. I hope the best for all because I know it's a uneasy feeling being a worker as well when things get slow.

:ford::ford:

 

[ForTehNguyen]

Winter is Coming too, not a great time for sportscar sales

 

[Khyber]

Why don't they spend the time to make some GT350's so we can get one at MSRP :ford:

if you can't get one at msrp this very second, you aren't trying lol.

 

[EcoVert]

So Ford shuts it down because supply rose to 89 days but GM goes all the way to 139 days supply but people want to say it was GM's plan (sell less for more)... LOL. This is clear indication of how car manufacturing works and GM doesn't work any differently than Ford does but it shows exactly why Ford didn't fail the first time and GM did. GM is the type of company that tries to hide that it's sick until it's too late.

It's just a very stagnant time of the year. Elections, cold weather is coming and a refresh. There are just lots of reasons to hold off from buying a Mustang. I hope the best for all because I know it's a uneasy feeling being a worker as well when things get slow.

The people working at Flat Rock are still getting payed and everyone is right the election has everybody spooked 1st time in my life I have registered to vote. But it also gives Ford a chance to do maintenance at Flat Rock also. No body should worry the sky is not falling. (yet) :ford:

 

[Ericc B]

This seems a strange decision to me. OK, so the US market may have slowed a little for Mustang last month, but I can tell you of at least two markets that haven't and and still have massive lead times. Certainly the UK and Australia demand could have been filled, at least partly. UK V8 sales are still taking about 9 months from point of order to delivery, and Australian sales/deliveries are pushed out to 2018!!

Just wondering why production couldn't have been used to fulfil a massive backlog of RHD cars? :shrug:

Most likely because RHD/Export cars require a number of unique parts that aren't in stock at the factory. Adjusting supply of those parts requires a longer lead time and Ford apparently can't afford waiting with the shutdown because in the meantime their local marked will get flooded with cars, leading to lower sales values.

But I agree as a consumer it sounds completely crazy to shut down the factory, while in certain markets there's a year + waiting list. It's yet another bad thing to come out of all those stupid different export parts. They should have designed those parts to be universal with programmable different behaviour per market, like the front and rear light units. How hard can it be.

 

[NoVaGT]

This happens every four years before the election. I'm in a big-ticket design/sales industry, and we're slow as hell.

People just freak out and stop spending before a Presidential election.

 

[CM581978]

So when will we see some nice incentives?

 

[15wile]

Please don't turn this into a political debate

Without specifically mentioning any of the sides/parties/factions/candidates, etc... it's a valid point. The run up to a Presidential election is usually a bizarre in the states, from an economic perspective.

GM got a short term sales boost on the Camaro from running an assload of incentives and clearing out 16MY cars for cheap (Ford had mostly cleared them out already -- there are very few left). But I suspect October will show the same kind of sales uncertainty for GM that you already saw for Ford. After the election, I expect sales to stabilize again.

 

[MRGTX]

Lots of good reasons why the sales dip is probably not related to people growing bored with the Mustang.

Any theories as to why Camaro is immune to these issues?

There have been great deals on these cars but it's still a gigantic purchase that would certainly be impacted by all market forces mentioned in this thread.

 

[Joe 5.0]

Anyone else bothered by that green hose resting on the paint in that photo?

 

[uglygun]

People are spooked to spend money with the election looming.......

And the market can only be stimulated to buy new for so long before those who can afford new cars have done so. Every trick has been pulled that can be pulled to get people into the market and draw them in.

This correction has been a LONG time coming.

If Chevy thinks they can just go right back to 45k MSRP on the 2017 Camaro just wait until we get to this time again next year.

And THIS is what it took for the Camaro to finally outsell the Mustang? LMAO. If they want to keep those sales up they might want to rethink what they want to charge for those 2017s.

 

[Maggneto]

Lots of good reasons why the sales dip is probably not related to people growing bored with the Mustang.

Any theories as to why Camaro is immune to these issues?

There have been great deals on these cars but it's still a gigantic purchase that would certainly be impacted by all market forces mentioned in this thread.

I was thinking the same thing. If Mustang why NOT everyone else. If the forces were equal across the board then all Pony cars would decline at the same rate (more or less).

There are probably a few factors that are playing out for the Mustang like the number of Mustangs already produced 300k?, new model on the horizon, and Trump bashing of Ford may also have an impact.

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