Saving Detroit II: Ford Motor Company

Ford has been a more mixed bag than General Motors. If GM only has one acquisition approach (standardize), Ford has been somewhat more hands off with the companies it acquires (notably, they let Volvo do its thing very effectively over the last decade). But like GM, Ford's North American brands are geared towards a bygone era.


1. Ford. Like Chevrolet, this brand is all things to all people. They've got the long-in-the-tooth Focus, the already dead Crown Victoria, the Taurus (nee Ford 500) and the Fusion. Can you spot the midsize car? Bring some focus to this lineup, cut it down and focus on value.

2. Mercury. What does Mercury stand for? For as long as I remember, Mercury sold marked-up re-badged fords. Close it down.

3. Lincoln. Does America have place for a second luxury car maker after Cadillac? Maybe you can prop up Lincoln by bringing in some European Ford cars and putting some nice paint on them. Or you can close it down.

4. Volvo. Don't change a thing. Continue the plan to expand the lineup upmarket (big sedans and SUVs) and downmarket, with the new C30. This brand has a lot of room to grow by offering sturdy Swedish design.


5. Mazda. With its controlling interest in Mazda, Ford has done well by mining the parts bin of this quirky Japanese manufacturer (note how Japanese the Ford Fusion looks). Make this your family, female and planet friendly brand.