What I know about Ford finally made public

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/31/f...wer-loan-rate/

Ford's Big Goal in 2011: Get out of junk status, lower loan rates

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Dec 31st 2010 at 10:01AM

2010 was a banner year for Ford Motor Company. Market share and profits were as good as they've been in years, and there is genuine buzz surrounding the Blue Oval's cars and trucks. Heck, even Ford's stock has been a monumental success. But not all that glitters is gold, as Ford is still mired in junk bond status, which in turn makes it more expensive to borrow money. That makes it more pricey for Ford to offer incentives to customers, and lease terms are less attractive than they would otherwise be.

K.R. Kent, Ford's new executive director of investor relations, is charged with getting Ford out of Junk status. Automotive News reports that Ford has been in junk status since 2005 and is currently four grades below junk status after being upgraded by two levels back in August. Ford CFO Lewis Booth admits that the company still has "a lot of steps to go before we get to investment grade." Making the matter more urgent for Ford is the fact that Ally Financial, the finance arm for General Motors and Chrysler, became a bank holding company in the second quarter of 2009. Since that time, AN says that it has been cheaper for Ally to secure loans than Ford Credit.

We're thinking that Ford has a big job in the year ahead, and getting out of junk status will likely take improved auto sales and continued quarterly profits. Booth says Ford will reach its junk-free goal by showing the investment community "authoritative and highly credible insight into our automotive business and Ford Credit."

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/11/f...next-two-year/

Ford to add 7,000 workers to U.S. manufacturing in next two years

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Jan 11th 2011 at 8:27AM

Ford has announced plans to start a hiring onslaught and over the course of the next two years the automaker will add more than 7,000 employees to its ranks. Hiring both salaried and hourly employees, Ford is looking for a few good men and women in the States. In 2011, it plans to hire around 4,000 folks to fill positions at a number of plants including 1,800 positions opening up at the Louisville Assembly plant.

The Blue Oval is also on the hunt for a range of engineers to help further development of electric vehicles. Ford is looking for experts with a specialized knowledge of the various components required to make electric cars go. Those positions aren't Detroit-centric either, as Ford has openings in cities like Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati and San Jose.

Check out the full press-release after the jump for more information.

[Source: Ford]

Press Release
FORD TO ADD 7,000 U.S. WORKERS IN NEXT TWO YEARS; EXPANDS COMMITMENT TO AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

-Ford will add more than 7,000 new hourly and salaried jobs between this year and next in the United States
-As part of this job growth, Ford will begin recruiting engineers specializing in electrification at the 2011 North American International Auto Show on Wednesday and Thursday

DETROIT, Jan. 10, 2011 – Ford Motor Company today announced it will add 7,000 new hourly and salaried jobs between this year and next in the United States.

This year alone, Ford is adding nearly 4,000 hourly jobs at several of its U.S. plants, including 1,800 at Louisville Assembly Plant, which is preparing to launch the next-generation Ford Escape late in the year. Ford also will add 750 salaried engineering jobs in product development and manufacturing. Next year, Ford expects to add at least 2,500 more new manufacturing positions.

"Ford is committed to American manufacturing, and we are on a path to add more than 7,000 American workers over the next two years as we continue to grow our product lineup," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. "Working with our partners, including the UAW, Ford is finding competitive ways to engineer and build even more high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles with technologies American consumers really want."

Ford is recruiting salaried engineers specializing in batteries, system controls, software and energy storage to work on electric vehicles in Detroit and eight other cities including Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee; Raleigh and Durham, N.C.; and San Jose, Calif. This recruitment launches at the 2011 North American International Auto Show during industry preview days on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/12/p...ers-this-year/

Polk: Ford owners are most loyal buyers this year

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Jan 12th 2011 at 4:33PM

Polk, the company that has been examining customer loyalty for 15 years, as Ford claiming the top spot in its most recent survey. After polling nearly 5 million "return-to-market" events, Polk found a majority of Ford customers returned to the brand for their next vehicle.

Ford didn't stop at winning Polk's Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer title, though. The Blue Oval also took top honors in the Overall Loyalty to Make, Ethnic Market Make (African American) and Mid/Full-size Pickup Truck categories.

Toyota also fared well in Polk's survey, earning four awards. For the full list of winners, check out the press release after the jump.

[Source: Polk | Image: Drew Phillips/Autoblog/AOL]

Press Release

Ford Takes Top Honors in Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards
Several Repeat Winners in 15th Annual Event

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Company took top honors in the 15th annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards, presented last night at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit. Ford received awards in several categories, including: Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer; Overall Loyalty to Make; Ethnic Market Make – African-American; and Mid/Full-Size Pickup for its F-Series truck lineup, a repeat winner in the category. This year marks the first time Ford has won the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer category since 1999.

Polk's Automotive Loyalty Awards are presented to OEMs that demonstrate a manufacturer's ability to retain owners over repeat buying cycles. "The 2010 awards are based on an analysis of 4.9 million return to market events during the 2010 model year," said Brad Smith, director of Polk's loyalty management practice. The model year runs from Oct. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010.

Loyalty is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to market and purchases or leases another new vehicle of the same model or make. Polk tracks owner loyalty throughout the year and its Loyalty Management Practice regularly works with customers to effectively manage owner loyalty through the in-depth analysis of automotive shopping behaviors, related market influencers and development of retention strategies.

"At Ford, we strive to create a diverse portfolio from small cars to trucks that fit every customer's needs," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. "We're honored Polk is recognizing Ford, as winners in both the manufacturer and make overall loyalty categories, as it's further proof that we're continuing to deliver the fuel-efficient, high quality products customers are looking for."

This year's awards also honored several OEMs with additional repeat winners across a variety of categories. "It's clear that the OEMs are paying attention to the importance of owner loyalty in this economy," said Stephen Polk, chairman, president and CEO of Polk. "We've seen many programs put into place to help them keep customers coming back – and it's paying off for them."

Even though industry volumes have been down the past few years, loyalty rates have increased. "Our research has shown that an OEM's core owner base is very loyal and represents a significant percentage of new vehicle sales during tough economic times," said Smith. "In addition, with an overall increase in loyalty to Asian brands, Ford winning top manufacturer honors is a testament to their success in the U.S. marketplace," he continued.

This year, the awards program had several repeat winners. A complete list of those honored during the program is as follows:

[JPFS1]

The guys over in Canada, specifically the plants involved with Coyote production in Windsor are going to welcome further investment in the recent upgrade to EEP. Ford are investing a further 60 odd million on a new Block line, and improvements to the various production lines for the cranks and heads etc.

Production of Coyote was set to be in the vicinity of 275,000 units annually, this expansion will see an expansion of the workforce there and an increase in prod. capability of Coyote close to 400,000 units.

[Ohio XB]

I am taking a wait and see attitude on how the line workers hired at $14/hr work out. A nearby (to me) GM plant cannot keep workers at that wage. Since hiring people at the reduced wage they have not been able to keep those workers, which means constantly training new people who make mistakes. To catch the mistakes others have to be put in place, which means additional people, more repairs, increased production cost, etc.


Today our Plant Manager at the Ohio Assembly Plant announced his promotion to Global Director of FTPM (Ford Total Productive Maintenance). He has been a pretty good Manager for our plant.



Steve

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/18/r...-merit-raises/

Report: Ford to give out bonuses in 2011, but no merit raises

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Jan 18th 2011 at 9:00AM

Ford is looking back over the year that just was with an eye toward examining how well its employees performed. The automaker has told its workers that no raises are in order, which can be tough to hear. On the flip side, the Blue Oval is strongly crawling back from the financial downturn and is prepared to hand out bonuses to deserving workers.

Profit sharing payments are still being calculated, and the New York Times estimates that employees could earn as much as $5,000. That's a nice bump over the $450 they earned for the 2009 fiscal year. Ford has stated the the NYT estimate is a tad high, but we'll see who's right when the checks start rolling out in mid-March.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Drew Phillips/Autoblog/AOL]

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by JPFS1

The guys over in Canada, specifically the plants involved with Coyote production in Windsor are going to welcome further investment in the recent upgrade to EEP. Ford are investing a further 60 odd million on a new Block line, and improvements to the various production lines for the cranks and heads etc.

Production of Coyote was set to be in the vicinity of 275,000 units annually, this expansion will see an expansion of the workforce there and an increase in prod. capability of Coyote close to 400,000 units.

Wow, that is alot of V8s!

[FPV GTHO]

The bulk of those will be F series of course. That in mind, Ford are putting most of the focus either on 6.2 V8 or 3.5 Ecoboost. Last i looked, F series annual numbers were around half their peak of about a million units.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by phillyc

Wow, that is a lot of V8s!

The vast majority of those Coyote V8s will end up in F 150, it's still the main engine.
and the 5.0 V8 is going to be heads and shoulders above V6 and Ecoboost V6.

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

The bulk of those will be F series of course. That in mind, Ford are putting most of the focus either on 6.2 V8 or 3.5 Ecoboost. Last i looked, F series annual numbers were around half their peak of about a million units.

Last year, F Truck sales grew from 413K to 528K and while Super Duty accounts for half of them,
that means F150 still pulled down 250,000 odd sales, the projections are that F Truck will hit 600K this year.

[jpd80]

I was incorrect in the above statement,
Super Duty was 193K of the 528K F Trucks sold last year meaning that F150 sales were 333K sales.
Ford is expecting another 100K increase in F Truck sales this year with 70-80K being additional F150s...

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/18/r...-merit-raises/

Report: Ford to give out bonuses in 2011, but no merit raises

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Jan 18th 2011 at 9:00AM

Ford is looking back over the year that just was with an eye toward examining how well its employees performed. The automaker has told its workers that no raises are in order, which can be tough to hear. On the flip side, the Blue Oval is strongly crawling back from the financial downturn and is prepared to hand out bonuses to deserving workers.

Profit sharing payments are still being calculated, and the New York Times estimates that employees could earn as much as $5,000. That's a nice bump over the $450 they earned for the 2009 fiscal year. Ford has stated the the NYT estimate is a tad high, but we'll see who's right when the checks start rolling out in mid-March.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Drew Phillips/Autoblog/AOL]

What that article fails to mention is that when they are talking about "merit raises" for salaried workers (since the UAW wages are frozen) is that merit raises were given out last year to make sure the workers were paid competitively with the industry. According to Ford their pay is still currently competitive, and with the economy being what it is I am sure wages have not been moving up very much.

The salaried workers WILL recieve a BONUS this year, as stated by Ford. So though salaried workers are not getting raises (UAW has not had a raise since 2007) they will be getting bonus checks this year.

As for the amount of Profit Sharing for the UAW workers, the $5,000 figure is quite an exaggeration, and it is only conjecture while Ford had not even finalized US earnings for the year. The formula for calculating PS is as complex as our federal tax code, and the percentage of eligible profit paid out in PS declines as profit gets higher.

I think we will get a nice check, but I am guessing gross amount will be about $1,500 to $2,000. That then gets taxed at a rate of 40%.


Steve

[GK]

Good to see workers will get a decent bonus. It will build on the good faith between workers and management and hopefully lead to more pride in the work and product.

I personally really appreciate the pride and commitment you and your wife display towards Ford Steve, it's great having you on this forum. Your insight and information is always a good read and on the money. I particularly enjoyed your recent report on the stip down of the ecoboost 3.5. It was good that you and the Mrs were able to be there.

Keep up the top work.

GK

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/19/f...named-new-car/

Ford investing $400M in Kansas City plant for unnamed new car

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Jan 19th 2011 at 4:00PM

Ford has announced plans to invest $400 million in its Kansas City Assembly plant in Missouri. The company is shifting production of the Escape from that facility to its Louisville, Kentucky plant, which will open up a line for an unnamed model. There's some indication that the FoMoCo crew is planning to build the Transit Connect alongside the F-150 at the Kansas City facility. Regardless of what model Ford plans to build there, the company's investment will go toward new tooling, a new body shop and other improvements, while managing to save 3,750 jobs in the process.

Ford will receive around $150 million in tax breaks over 10 years for keeping the Kansas City plant up and kicking as part of the 2010 Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act. The legislation provides tax incentives for automakers who retain jobs through new investments.

The Blue Oval is now in the process of retooling a total of four plants for upcoming products. The company just recently announced that it is investing $600 million in the Louisville, Kentucky plant to produced the next-generation Escape. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Sources: Ford, Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

PRESS RELEASE

FORD COMMITS TO INVEST $400 MILLION, RETAIN JOBS IN KANSAS CITY TO SUPPORT NEW VEHICLE PRODUCTION

* Ford commits to build a new vehicle at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri after current model Ford Escape production moves to the company's Louisville Assembly Plant and retooling of the Kansas City facility is completed
* Ford will invest $400 million in its Kansas City facility to upgrade the plant and accommodate production of the new vehicle, while retaining full-time employment of 3,750
* Based on the company's commitment to this investment level and job retention, the state of Missouri approved tax incentives that played a role in Ford's decision


KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 18, 2011 – Ford Motor Company today announced a further commitment to U.S. manufacturing with plans to build a new vehicle at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri after Ford Escape production moves to Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant and retooling of the Kansas City facility is complete.

Ford will invest $400 million in the Kansas City plant to install a new body shop, new tooling and other upgrades. In addition, the company has committed to retain 3,750 full-time jobs at the plant – consistent with current employment levels. This includes the positions required to assemble the Ford F-150, which will continue to be built at the facility on a separate line.

"This investment and promise of a new vehicle to be built in Kansas City reinforces Ford's commitment to U.S. manufacturing and American jobs," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. "Investing in our plants, products and people is critical to Ford's ability to compete with the best in the business. Ford is committed to doing everything it takes to work with its partners, including the United Auto Workers, to remain competitive."

Kansas City Assembly Plant is the fourth North American facility Ford is retooling for production of new vehicles that are at the heart of an increasingly balanced lineup of cars, trucks and utilities. The new vehicle planned for the plant will be announced at a later date.

In planning to secure Ford's future manufacturing presence in the state, Ford worked closely with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and the Missouri State Legislature in passage of the 2010 Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act. This legislation provides tax incentives for certified automotive manufacturers that commit to new investments and job retention in Missouri and suppliers who create new jobs in the state.

"Today's announcement ensures that next-generation vehicles will be built right here in Missouri, by the best workforce in the country," said Nixon. "Last year, we came together to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act to help our state compete for the production jobs of the future. That hard work paid off. For thousands of employees at Ford's Claycomo plant, and thousands more at suppliers across Missouri, this news is a big win. We'll be building the vehicles of the future right here in the Show-Me State."

Kansas City Assembly Plant opened in 1951 and has approximately 3,750 employees. It currently produces the best-selling Ford F-150 on one shift and the award-winning Ford Escape on three crews.

[Ohio XB]

GK, thanks for the kudos. My wife and I have a lot of pride in ourselves and what we do at Ford. We also hate to see misinformation about Ford being spewed and perpetuated, for a variety of agendas, and would like reality to prevail. This is an exciting time to be working for Ford and I hate to see the ancient notions being resurrected when there is no relevence to current times.

We were surprised that there was NO ONE else there from the Cleveland Engine Plant. No management, no Quality people, nobody. The Engineer told my wife he was thinking while he was shovelling his driveway that morning that he wished he had thought to invite people from the plant. Well, my wife didn't need an invitation. She wanted to be there just to see the engine teardown. It was our gas, our money that bought the tickets. Not bad for a UAW slug, eh? LOL!!


The investment in Kansas City has many at our plant concerned. We are promised a new vehicle but nothing has indicated progress on that notion. We were once slated to be closed but the improvements made at our plant were impressive enough for Ford to commit to a new vehicle for our plant. The 3 wet-on-wet paint process, now being implemented globally, was pioneered at our plant as well. This process saves time, money, and plant emissions.

We are hoping to get the full sized Transit. Kansas City already builds the F-150 there so their paint shop may already be able to accomodate the Transit. The Escape is being moved out of KC so the paint shop will also have the capacity for the vehicles.

Meanwhile, we are holding our 20 year old tooling together with sheetmetal and bailing wire. I hear we are building the Econoline until 2015.


Steve

[GK]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

GK, thanks for the kudos. My wife and I have a lot of pride in ourselves and what we do at Ford. We also hate to see misinformation about Ford being spewed and perpetuated, for a variety of agendas, and would like reality to prevail. This is an exciting time to be working for Ford and I hate to see the ancient notions being resurrected when there is no relevence to current times.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

We were surprised that there was NO ONE else there from the Cleveland Engine Plant. No management, no Quality people, nobody. The Engineer told my wife he was thinking while he was shovelling his driveway that morning that he wished he had thought to invite people from the plant.

That was a lack of forsight on their part and surely a good opportunity missed. You and the Mrs now have bragging rights at your respective plants for being there!

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

Meanwhile, we are holding our 20 year old tooling together with sheetmetal and bailing wire.

Sounds like the ingenuity of Aussies! LOL!

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

I hear we are building the Econoline until 2015.

Good news for the next 4-5 years at least.

GK


Steve[/QUOTE]

[Ohio XB]

A missed opportunity indeed. The Manager was really disappointed in himself that he didn't think to invite anyone. It was nice to see he was really moved by not thinking of it, but then again I am sure along with his other duties and preparing for the Auto Show he had a lot on his plate. He was slightly ecstatic that my wife was there, and pleased to see that someone that works in the plant was that interested in their work.

It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive to get to Detroit, Michigan, sometimes 3. Where we live in Ohio everything is convenient and a short drive, if not just around the corner, so people are not used to making a 5 or 6 hour round trip just for a day.

Yes, what happens at our plant to keep things going is actually magic, especially when you are expected to take two pieces of scrap metal and turn them back into machine parts!


Yup, about 4 years of knowing what we are doing, and a couple of those wondering what we'll be doing afterwards.

Steve

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/22/r...rst-time-in-m/

Report: Ford now has more dealers than Chevy for first time in many years

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Feb 22nd 2011 at 5:33PM

2010 was a good year for Ford. The Blue Oval outsold long-time rival Chevrolet by 160,000 units, but that's not the only area where Ford managed a lead over the Bowtie. Ward's Automotive reports that the Dearborn automaker ended the year with 47 more U.S. dealerships than its cross-town nemesis. The General lost 372 dealers during 2010, compared to just 61 for Ford.

Both companies shed a lot more dealers when counting all the brands that fall under their respective umbrellas, and both moves have helped helped remaining retail stores increase profits. In fact, Wards claims that sales are up between 38 and 129 percent per store. But given the atrocious 2009 automakers endured, 2010 looked like a dream year despite the fact that sales were still among the lowest in three decades. In all, there are about 17,660 car dealerships in the U.S. spanning all automakers.

[Source: Ward's Automotive | Image: Paul Sakuma/AP]

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/08/a...rom-blue-oval/

Report: Alan Mullaly, Bill Ford Jr. get huge bonuses from Blue Oval *Update

by Aaron Richardson (RSS feed) on Mar 8th 2011 at 3:32PM

Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr. and Chief Executive Alan Mulally have reportedly been given big-time bonuses by the Blue Oval for keeping things moving when General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. Mulally received $56.5 million worth of Ford stock before taxes and Ford got stock worth $42.4 million.

Ford, Jr. hired Mulally from Boeing in 2006, before they went around to different banks to secure restructuring loans to stay solvent through the lending crisis and economic recession. In 2010, Ford saw its best year since 1999, clearing $6.6 billion in profits.

To add to their enormous bonuses, the Los Angeles Times says that Ford, Jr. and Mulally opted to purchase Ford stock at $14.76 a share. *Update: Ford tells us that Ford, Jr. and Mulally do indeed have stock options but have not cashed them in at this time. Market value of Ford stock rose three percent today to $14.46 a share.

[Source: Los Angeles Times | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

[Ohio XB]

On the topic of this, well, topic (What I know about Ford finally made public) is the 1.0L 3 cylinder EcoBoost engine announced at the Geneva Auto Show and the new B-Max Ford vehicle. I knew about this engine about a year and a half ago. I am very interested to see where it goes, compared to where I was hinted the plans for it are going.

We saw with the 3.5L EB engine how power went from 350 ft. lbs. of torque to 365, and then to 410. Let's see where the 2.0L EB engine goes with power. That may give us some guidance on where the 1.0L EB engine will ultimately end up.

As for the stock awards mentioned above, this was something that has been disclosed in SEC filings for the past two years, that such a payment was planned. Of course that assumed that there would STILL be a FoMoCo around to pay it! As far as I am concerned, without Mulally there would be no FoMoCo. I think it took guts for Bill Ford to say "I know my limitations, and also that the culture at Ford cannot produce a leader to bring the company back." to himself. It was no time for ego or pride, it was all about survival.


Steve

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/17/j...incoln-best-b/

JD Power's 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names Lincoln best brand, Toyota wins most segments

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Mar 17th 2011 at 4:55PM



J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study for 2011, and there are a few surprises in store for those who religiously keep track of who outperforms who on the automotive reliability front. For the first time ever, Lincoln, with 101 problems per 100 vehicles, leads the chart, followed by Lexus with a score of 109.

Number three on the list is also something of a surprise: Jaguar, who's score of 112 problems per 100 vehicles seemingly proves not all leaping kitties leave unwanted presents outside the confines of their litter boxes. Porsche (114) and Toyota (122) round out the top five. The industry average comes in at 151 problems per 100 vehicles, which of course means that some brands perform rather poorly in J.D. Power's rankings.

Bringing up the rear in this year's study is Mini, with 221 problems per 100 vehicles. That's not good. BMW's smallest brand is followed by Jeep (214), Land Rover (212), Dodge (206) and Chrysler (202). The study also ranks individual models in each category, and Toyota's seven individual segment victories gives the Japanese automaker more individual victories than any other brand.

A brief explanation of how this particular study is compiled: J.D. Power polled 43,700 original owners on problems experienced during the past 12 months on 2008 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. As such, this study is not ranking the latest vehicles by any given manufacturer, but is instead intended to help consumers predict the durability of a potential automobile purchase.

There's lots more detail in the press release and graphs found after the break, so click here and put your number-crunching hats on.

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]

[naddis01]

For comparison here is last years VDS results.

[Ohio XB]

I think it is interesting that Porsche's 110 problems that put them first place in 2010 would put them 3rd in 2011. That just goes to show how competitive the industry is. There are sooooo many players who are working to improve their products that if you sit back for one second you are going to get passed.

[SteveJH]

Thinking about it also though. Someone who buys a car from a premium brand like jaguar, landrover or Porsche probably expects a little more from there car then someone who buys a ford or dodge. So they might notice small thing that might otherwise be overlooked. But anyway, that's just how I see it.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

I think it is interesting that Porsche's 110 problems that put them first place in 2010 would put them 3rd in 2011. That just goes to show how competitive the industry is. There are sooooo many players who are working to improve their products that if you sit back for one second you are going to get passed.

Lincoln is considerably less volume than Porsche though right?

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Lincoln is considerably less volume than Porsche though right?

In the US sales of Porsche are considerably less than Lincoln.


Steve

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

In the US sales of Porsche are considerably less than Lincoln.


Steve

Well there you go. Good on Lincoln.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/01/f...orth-over-26m/

Ford discloses exec salaries, Mulally package worth over $26M

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Apr 1st 2011 at 4:32PM

Ford had a very good financial year in 2010, with the company's second consecutive year-over-year market share increase and a net profit of $6.6 billion. Those sparkling stats made Ford's stock jump, with 68 percent in total gains for the year. And when stock prices soar, so do the executives' compensation.

The Blue Oval filed its annual proxy with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the fine print reveals some very happy executives. At the top, CEO Alan Mulally scored $1.4 million in salary, as well as $9.45 million in cash bonuses. Not a bad take-home, but the big cash comes after adding in long-term stock options, which brings the total to $26,520,515. If ever an auto exec were worth $26 million, Mulally is it.

Ford Chairman Bill Ford, Jr., didn't do so bad, either. Ford's $1.4 million salary and $2.7 million bonus is overshadowed by long-term stock options that balloon the total to $26,460,998. Ford's numbers are a bit misleading since the chairman opted not to take any compensation until the company was solidly profitable.

Mark Fields, President of Ford Americas, took in $8.8 million in total compensation, followed by CFO Lewis Booth at $8.2 million and manufacturing and labor boss John Fleming at a mere $5.9 million. If you're counting at home, the top six reaped a total of $75 million in compensation in 2010. Now that's a good year, folks. Hit the jump to read over Ford's cash-stuffed press release.

[Source: Ford | Image: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]

Press Release

DEARBORN, Mich., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission its proxy statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The proxy announces details about the company' s Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, May 12 at the Hotel du Pont, 11th and Market Streets, Wilmington, Del.

Included in the proxy are four company and three shareholder proposals requiring the votes of shareholders. In addition, details of compensation for certain Named Executive Officers are included.

"In 2010, we accelerated performance of our One Ford Plan," the company said in its proxy statement. "We made significant progress on our One Ford goal of an exciting viable Ford delivering profitable growth for all."

Ford's stock delivered a significant improvement for the second year in a row. It appreciated 68 percent in 2010, placing the company among the top 4 percent of S&P 500 performers for the year. Ford was recognized by PricewaterhouseCoopers as the winner of the three-year Global Automotive Shareholder Award.

Ford returned to solid profitability in 2010, delivering results that exceeded expectations. The company reported $6.6 billion in net income, its highest in more than 10 years; posted Automotive operating-related cash flow of $4.4 billion; reduced Automotive debt by $14.5 billion to end the year with more cash than debt on its balance sheet; and, for the first time since 1993, increased market share in the U.S. for two consecutive years.

Because of Ford's performance during 2010, the Compensation Committee of the Ford Board of Directors approved payments for salaried employees under the company's Incentive Bonus Plan, representing the first payout in three years. Ford had voluntarily cancelled bonus payments for 2008 and 2009 performance to support the company's plan to conserve cash, reduce costs and fund continued investments in the company's accelerated product plans.

Going forward, Ford said it remains absolutely focused on its One Ford plan and ensuring that every part of its operations is competitive with the best in business. That focus led to the company's decision to not award annual merit increases for salaried employees in the U.S. and Canada in 2011, including Named Executives, because compensation benchmarking shows Ford's base salary levels currently are competitive in the U.S. and Canada.

The proxy provides specific details of total 2010 compensation for five Named Executive Officers.

The amounts shown in the proxy statement for stock and option awards represent the grant date value of these awards under applicable accounting rules – not actual compensation received by each Named Executive Officer.

Total 2010 compensation for the five current Named Executive Officers is:

* Alan Mulally, president and CEO, earned $1,400,000 in salary and $9,450,000 in cash bonus in 2010. Like he did in 2009, in 2010 Mulally continued to take a voluntary 30 percent reduction from his 2008 salary, as part of the company's plan to conserve cash and reduce expenses. Mulally's total listed compensation – including the grant date value of long-term stock options and other stock-based awards – was $26,520,515.


* Bill Ford earned $1,400,000 in salary and $2,700,000 in cash bonus for 2010. Bill Ford, who did not receive any salary, bonus or stock awards for 2005, 2006 and 2007, also took a voluntary 30 percent reduction in 2009 and 2010 from his 2008 salary. Bill Ford's total listed compensation – including the grant date value of long-term stock options and other stock-based awards – was $26,460,998, but included salary for 2008 and 2009 and the value of stock awards made for 2008. This reflects his pledge to not accept compensation for those years until the Compensation Committee determined, as it did in August 2010, that Ford's global Automotive operations had achieved full-year profitability.


* Mark Fields, Ford executive vice president and president, The Americas, earned $1,337,500 in salary and $3,600,000 in cash bonus in 2010. His total listed compensation – including the grant date value of long-term stock options and other stock-based awards – was $8,818,892.


* Lewis Booth, Ford executive vice president and chief financial officer, earned $1,237,500 in salary and $3,000,000 in cash bonus in 2010. His total listed compensation – including the grant date value of long-term stock options and other stock-based awards – was $8,196,821.


* John Fleming, Ford executive vice president, Global Manufacturing & Labor Affairs, earned $776,250 in salary and $1,400,000 in cash bonus in 2010. His total listed compensation – including the grant date value of long-term stock options and other stock-based awards – was $5,916,261.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/06/w...st-productive/

Which automaker is the most productive?

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Apr 6th 2011 at 1:00PM

Volkswagen piled on some big-time profits for the 2010 model year, as the German automaker finished the year in the black with a staggering $10 billion. VW sales were up, too, with 7.1 million units moved for the year. And compared to VW's long-term production plans, 7.1 million is a relative drop in the bucket – the German automaker plans to build 10 million vehicles per year by 2018, making the massive conglomerate the largest automaker in the world by volume.

Impressive, but The Detroit News reports that a study by the University of Duisburg-Essen's CAR-Center Automotive Research institute shows that the German automaker is heavy on employees and a bit short on productivity when compared to Ford and General Motors. The study shows that Ford's $6.6 billion profit translates into $1,638 per vehicle, compared to VW's $1,393. GM is last in this study at $661 per unit.

Interesting, then, that when it comes to vehicles sold per employee, GM leads the pack with 42 sold per worker. Ford is a close second at 38 vehicles per employee, while VW finishes woefully behind at just 18 units per worker. Ford also earned an operating profit of $55,152 per employee, while GM finished second in this metric at $27,421. VW again falls behind with a per-employee profit of $25,130. And if VW doesn't reach its production goals, the automaker risks these efficiency numbers becoming even more lopsided, as the company plans to hire another 50,000 employees in the next few years.

These numbers show that VW is behind in several key areas, but what does it matter if the automaker is posting $10 billion in profits? The DetNews suggests that in doing so, VW is exposing itself to greater risk in the event of another industry downturn.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/07/f...ins-gold-w-vi/

Ford cleans up at 2011 Edison Awards, Chevy Volt wins Gold [w/video]

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Apr 7th 2011 at 10:00AM

The annual Edison awards that celebrate innovation in goods and services have been handed out, and Ford and General Motors have taken no prisoners with regards to all things automotive. Ford was the big winner, with three gold metals and one silver. Further, CEO Alan Mulally was named a 2011 Edison Achievement Award Winner.

Ford won the Applied Technology gold thanks to the inflatable seatbelts that were introduced on the 2011 Explorer. The Blue Oval took both gold and silver in the In-Car Driving Aids segment, with MyFord Touch and Sync finishing one and two, respectively. MyKey took the last gold for Ford under the Remote Driving Aids segment, besting GM's MyLink, which took silver.

GM's Chevrolet Volt won the top spot for the Personal Transportation category, beating The Copenhagen Wheel (silver) and the Nissan Leaf (bronze).

Hit the jump to watch a short interview with Alan Mulally, who discusses manufacturing and its impact on jobs and the economy.

[Source: Edison Awards]

You Tube Link

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/09/f...d-foreign-riv/

Ford wages average $8/hour higher than non-union and foreign rivals

by Aaron Richardson (RSS feed) on May 9th 2011 at 9:29AM

In the run up to the next round of negotiations between Ford and the United Auto Workers, the automaker has said it pays workers an average of $8 more per hour than its foreign and non-union rivals. By and large, foreign automakers with U.S. factories employ non-union labor, which helps keep labor costs reigned in.

According to the Blue Oval, its cost of labor has risen to $58/hour, while its competitors average $50/hour. The wage gap has persisted even after Ford negotiated concessions with the UAW that cut labor costs by $500 million in 2009.

Ford says it will be impossible to sustain a competitive business if it can't close the gap. Worse, Dearborn says the differential could eventually prevent the creation of new jobs. The company's $58/hour wage rate is a three-dollar hike over last year, thanks in large part to $5,000 profit sharing checks Ford cut each of its workers this year.

According to a company spokesperson, its wage rate would be closer to $56/hour without the profit sharing initiative.
[Source: The Detroit News]