Ford Motor Co. is cutting North American production of pickups and SUVs

[katty]

more: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080522/ford_cuts.html?.v=10

AP
Ford cuts N. American production, cuts profit goal
Thursday May 22, 11:55 am ET
By Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer
Ford cuts N. American production, no longer expects profit by 2009 as gas prices hurt sales


DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. is cutting North American production of pickups and SUVs as car buyers eyeing record gas prices turn toward more fuel-efficient models. The automaker says it no longer expects to return to profitability by 2009 and didn't rule out layoffs and plant closures.


Dearborn-based Ford also on Thursday cut back its projections for total U.S. light vehicle sales in 2008 to between 14.7 million and 15.1 million vehicles. That's down from 17 million vehicles as recently as 2005. Light vehicle sales exclude heavy trucks.

[tridim]

1. SUV production should be cut to zero, not 15 freaking million.

Idiots.

[katty]

2. yup, stop it NOW

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. What? They aren't flying off the showroom floors?

I can't believe it. Gas guzzlers have fallen out of favor?

Why? - I don't understand it.

[Captain Angry]

4. This is how it needs to happen.

When the demand ceases, stop making the product.

It's very profitable when people are buying. Right now, they're not. I don't ever see gas going below $2.00 again. Ford should be working hard on a very lightweight, very strong vehicle that gets 40+ mpg, carries 5, and if possible can go 50 miles on a charged battery without using gasoline at all.

Build it, build it safe, and people will buy.

[zbdent]

5. I have believed that the US automakers were not really relying on the vehicles

to make their profits ... it was the "in house" financing where they were raking in the dough ... as long as you're willing to pay far more in installments than the vehicle was worth (on the sticker, no less), then they were talking pure profit ...

When the dealers were told to offer 0 percent (or extremely low) financing, then the car companies really cut off their arm to treat a hangnail ...

[screembloodymurder]

6. Clueless

The big three just doesn't get. They'll soon be scraping brand new pickups.