On Sat, 6 Dec 2008 07:25:24 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1228...s_opinion_main

Bankrupt them, downsize them, get rid of the onerous contracts and
merge Chrysler with Ford.

No bail out.

Ford doesn't want them. They are trying to downsize themselves. They've
sold their stakes in Saab, Jaguar, most of Mazda and are thinking of dumping
Volvo.

That's probably true, but Chrysler does have a few products lines that
would merge very nicely with the overall Ford product line - I'm
thinking Jeep in particular if there was only one. And their design
team could do a lot for upgrading Ford's design group which has been
stuck in neutral for a long time. When was the last time they
upgraded the Crown Vic for example - that design has been around since
1999/2000 I think.

If it were up to me, and it isn't, I'd fold the Mercury/Lincoln lines
back into Ford or eliminate them. There's nothing there that's
exceptional even considering quality - they are Fords - so why keep up
the pretence?

What I find interesting is that Ford is looking like it's the best one
of them all in terms of structure, money and ability to move forward
without goverment money.

Ford may be the last one standing. Which would please me immensely.

I still say that this is a great opportunity for some capital
investment firm to step in and build a new car company from scratch
designed to compete with Honda/Toyota, etc.

I'd be willing to bet that it could be done, start to manufacturing
and distribution, in less than five years.

--

"Far better it is to dare mighty things,
to win glorious triumphs even though
checkered by failure, than to rank with
those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor
suffer much because they live in the gray
twilight that knows neither victory nor
defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt