Tag: Ford

Press Releases – Auto industry reacts to deal on CO2 targets for cars and vans

Brussels, 17 December 2018 – The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) takes note of the final deal on the CO2 regulation for cars and vans, setting targets for the years 2025 and 2030, which was struck by the EU member states and the European Parliament today. ACEA expresses serious concerns about the highly challenging CO2… Continue reading Press Releases – Auto industry reacts to deal on CO2 targets for cars and vans

US auto sales are expected to drop below 17 million for first time since 2014

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A man walks by new vehicles at a Queens auto dealership in New York City.

U.S. auto sales are tumbling further and further away from record highs hit just a few years ago.

Automakers are projected to sell 16.8 million passenger vehicles in 2019, a 1.1 percent decline from this year and below 17 million for the the first time since 2014, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association's annual sales forecast released Thursday. U.S. sales eclipsed 17 million in 2015 for the first time since the recession, peaking at 17.6 million vehicles sold in 2016. They've been falling ever since, and they are expected to continue that trend next year.

Higher interest rates and a bevy of new cars coming off lease stand to push more customers into the used market in 2019, said Patrick Manzi, senior economist for the trade group.

For 2018, car dealers are expected to sell 17 million vehicles, a better year than the industry had anticipated.

“This was a little bit unexpected,” Manzi said on a conference call on Thursday. “If you had asked me at the beginning of the year, I was expecting new vehicle sales to fall off more than they had. But then the new tax law was passed. The new tax law put more money in the pockets of consumers including the average new vehicle consumers. And many went out and purchased new vehicles.”

Car buyers mostly purchased light trucks, cross-over vehicles, pickups and SUVs, he said.

But with rising interest rates, dealers are growing concerned about “price creeping” that could keep some buyers out of the market, said NADA Chairman Wes Lutz, who is also president of Extreme Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram in Jackson, Michigan.

Falling incentives and rising rates could put “tremendous” pressure on consumers' monthly payments, he said, adding that interest rates remain a “wildcard.”

Average interest rates on new-vehicle financing have risen 60 to 70 basis points from 2017 through the third quarter of 2018, Manzi said. That has dramatically the cost of borrowing, he said, and he expects interest rates to continue to rise, though there has been some speculation that the frequency of rate increases may slow.

“Customers who are returning to the store this year and may have leased a car or purchased a car three to four years ago at a very low interest rate and are hoping to keep their payment roughly the same will not be able to do that, because the cost of borrowing has gone up considerably,” he said.

The other side of this of course, is that record sales over the last few years mean used car lots are stocked with robust inventories.

The other big trend is the staggering shift from passenger cars to crossovers and truck-based vehicles that has taken place over the last several years. Automakers have been scrambling to realign portfolios around the shift. Earlier this year, Ford said it will essentially stop selling traditional passenger cars in the U.S. altogether, except for its Mustang sports car.

“As someone who likes to drive sedans, I am a little concerned because there are fewer and fewer choices out there,” Lutz said. However he added that the breadth of choice in SUVs far surpasses what was available several years ago.

General Motors said in November it plans to slash production at several U.S. factories that focus on making passenger cars, such as the Chevrolet Cruze mid-size sedan. The decision has labor leaders and lawmakers in Ohio, Michigan, and Maryland up in arms.

Light trucks are on track to account for about 70 percent of all sales, with cars dropping to 30 percent, NADA said. A decade ago, car sales represented 52 percent while light trucks, including SUVs, accounted for 48 percent of all sales.

Those vehicles tend to be more profitable than sedans and passenger cars, in part because they simply cost more. Customers are willing to spend a bit more on an SUV, crossover or pickup because they feel they are getting more for their dollar in terms of space and flexibility. While these vehicles are becoming more efficient, rising gas prices have been cited by some industry analysts as a potential catalyst for at least a partial swing back into sleeker, more efficient vehicles.

But gas prices are not expected to rise enough to make consumers panic and send them flocking back to cars, Manzi said.

“We haven't seen the bottom of the car market yet,” he said.

Ford might mine profits selling its data on you ? of which it has a lot – Autoblog – Autoblog

The Detroit Free Press recently published a lengthy look at the waters Ford now navigates, from uneven success domestically to outright pain almost everywhere else. The picture presents the USS Blue Oval facing headwinds, high waves, deep water, and a lot of rip, for an indefinite time. The automaker’s plan to rescue itself has loosely… Continue reading Ford might mine profits selling its data on you ? of which it has a lot – Autoblog – Autoblog

What’s behind the austerity drive: Will Jaguar Land Rover first victim of the car revolution?

Wolfgang Reitzle (69) and Ralf Speth (63) have liked each other for many years. Where the elder worked, the younger wanted to be. So it happened at BMW, later at the gas manufacturer Linde, in the meantime at Ford’s Premier Automotive Group (PAG), which collected brands such as Jaguar and later Land Rover. Never was… Continue reading What’s behind the austerity drive: Will Jaguar Land Rover first victim of the car revolution?

More exclusive than a Ford GT? A Lincoln Continental with suicide doors

More exclusive than a Ford GT? A Lincoln Continental with suicide doorsThe 2019 Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition FullscreenPosted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
The 80th anniversary Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition will be produced in a very limited edition for the 2019 model year — just 80 of them.FullscreenThe car's special feature are coach doors — better known these days as suicide doors — with the rear doors' hinges on the rear of the door rather than the front.FullscreenThe new Continental's electronically controlled doors cannot be opened if the car is moving more than 2 miles per hour. That's because wind can swing suicide doors open and imperil the backseat passenger.FullscreenThere won't be a formal application process, but anyone who wants the vehicles will have to work with a Lincoln dealer to get their hands on one.FullscreenThe Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition will retail for slightly more than $100,000 when it goes on sale in the summer of 2019.FullscreenInside, the Continental's center console will have controls, tray tables, wireless charging and other perks.FullscreenThe suicide-door Continentals will roll off Ford's assembly line in Flat Rock as Black Label Continentals. Ford will then ship the cars to Massachusetts-based Cabot Coach Builders, an aftermarket modification company.FullscreenCabot will cut the vehicles in half, stretch them six inches, fit the suicide doors and build out a custom second row with extra leg room, larger seats and a center console .FullscreenOfficials said the heads-up display that projects on the windshield for the driver will be the first that people can see while wearing polarized sunglasses.Fullscreen”We've always idealized the Continental to have center-opening doors,” said Lincoln design director David Woodhouse.FullscreenLincoln Motor Co. plans to sell the cars exclusively in the U.S. for the first run in 2019.Fullscreen80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition.FullscreenLincoln Continental began as a custom luxury vehicle hand-crafted by chief stylist
Eugene T. Gregorie for Edsel Ford in 1939.
Years later, the
1961 Continental introduced the
unique center-opening doors. This is a 1963 model.FullscreenReplay1 of 132 of 133 of 134 of 135 of 136 of 137 of 138 of 139 of 1310 of 1311 of 1312 of 1313 of 13AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsFord Motor Co. will offer a car that's more exclusive than the Ford GT supercar. Sort of. It's a Lincoln Continental with suicide doors.
Ford's luxury arm will sell only 80 Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition vehicles for the 2019 model year. The suicide doors on the cars are so-named because the passenger doors are hinged at the rear rather than the front. They've been largely abandoned because of safety concerns: If the doors are opened at speed, the wind can violently swing the doors open and bring the backseat passenger with them.
However, the new Continental's electronically controlled doors cannot be opened if the car is moving more than 2 miles per hour, Lincoln officials said.
The doors, originally used on horse-drawn carriages, were offered at various times in the Continental's history.
Lincoln marketing manager Trevor Scott said, “It shows a combination of our commitment to the vehicle and the rich history of the brand,”
There won't be a formal application process, but anyone who wants the vehicles will have to work with a Lincoln dealer to get their hands on one. Lincoln will vet each order to ensure the person buying the car intends to keep it — not just resell it for a profit.
Similar restrictions were placed on the Ford GT. Celebrities and car enthusiasts had to prove their bona fides in order to be consider for one of the supercars.
Scott said the vehicles will retail for slightly more than $100,000 when they go on sale next summer. A top-of-the-line Black Label Lincoln Continental retails for $70,000.
The suicide-door Continentals will roll off Ford's assembly line in Flat Rock as Black Label Continentals. Ford will then ship the cars to Massachusetts-based Cabot Coach Builders, an aftermarket modification company.
Cabot will cut the vehicles in half, stretch them 6 inches, fit the suicide doors, and build out a custom second row with extra leg room, larger seats and a center console with controls, tray tables, wireless charging and other perks.
The automaker plans to sell the cars exclusively in the U.S. for the first run in 2019. Lincoln will showcase the vehicle at one of the 2019 auto shows in China, Scott said, and could sell the vehicles there in 2020. The spacious backseat is primed for the Chinese market, where many luxury buyers purchase cars with a longer wheelbase and spacious backseats, because they have chauffeurs.
The specialty vehicle has popped up on the drawing board of Lincoln design director David Woodhouse multiple times since he's been with the company.
“We've always idealized the Continental to have center-opening doors,” Woodhouse said.
The automaker has a penchant for rolling out concept vehicles with eye-catching doors. Before the Lincoln Navigator launched last year, the automaker in 2016 had debuted a concept at the New York auto show that had massive gull-wing doors.
The special-edition Continental is a tribute to the history of the nameplate. The 1961 Continental had center-opening doors, too. And it's one of the vehicles Lincoln holds up as one of its best, historically.
The 2019 model will have a few other perks. Officials said the heads-up display that projects on the windshield for the driver will be the first that people can see while wearing polarized sunglasses.
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau
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‘Suicide doors’ make a comeback on 80th anniversary edition Lincoln Continental

Source: Lincoln
The 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Limited Edition with coach doors

Once deemed dangerous, suicide doors are making a comeback on the Lincoln Continental.

Ford is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the long-lived luxury Lincoln line by making 80 cars in 2019 with the classic center-opening doors that once served as the signature of the Continental.

The doors are not just a gimmick or aesthetic flourish. By opening toward the rear of the car, they allow passengers in the rear seats to enter and exit the vehicle more comfortably. Passengers don't have to lean forward to push the door open or pull it closed, for example.

The design was featured commonly on horse carriages, hence the name “coach doors.” Over time they had come to be called “suicide doors,” thanks to the danger of the wind forcing the rear door open while driving at high speeds, according to automotive historians. This was particularly dangerous in the era before seat belts.

Lincoln unveils 80th anniversary Continental with suicide doors
2 Hours Ago | 01:14

More recent takes on the suicide door have incorporated safety features such as locking the door once the car reaches a certain speed.

Apart from the coach doors, the car's wheelbase will be 6 inches longer, which Lincoln said gives the rear seats more room. The car lights up as its driver approaches with a welcoming lighting sequence. The trim is Lincoln's best quality leathers and dash materials, its Black Label, which typically offers higher-quality materials and membership privileges, such as vehicle detailing and free car washes.

Sedans are a tough sell these days. Ford said it plans to all but stop making them over the next several years, with the exception of its Mustang sports car.

But this version of the Continental is more of a specialty sedan, and sales of those are still relatively healthy, said Robert Parker, director of marketing, sales and service at Lincoln.

“I find it incredibly interesting,” said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst at IHS Markit. “The Continental is a vehicle that has had weak sales in a difficult segment, for sure. So I think it is an effort to draw in some interest and create some buzz around the car.”

Source: Lincoln
The front interior of the 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Limited Edition.

Building a vehicle with suicide doors seems to be quite a lot of work for a car that doesn't sell well in the first place, she added. It is much more difficult than just dropping a new engine into the car. But she she doesn't think Lincoln will have any trouble selling every one of the limited run it's making.

It also seems to be part of a larger strategy Lincoln has taken in recent years of trying to reach far back into the brand's history in a nod to its roots as a distinctly American luxury label, she said. In recent years Lincoln has been carving out a space for itself in the luxury market by emphasizing service and making spacious, plush vehicles that drive comfortably, rather than the sportier luxury cars European makers are known for.

No specifics on the price are available yet, but Parker said it is safe to say it will be the most expensive vehicle Lincoln sells. That means it stands to cost more than $100,000, which is the price some of Lincoln's Black Label vehicles.

Lincoln first came out with the Continental as a custom luxury vehicle in 1939, but didn't add the coach doors until 1961.

“There hasn't been a conversation about product planning I have been in during all my time in Lincoln that hasn't involved bringing back coach doors,” Parker said.

Source: Lincoln
Inside the back seat of the 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Limited Edition.