Counting On A Pickup
Struggling Ford bets the ranch on a glitzy new F-150, the world's bestselling vehicle
Flex time. If people don't buy the mix of trucks Ford expects, there's a fallback. New "flexible manufacturing" techniques at F-150 plants, such as those in Norfolk, Va., and Kansas City, Mo., will allow Ford to switch quickly from building one version of the truck to another. Upgrading to such modern methods and getting more mileage out of common components is an urgent priority for Ford. The Futura sedan, due in 2005, could be the basic platform for up to 10 Ford models, including Lincoln, Mercury, and even Jaguar, with several "crossover"-style SUVs.
But Ford is far behind efficient manufacturers like Toyota, which can already build up to three completely different vehicles on the same assembly line. And Ford executives acknowledge that to stay competitive the company needs to cut its capacity by roughly 1 million units, or 25 percent, which could entail a bitter fight with the United Auto Workers union. General Motors managed similar cuts in its workforce but did so over a decade, mainly through attrition. "Ford can't wait that long," says David Cole of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Ford must shrink and change, or die."
Ford's strategic predicament is of little concern to truck buyers, however--or to our testers back at the quarry, who were mainly interested in seeing if they could stump the truck. The F-150 passed all of the impromptu tests they devised, until Tony Toler angled the truck onto a pile of gravel. With the front right and the left rear tires nearly airborne, the other two tires would provide no traction. Finally, the F-150 had bogged down. Ford can't afford to fall into a similar trap.
2004 Ford F-150 pickup
STARTING PRICES: $22,010 to $36,365
BASE ENGINE: 231-horsepower V-8
KEY FEATURES: five different models, three cabin and bed choices, improved ride and stiffness, larger interior
COOL OPTIONS: Modular overhead storage system, bucket seats, chrome trim, rear-seat DVD player
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With Paul Bedard
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