Goodbye Ford GT...

[AlienDB7]

Ford axes GT, two other cars Moves to drop sports car, Sport Trac Adrenaline, Lincoln LS will hasten layoffs at Wixom plant. Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News Ford Motor Co. has scrapped plans to build a high-performance version of its Explorer Sport Trac pickup and will halt production of both the Lincoln LS sedan and Ford GT sports car this year. After announcing last week that the Wixom Assembly Plant would be idled in the second quarter of 2007, workers were told Monday that production of the LS would stop in April and work on the Ford GT would end in September. After that, Wixom Assembly will build only the Lincoln Town Car until the plant is idled next year. The moves mean about 300 workers at Wixom will be out of work sooner than expected. "As part of our way forward, we are adjusting our product plan and decided not to produce the Sport Trac Adrenaline," said Ford spokesman Jon Harmon. Unveiled last year, the Adrenaline was supposed to have been the world's first high-performance sport utility truck. It was to be built at Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Harmon would not discuss the specific reasons for the decision, but said Ford was focusing on giving its customers what they want. Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific in Southfield, said the Adrenaline made little sense in the first place. "It was a vehicle playing on the margins," Hall said. The Ford GT was hardly a mainstream car, either, but Hall said it served its purpose admirably. Without confirming a date, Ford spokesman Jim Cain said production of the Ford GT will end this year. "We had always intended to do just two model years of the GT," Cain said. The $150,000 sports car was inspired by the legendary Ford GT-40 race cars that swept Le Mans in 1966. Full-scale production began in 2004 and it appeared in showrooms as a 2005 and 2006 model. "It was our plan all along to wind up production on the 40th anniversary of the 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans," Cain said. "It's not being canceled. It's just run its race." Ford sold 1,302 GTs in 2005. Ford said the upcoming Shelby GT500, an ultra-high-performance version of the Mustang, will fill the void left by the GT. The $40,000 LS is being replaced by the $30,000 Lincoln Zephyr. The LS sold 19,109 units in 2005, a decline of 29.4 percent from the 27,066 sold in 2004. The Zephyr is a sportier sedan that shares a common architecture with hot-selling Ford Fusion. The Zephyr has sold more than 7,600 units since its introduction last fall. Ford spokesman Jon Harmon would only say the automaker plans to discontinue the LS in the spring. Hall said the decision to kill the LS takes away little from Lincoln's lineup, though limits its V-8 offerings until its new MKS flagship sedan goes into production. "There is a loss for dealers though," Hall said. "To be sure, Zephyr is making up a lot of that." The decision to shut down Wixom surprised many workers, who had hoped their plant would be spared. "It shook up a lot of people," said George Walter, who works on the line at Wixom. The LS and the Ford GT account for nearly a third of Wixom's annual production. There are about 1,500 workers at Wixom. Ford has said the end of the LS would eliminate up to 280 jobs. Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said about 40 people make the Ford GT. So, their loss could idle more than 300 workers at the factory, even before it formally shuts down. Idled workers represented by the United Auto Workers union are eligible for unemployment, and the company makes up most of their difference in lost wages. Once their unemployment runs out, workers are transferred to Ford's jobs bank program, where they receive almost full pay and benefits.

No wonder the big-3 are losing money :shock:

[ae86_16v]

This is sad sad news .

[Evo]

Well for the Ford GT owners this is good news.. This means that the value of the car will really go up now..

[martin100]

Yes, Clarkson will be happy He even bought it twice if im not wrong.

[graywolf624]

Ford said the upcoming Shelby GT500, an ultra-high-performance version of the Mustang, will fill the void left by the GT.

I can't help but laugh... A solid rear axle 1000 lb heavier car will replace a mid engine car which while heavy engined was still half way decent.
I never thought the gt was a great business proposition in the first place, but such comments highlight why I never buy ford.

[RC45]

Originally Posted by Evo Well for the Ford GT owners this is good news.. This means that the value of the car will really go up now..

NOt really - the value has actually been steadily dropping - considering most people ove rpaid - and there are still more unsold GT's than sold GT's.

And after all that, yet another pretender falls by the way side...

[findleybeast]

Gah thats a shame. Not just that they won't make any more GTs, as a short production run should have been expected, but I don't like that they axed the LS either. I've always liked the car... I remember reading in EVO or some other euro-mag that the LS was "the best American sedan until Chrysler's 300C". Now there isn't really anything in Lincoln's lineup that I like at all

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by RC45 Originally Posted by Evo Well for the Ford GT owners this is good news.. This means that the value of the car will really go up now.. NOt really - the value has actually been steadily dropping - considering most people ove rpaid - and there are still more unsold GT's than sold GT's. And after all that, yet another pretender falls by the way side...

the GT was always slated to end this year... along with the closing of the Wixom Assembly plant.... this is no suprise... at all... and its not bad news either :roll:

well, the Job Bank part has always been a strange piece in the Big 3's lineup... word on the food chain is that the Job Bank is on its way out for good very soon (alien, you never heard of the job bank? its been around over 20 years)

[AlienDB7]

Originally Posted by nthfinity well, the Job Bank part has always been a strange piece in the Big 3's lineup... word on the food chain is that the Job Bank is on its way out for good very soon (alien, you never heard of the job bank? its been around over 20 years)

I always thought it's just a myth cause what company would create something that stupid? What were the execs smoking?

Saw a tour of the Ford GT plant on TV the other day, wouldn't be surprised the Ford GT costs so much to put together. They even destroy one out of every 15 cars to inspect quality of every single weld... can u imagine if they put 1/100th as much effort in quality control of their other cars, how much better they would be?

[graywolf624]

what company would create something that stupid? What were the execs smoking?

Kinda explains why we Americans hate unions now doesn't it. This and there 40-50000 dollar a year salaries are coorelated. They also get a 1/2 hour break every 2 years and are almost impossible to fire.

[nthfinity]

I always thought it's just a myth cause what company would create something that stupid? What were the execs smoking?

they were smoking with the mob
if you havent read much about the job bank... all they are required to do is this... either do some community service (at 2x+++ the going rate) take classes, or simply show up at 5am at a job bank office, and watch tv... listen to the radio... read the paper... for 8 hours....

you are right; wall street would be quite happy to see this leave... in all reality, it cost nearly 140,000 per gm worker, and 130,000 per ford worker in the job bank... then, based on how many are in it... :shock:

[Banchi105]

Auto Unions are going to be the end of the American Automobile.

[graywolf624]

going to be the end

Going no.. already has been yes.

There was a time when the car industry was almost entirely American. That time is long gone.

[DeMoN]

I wonder what clarkson will say when the new top gear starts! This surely will make it to the news section.

[evoWalo]

Maybe they could transfer production to Thailand. Labor's dirt cheap there. Really sad to see that the GT's going away so soon. Brother was able to sit in one a few weeks ago wish I didnt have work that day.