Ford projecting $1bn loss due to Brexit, considering shutting down UK/Euro plants.

[west_tip]

Couple months back Ford announced they are moving production of small cars/hybrids from the Detroit to Mexico: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ford-wil...ion-to-mexico/

Why is an American company moving jobs from the United States to Mexico? There aren't any political reasons like brexit to blame so what's the rationale?

[DonDadda59]

Meanwhile, in the greatest Nation on Earth...

Ford profit triggers record $9,300 UAW worker bonuses

Ford Motor (F) reported a strong fourth-quarter and full-year profit,[COLOR="Red"] enough to trigger record $9,300 profit-sharing checks for about 52,700 hourly workers.

The automaker on Thursday reported net income of $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter and $7.4 billion for the year. Revenue was $40.3 billion for the quarter and $149.6 billion for the year.[/COLOR]

Pretax profit in the final three months was $2.6 billion, contributing to $10.8 billion for the year. The company made money in every region except South America, with new records in North America and Asia Pacific. Europe is back in the black for the first time since 2011.

"We promised a breakthrough year in 2015 and we delivered," Ford CEO Mark Fields said in a statement.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...ings/79450050/

But of course the John Bulls of the World (not naming names) want to export that f*ckery here.

[Nick Young]

But of course the John Bulls of the World (not naming names) want to export that f*ckery here.

What "f*ckery"? Profits and worker bonuses=f*ckery?

Why are you upset to learn that an American car company with a proud history made money?

[iamgine]

Damn why is Ford struggling. They make good cars.

[Dresta]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Motors

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlin_(car)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Motor_Company

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_Automotive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lister_Cars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_Cars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midas_Cars

Lots of opportunities for companies like these to grow and gain a firmer grip in the market now that Ford is leaving

I am of the Machiavellian school of economy. It is better long term to produce in house than it is to outsource and rely on foreign companies.

IMO I have lived in the UK long enough to see how an over reliance on outsourcing has destroyed too many British industries and IMO the British economy in general.

Now is the time for the UK to fix this. Lots of opportunities and lots of money to be made for smart British companies.

It also binds a nation, hand and foot, to its financial sector. I thought these people didn't like bankers? How quickly things change...

[Nick Young]

I genuinely don't understand these people.

Why is foreign outsourcing better than in house production?


Foreign companies currently produce better quality of cars generally, but it is beneficial long term for the British people if British companies are producing British cars in Britain.

There are still great British-owned auto manufacturers, like McLaren and Aston Martin. Now they have more of a chance to expand their British production facilities and UK market share.

Also the smaller companies like Vauxhall will have more opportunity for growth.


How is any of this bad? Why would people argue against these things?

[DonDadda59]

What "f*ckery"? Profits and worker bonuses=f*ckery?

Should've clarified. Record profits and record bonuses for tens of thousands of workers is what happens in the greatest nation on Earth. It's a beautiful thing. Especially when some of our own tried to destroy that greatness.

The 'f*ckery' I was referring to was the Boris/Farage/Drumpf brand of self destruction.

Keep that shit on your Island with your Earl Grey and affinity for bowing to tyrants.

[Nick Young]

Should've clarified. Record profits and record bonuses for tens of thousands of workers is what happens in the greatest nation on Earth. It's a beautiful thing. Especially when some of our own tried to destroy that greatness.

The 'f*ckery' I was referring to was the Boris/Farage/Drumpf brand of self destruction.

Keep that shit on your Island with your Earl Grey and affinity for bowing to tyrants.

It's not my island.

But I am spreading the word of freedom here Thomas Paine-style, and when I was working in the UK education sector I did indeed spend much of it encouraging universities to stop outsourcing their cafeterias, security teams and student stores to outside companies. Did any of them listen? Probably not, but I made sincere effort, that's all I could do.

I am not God of the world or a politician but I try to do what I can.

[Sarcastic]

Perhaps British automobile companies will see this as an opportunity now that there is a big gap in the market from the #Fordxit.

There is a lot of opportunity for British entrepreneurs now.

The demand for Rolls Royce, Jaguar, and Bentley are not high enough to fill that gap, unless they drastically reduce prices.

[Nick Young]

The demand for Rolls Royce, Jaguar, and Bentley are not high enough to fill that gap, unless they drastically reduce prices.

Jesus Christ, you people are very slow.......

They can either design a low cost commercial car, or the other British companies that are already making low cost commercial cars will sell more of their cars. British companies all have more opportunities now that Ford is leaving the British market and now that Ford cars are becoming more difficult to purchase in the UK.

If people need a car, but can't buy Ford, they will buy another car.

If there is a gap in the market, companies will do what they can to fill that gap.

Surely that is a simple concept that you are capable of understanding without any more clarification.

[Sarcastic]

Jesus Christ, you people are very slow.......

They can either design a low cost commercial car, or the other British companies that are already making low cost commercial cars will sell more of their cars. British companies all have more opportunities now that Ford is leaving the British market and now that Ford cars are becoming more difficult to purchase in the UK.

If people need a car, but can't buy Ford, they will buy another car.

If there is a gap in the market, companies will do what they can to fill that gap.

Surely that is a simple concept that you are capable of understanding without any more clarification.

I agree that eventually the gap will be filled, but that could take years for those companies to generate the demand. In the meantime people will continue to buy other low cost automobiles from other manufacturers, that aren't produced in the UK. What are those factory workers to do in the meantime while the other companies are building their means of production?

As was said during the Great Depression, in the long run everything evens out, but people don't need to eat in the long run. They need to eat every day.

[Nick Young]

I agree that eventually the gap will be filled, but that could take years for those companies to generate the demand. In the meantime people will continue to buy other low cost automobiles from other manufacturers, that aren't produced in the UK. What are those factory workers to do in the meantime while the other companies are building their means of production?

As was said during the Great Depression, in the long run everything evens out, but people don't need to eat in the long run. They need to eat every day.

Yes. Long term beneficial changes sometimes take years.

Yes. As long as the government continues to have laws that favor foreign mega corporations ahead of smaller home grown companies, the smaller home grown companies will generally lose out to foreign mega corporations.

Did Ford, Toyota, and Honda begin life as mega corperations or did they gradually work their way up to achieve their place in the market that they currently possess?

The solution there is for the government to create laws and policy that encourages home grown companies to flourish and remove laws that dis-incentivize home grown companies from outsourcing their production.

People in the UK are not even close to starving, and the economy is not close to the levels it was at during Great Depression. Your example is hyperbolic.


The UK has the fifth largest economy in the entire world, located in one of the best geographical positions in the world for world trade. They aren't a starving 3rd world conglomeration of islands in the middle of nowhere.

[Sarcastic]

Ford, Toyota, Honda didn't become mega corporations because they filled a gap. They became mega corporations because they made great cars, and there was great demand for their products. The English car companies are not going to expand just so they can fill in gaps. They will expand if there is demand for their products. Meanwhile the English factory workers will be out of a job. They are not just gonna go hire workers to make cars for a demand that is non existent.

[Nick Young]

Ford, Toyota, Honda didn't become mega corporations because they filled a gap. They became mega corporations because they made great cars, and there was great demand for their products. The English car companies are not going to expand just so they can fill in gaps. They will expand if there is demand for their products. Meanwhile the English factory workers will be out of a job. They are not just gonna go hire workers to make cars for a demand that is non existent.

You failed to understand the point.

Honda, Ford and Toyota did not become huge overnight.

It takes time for great companies to grow.

Yes, the discussion you are making makes perfect sense if you have no vision and are only thinking short term.

[Hawker]

British cars suck though. Landrover is one of the most unreliable pieces of shit in existence. I thought about buying one but I checked out consumer reports and the reliability ratings were terrible. The reviews refelcted that, "Looks sexy but ALWAYS in the shop."

Nick Young makes a solid point though. Maybe they oughta employ some american engineers and get their cars up to snuff. Train up the british engineers and then ship the americans back to the states.