Gavin Allan
Well-Known Member
For those who attended the meet- did you learn anything from Ford regarding the next Explorer, future of the Sport Trac or Ranger, etc.?
Meet Attendees--Learn anything from Ford?
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Todd Cloutier
Well-Known Member
The Ford rep I talked to said that there will be a smaller pickup to help meet future fuel economy regulations. It won't be the international version of the Ranger that we've been seeing spy shots of. That ranger has passed its window for development for the US market. Might be based on F150 components or maybe something else.
I asked the question to the plant manager as well. He said that any replacement won't be built in the US since the Ranger plant is closing.
I asked the question to the plant manager as well. He said that any replacement won't be built in the US since the Ranger plant is closing.
Johnny O
Well-Known Member
The next Explorer (or whatever they might call it) will be built on a unit-body chassis a la Lincoln MKX due to fuel economy concerns. They said a body-on-frame vehicle simply weighs too much to improve the fuel economy much more. There are currently no plans to build a pickup variant of said vehicle. They did allow that they will be increasing the size of the Louisville plant (which is already as big as the town I live in) and building more different vehicles there.
They said that ten years ago they were building about half a million Rangers a year, this year they will build about 60,000. Sport Tracs about 12,000 this year and Ford likes to make 15,000 of something for it to be profitable to produce.
They said that ten years ago they were building about half a million Rangers a year, this year they will build about 60,000. Sport Tracs about 12,000 this year and Ford likes to make 15,000 of something for it to be profitable to produce.
Gavin Allan
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
Ford's plant in Kansas City will soon be idle (F-150 and Escape). Missouri state government is trying hard to give tax breaks and corporate welfare to keep Ford running here. I figure the KC plant is a goner no matter what due to way too much production capacity in the Ford assembly system. If they had a product to build there, that would be more hopeful, but no product has been assigned to the KC plant.
I toured the River Rouge Plant in Dearborn a few weeks ago. They are building F-150s there. The old plant is much smaller than it was 30 years ago when I toured and watched them build Mustangs. They are so much more efficient these days. I guess that plant will go forever- it is the "showcase" plant to go along with World Headquarters and Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum. They had a Raptor sitting in the entrance for the tours- we got to sit in it and climb all over it.
Sad to see the Trac go, with no replacement in sight. I still contend Ford could have sold a heck of a lot more Tracs with just a little advertising. I still get questions every week from people who have never heard of a Sport Trac and who think my truck is very nice.
I priced a supercrew King Ranch and compared to an Adrenaline. Prices were close. Supercrew won't fit in my garage very well, and I have to park in very narrow parking spaces all day. I might try to trade for a new Trac, but buying a car is such a hassle with the idiot greedy salespeople who treat you like you are stupid and they tell you that KBB and NADA trade-in values are all way too high priced as compared to the real world, even though they say "average trade-in value".
Ford Explorer plant in St Louis sits in decay. Chrysler Plants in St. Louis sit in decay. Corvette plant in St. Louis sits in decay. GM Leeds plant sits in decay in KC. We have Tier I and II suppliers all over the state that are sitting in decay. It is so sad how American car manufacturers have bit the big one and are rapidly dying. Oh well.
Ford's plant in Kansas City will soon be idle (F-150 and Escape). Missouri state government is trying hard to give tax breaks and corporate welfare to keep Ford running here. I figure the KC plant is a goner no matter what due to way too much production capacity in the Ford assembly system. If they had a product to build there, that would be more hopeful, but no product has been assigned to the KC plant.
I toured the River Rouge Plant in Dearborn a few weeks ago. They are building F-150s there. The old plant is much smaller than it was 30 years ago when I toured and watched them build Mustangs. They are so much more efficient these days. I guess that plant will go forever- it is the "showcase" plant to go along with World Headquarters and Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum. They had a Raptor sitting in the entrance for the tours- we got to sit in it and climb all over it.
Sad to see the Trac go, with no replacement in sight. I still contend Ford could have sold a heck of a lot more Tracs with just a little advertising. I still get questions every week from people who have never heard of a Sport Trac and who think my truck is very nice.
I priced a supercrew King Ranch and compared to an Adrenaline. Prices were close. Supercrew won't fit in my garage very well, and I have to park in very narrow parking spaces all day. I might try to trade for a new Trac, but buying a car is such a hassle with the idiot greedy salespeople who treat you like you are stupid and they tell you that KBB and NADA trade-in values are all way too high priced as compared to the real world, even though they say "average trade-in value".
Ford Explorer plant in St Louis sits in decay. Chrysler Plants in St. Louis sit in decay. Corvette plant in St. Louis sits in decay. GM Leeds plant sits in decay in KC. We have Tier I and II suppliers all over the state that are sitting in decay. It is so sad how American car manufacturers have bit the big one and are rapidly dying. Oh well.
David Roll
Active Member
Six years ago I went to a local Ford dealer to inquire about a new Explorer. I already had purchased 2 Explorers over the previous few years and was looking to replace the oldest one. Almost as a whim he mentioned they were running a special program to lease Sport Tracs for $199 per moth - 2 year lease. I asked "What's a Sport Trac?" and was instantly blown away. It was exactly what I needed at a great lease rate!
Now six years and 2 Sport Trac leases later I have purchased my third (and final?) 2010 Sport Trac. (You can't can beat 0% financing!) I am constantly asked by people I meet "What type of truck is that?" I even occasionally have strangers walk up to me and ask because they like it and are looking to get one.
Well I got a new 7 year loan to pay-off, so I guess I will have this one a long time. By the time I get rid of it I expect the auto market to be markedly different than it is today. I just hope I can still buy American.
:driving:
Now six years and 2 Sport Trac leases later I have purchased my third (and final?) 2010 Sport Trac. (You can't can beat 0% financing!) I am constantly asked by people I meet "What type of truck is that?" I even occasionally have strangers walk up to me and ask because they like it and are looking to get one.
Well I got a new 7 year loan to pay-off, so I guess I will have this one a long time. By the time I get rid of it I expect the auto market to be markedly different than it is today. I just hope I can still buy American.
:driving:
