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Ford announces Vignale label luxury brand

13K views 67 replies 24 participants last post by  Ruperts Trooper 
#1 ·
Ford announces Vignale label luxury brand
Published September 05, 2013
FoxNews.com

Ford has announced plans to launch a new luxury brand called Vignale.

More of a sub-brand of the mothership, the name will denote the highest trim level for the company’s vehicles sold in Europe.

The Ford Mondeo Vignale Concept will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week featuring signature styling cues that include upgraded chrome trim, unique wheels and quilted leather upholstery that calls to mind that found in upscale brands like Bentley.

Mondeo is the name used for the popular Ford Fusion midsize model overseas.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013...l-luxury-brand/?intcmp=features#ixzz2e1jGmxOx
 
#11 ·
The picture of the Fusion Vignale looks nicer (exterior) than the Lincoln MKZ (or MKS - I forget, whichever one that is based on the Fusion). I like the way the grill looks, pretty classy.

Though this does cheapen the Lincoln version in the USA, though the Vignale will only be sold in Europe, word will get out in the USA. Once you've "Vignale-ized" the Fusion, what difference is there between it and the Lincoln? If I were shelling out $50,000+ I wouldn't want to know that there is a Ford version sold in Europe that is essentially the same as my more expensive Lincoln....
 
#15 ·
I call unfair on that question.

Mullaly is Ford's messiah. He is this century's Henry the Deuce.

Ford was doomed. Mullaly saved them.

In my Automotive dream team I'd put Mullaly and Lutz together. Now that's enough gunnage to save even Pontiac.
 
#16 · (Edited)
He's sacrificed a lot to save One Ford. Sorry. I think that Akerson has actually done as well or better. GM's core 4 should have been fleshed out years before the bk. Akerson has don't great thus far managing them and growing those brands. Thus far his only real folly has been introducing the Malibu 6 months early. In truth I still prefer it over every car in it's class. While the Fusion has beat the Malibu sales wise, the Cruze, Impala, Camaro, and Sonic have outdone their rivals from Ford

Mullaly did well for Ford. Akerson has done well for Chevy Buick Cadillac and GMC. Europe it's a draw.
 
#18 ·
Vignale has been in the Ford trunk of names since at least the 60's, if I remember correctly.
I think Aston had Lagonda Vignale at one point. And Ford had a few concepts that used the moniker.

Why resurrect it now? I dunno. And wouldn't it be better under the Lincoln brand?
 
#30 ·
Yep, can't see why they killed Ghia for platinum and now Vignale
 
#24 · (Edited)
Wheel Car Vehicle Tire Land vehicle


Only sports car that outsold everything in the EU, Capri Mk1 had that magic sales buy me mojo 213,000 built a year for 5 years killed everybody else's sports car sales charts stone dead.

Pair the classic Capri up with Schaeffler RWD Fiesta e-wheel drive rear-wheel-drive train using wheel hub motors producing 700 Nm of torque. Who couldn’t have fun with that setup, a lethal ****tail of good clean fun missing in dismal dull depressing Ford of Europe. Would rather buy one of them than a tarted up Mondeo Vignale, Mondeo is only heading for 47,000 sales in the EU sales this year.
LINK
 
#26 ·
View attachment 18273

Only sports car that outsold everything in the EU, Capri Mk1 had that magic sales buy me mojo 213,000 built a year for 5 years killed everybody else's sports car sales charts stone dead.

Pair the classic Capri up with Schaeffler RWD Fiesta e-wheel drive rear-wheel-drive train using wheel hub motors producing 700 Nm of torque. Who couldn’t have fun with that setup, a lethal ****tail of good clean fun missing in dismal dull depressing Ford of Europe. Would rather buy one of them than a tarted up Mondeo Vignale, Mondeo is only heading for 47,000 sales in the EU sales this year.
LINK
The Capri was a car launched at the right time, as Europe was recovering from the economic effects of WW2 and it's subsequent austerity, on all sides, but it's dynamic deficiencies were never overcome and was way inferior to the BMW sports saloons of the day, albeit the Capri was a lot more affordable.

The Mondeo/Insignia/Passat market in Europe is shrinking rapidly as buyers downsize and switch to niche models and crossovers
 
#31 ·
It's all about the perceptionaly differences between EUROPEAN "continental" mentality and AMERICAN "bigger-better" mentality.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Use of suffix words Vignale vs. Platinum vs. Ghia, etc.
 
#35 ·
I much prefer Kia's KX-1, KX-2, KX-3 because at least you know what order they go !
Does "1" signify first or two-less than best "3"?

This is the perceptional difference I alluded to earlier...ie: european vs. american concept of good/better/best/bestest, etc.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Reply cdp326

You omitted all the Euro "D" Segment Audi, BMW, & Mecedes producers & "sales numbers" in your post but included just mass produced Euro "D" segment, most of the small cars have declining numbers please add them please for Rupert please.

Also Euro "D" segement
No9 Quality fun-to-drive RWD BMW 3 Series 171,620 sales up +19%
v
v
v
v
No 80 FWD Mundane Mondeo 42,219 sales down -33% the big pig is mass produced low volume a NOOOoooh good "black cloud".
(Ford should bring back the No1 RWD Cortina/Taunus 350,000 sales by this time, would be "sunny" days again for Ford of EU)

You can dress the mundane Mondeo pig up in Vignale clothes, but it's still looks a fat pig!! cdp326.
 
#40 ·

No9 Quality fun-to-drive RWD BMW 3 Series 171,620 sales up +19%

(Ford should bring back the No1 RWD Cortina/Taunus 350,000 sales by this time Sunny days again Ford)
There were good reasons why Europe abandoned live axles and RWD for mainstream and equally good but different reasons that RWD premium grew.

Customers change - products and manufacturers need to change to reflect what customers want.
 
#39 ·
Who gives a s**t about one months sales figures?

Capri sold well because it was affordable - but the RS Escorts were the must-have performance cars of their day.

Insignia is cramped internally, much less space than its Vectra-C predecessor, barely bigger than Astra inside. Mondeo is usefully bigger.

BMW is premium, that's one of the growth areas - Ford/Opel/Vauxhall/VW are mainstream and seeing top-end sales leech away.
 
#42 ·
My 1972 Pinto used the 1600 cc FOB Cortina engine & transmission...especially after I swapped in a 2V manifold & carburetor from a GT engine.



P.S.--anybody remember the open-wheeled FORMULA FORD racers that used these 1.6L engines and routinely pumped out 200+HP -- that was ~2HP/cubic inch!
 
#44 · (Edited)
Reply to Rupert Trooper

The Opel/Vauxhall 2.0 16v engine, later badged Ecotec, was producing over 300bhp at around 9,000 rpm in Touring Car race trim - the 16v head was designed by Cosworth!

Yep that was a fantastic little car so was the Opel Manta, a real blast fun-to-drive car.

Ford designed the magnificent RWD GT 40 was conceived in Slough in England, who can ever forget the Ford 1-2-3 GT 40 when Uncle Henry rubbished the Ferrari brand as second rate rubbish.

Ford had massive success not just winning every British RAC rally in the 1970's when the little RWD RS 1600/1800 Mk1 & 2 Escorts made BMW CSL & Porsche 911 look a second rate rubbish brand on the rally circuits 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 & 1979, Loeb may have been the best driver of all time, but the rally drivers voted the RWD Mk1 & Mk2 Escorts as their champion the greatest rally car of all time on a TV show l watched..

Already mentioned the RWD Capri/Escort Mk1 winning European Touring Car Champion back to back 1971, 1972 & 1973 made BMW CSL & Porsche look rubbish on the race circuits of Europe.

Ford used the magnificent Ford Lotus/Cossies not just on RWD European Touring Cars & RWD Rally cars they used them in RWD Formula One, Ford's mighty engines won Formula One Championships of 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980 & 1981 Ford's engines made a Michael Schumacher's achievements look second rate. Yep that was the Golden age of Ford in Europe that with FWD will never ever, ever achieve again as FWD is a compromise can't handle power.

British Leyland had 55% UK market share back in 1968, along come the Britsh assembled RWD Capri/Escort Mk1 Cortina Mk3 Ford robbed it off of British Leyland the 70's with a lot of motorsportus credibilitus. Just as the Cortina RWD got phased out it left with 33% UK market share.
When it come to replacing their RWD Cortina's 10 years down the line Brits were only left with a FWD option from Ford, so they said to themselves if it's got to be FWD only we will buy from a then very minor player VW instead. The whole of British youth culture were wearing VW badges in acid filled raves and the rest they say is history VW became the No1 seller of cars in the UK and Ford UK market share dropped from 16% as the last crap British made FWD Escort rolled of the production lines in 2001, to 2013 where it carried on eroding to just under 13% market share BMW 3 & Mercedes C that sold 0 cars almost in 70's whizzed past the Mondeo in the sales charts. VW stole all the UK market share cake and now sell the most cars in the UK. Ford Mondeo & Focus survive on Hertz & Avis company sales in the UK, don't appeal to the British private buyer only the Fiesta does both who pissed off the Cortina buyer "Ford". VW are the new kings of the UK sell the most cars, they sold next close to nothing when Cortina was king, the rest they say is history now we have crap VW cars & crap beastie music.

Everybody in generation X started wearing VW badges in the UK buying VW's kept them No1 biggest UK seller of cars the boomers traded in their Cortina's for VW products as a protest of being driven into FWD Fords, or brought rear-wheel-drives like BMW or Mercs instead, Ford's top spot was lost as sales continue to erode slowly, damm Beastie Boys sod you. But who killed off, ****ed-up the RWD Cortina with 33% UK market share - "Ford" (Bob Lutz might have been behind it as Ford CEO, he also helped GM sail onto to the rocks of bankruptcy and scuttle the good ship GM that killed off so many jobs & brands with "crap cars" that else somebody mentioned at GM)..



Glasses Jeans Vision care Eyewear Street fashion


You can dress the mundane Mondeo pig up in Vignale clothes, but it's still looks a fat pig!! Mondeo is already get rapped with folk that buy a BMW 320D & 520D in the EU that are better value close to that price of a top of the range Ford Mundane, Vignale Mondeo will cost more, end up pushing even more ex Ford buyers into Beamers in the EU? Folk don't buy good cars, they buy status badges these days sad to say. What Ford should do is add Aston Martin RWD add unlimited power to the Mondeo drivetrain that really would be a blast to drive give it some motorsportus credibilitus, put the cat amongst the BMW & Mercedes Benz buying pigeons.

EU Sales Jan-Oct (High profit yields Ford need)
RWD BMW 3 Series 171,620 (No place for a RWD in huge $20 billion losses FWD Opel line-up) Outsells all Opel's except the Corsa.
RWD Mercedes Benz C-Class 101,662
RWD Mercedes E-Class 89,922
RWD BMW 5 Series 90,469
FWD Mondeo 42,219 (Nearly all Hertz/Avis company type buyer low no profit margin sales)

Who is supposed to be the mass producer, who is supposed to be the high quality low volume producer these days?

Baby boomers private buyers shifted out of Cortina/Taunus's (350,000 sale buy October in late 70's) into quality RWD makers cars today as they paid down off the mortgage.

VW now sell the most cars in the UK (Private generation X beastie boys & pissed off Cortina drivers - if you forced me to buy FWD it won't be a Ford), where did the all 33% Cortina Ford UK market share go 2013 13% Ford UK?

Hope you have a very happy Christmas Rupert wish you well, l am off for Christmas now. l wish hope everybody at GM Ford & Mopar has a very happy Christmas and hope you all have a very successful new 2014.
 
#45 · (Edited)
VW now sell the most cars in the UK (Private generation X beastie boys & pissed off Cortina drivers - if you forced me to buy FWD it won't be a Ford), where did the all 33% Cortina Ford UK market share go 2013 13% Ford UK?
November 2013 UK sales (models)
1. Ford Fiesta 8,796
2. Ford Focus 5,298
3. Vauxhall Astra 5,077
4. Vauxhall Corsa 4,958
5. VW Golf 4,074
6. Vauxhall Insignia 3,175
7. Nissan Qashqai 3,046
8. Fiat 500 3,024
9. BMW 3 Series 2,999
10. Nissan Juke 2,851

November 2013 UK sales (brands)
1. Ford 21,027
2. Vauxhall 19,669
3. Volkswagen 13,230
4. BMW 10,307
5. Audi 9,617

Source: Best Selling Cars, SMMT http://www.smmt.co.uk/2013/12/november-new-car-registrations-overtake-2012-full-year-total/
 
#49 · (Edited)
Europe No1 Cortina/Taunus was selling 350,000 sales by October in the late 70's. Helped generate some of Ford's largest ever recorded profit in FOE history.

2013 Europe's No9 BMW 3 Series 171,000 sales in 10 months is one of most highest profit making cars in the world outsells all of Ford models in the EU except 2 models Fiesta/Focus.

2013 Europe No 80 hapless Mondeo 42,000 sales in 10 month nearly all Avis/Hertz company fleet rental cars sales sold in big batch at no profit big losses.

FWD hapless Mondeo No 80 in Europe's sales charts helping Ford create $2 billion in losses with terrible sales numbers the way to go ausrutherford? Was shocked to see a few years ago just one tenth of Mondeo sale were to lucrative private buyers in the UK.

Would rather build something like a modern quality RWD No1 Cortina/Taunus that sold/appealed to both private/fleet buyers in equal numbers, rather than a hapless Mondeo No 80 in the EU sales charts that can only sell if its nearly all fleet dumped at a huge loss at Herz & Avis type companies at a huge loss.
 
#48 ·
It's funny isn't it that, in europe, the small cheap cars are FWD, while the large expensive cars are RWD...hm-m-m-m, m.

Give me individual "components" (engine, transmission, differential), because when *one* fails, I only have to pay for it's co$t, not the "packaged" co$t of the whole sha-bang!
 
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