Ford reduces time between styling changes to three years

[1931Chevy]

According to Peter Horbury, Ford's head of design in North America, the Blue Oval will be shortening the time frame between major styling changes for its models from five years to three. This move is part of a plan to reduce the need for large incentives to move older models that haven't had a major redesign in 4 - 5 years.

continue at the link

[2b2]

this really isn't new-news - announced at a conference this last spring (date on my download of the .Pdf powerpoint presentation is March9,2008 but think that was the 2nd time I got it)


in fact, I remember reading that the 12-year span between platforms is being reduced to 10 (sorry no link) so the 'top-hat' would change every 5 years & the average MCE would happen every 2 1/2 years

[1931Chevy]

Yes I remember this from last year but it looks like it was a slow day for the media

[Xenon]

So when will we start seeing new Mercury products?

[blank disk]

They already change styles every 4 years now, so what they are saying is that it will be all new every 3?
That is bold.

[1931Chevy]

Originally Posted by Xenon

So when will we start seeing new Mercury products?

thats something we cannot answer yet because there is no answer to give

[escapen]

Originally Posted by Xenon

So when will we start seeing new Mercury products?

Notice how the post from Ford says to diffirentiate Ford-Lincoln and no mention of the "buffer" Mercury. This scares me as to its eventual fate

[1931Chevy]

^I noticed that too but I still have a little hope that Mercury will be spared

[LONGHORN]

Sorry but I call Bull on this one. Are we talking major mid life design facelifts or whole sale new platforms every three years. There is a reason Honda and Toyota went from 4 to 5 years platform life spans..........you make more money per generation,heck even the Europeans use the 7 year timeline for their platforms,really enhancing profitability. This ought to give Ford's accounting the fits.

[1931Chevy]

^ my son here is the answer you are looking

Horbury suggested the days of minor facelifts are over, saying recent research shows small updates have “no value,” while major changes have “huge value.”
So what sort of changes can we expect for the Flex? According to Horbury, anything but the roofline, glass, and doors is fair game. He told trade publication Automotive News designers are “free to change” anything else.

Redesigning a model that has just launched is undoubtedly an unusual experience. “It is quite unnerving,” said Horbury. “It is strange, really.”
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It will be like the 2009 F150 and 2010 mustang heavily refreshed but it will keep the same roofline and glasses , andToyota is using its platforms for around 10 years they only change the hat but the drivetrain expect for a revised engine or tranny is the same

[2b2]

Originally Posted by escapen

Notice how the post from Ford says to diffirentiate Ford-Lincoln and no mention of the "buffer" Mercury. This scares me as to its eventual fate

well, it could be that Mercury would be entirely different - like with the question of concurrent C2/C1/C170 production
or
Mercs could be re-grilled global-Fords BUT with all the top-trim euro-gizmos
or
modified NA-built Volvos & Mazdas
or
a combo of all 3
and
any of ^these^ scenarios could still be temporary - one more platform cycle

so if they had only one-more (3rd) model selling as well as the Milan & Mariner, they'd be stable until Fomoco is ready to do more for Mercury....
if Merc gets a headstart with C2, their total sales could go UP
if they also got a Cuv - - I vote Milan-CX'8', maybe more than an S-Max (which wouldn't suit Ford or Lincoln imho)...

hopefully July's re-tooling announcement will give us a clue

[1931Chevy]

^I have been wondering why doesnt Ford produce a small 2 door car based on the Miata or even the RX8

[Xenon]

Originally Posted by 1931Chevy

^I have been wondering why doesn't Ford produce a small 2 door car based on the Miata or even the RX8

The Miata and RX-8 are literally the soul of Mazda. And most of the time sports car re-body/rebadges doesn't work out so wonderfully. The Crossfire is one good example. And to a very small extent, the Lotus Elise does a lot better than the Toyota MR2, despite having similar engines and concepts.

[Buick61]

From the Leftlane news snippet about the same news item: "Redesigning a model that has just launched is undoubtedly an unusual experience. “It is quite unnerving,” said Horbury. “It is strange, really.” "

HA! Try redesigning a model that hasn't launched yet. Back in the 1950s, they were always a few steps ahead of themselves. Just as the 1955 Chevy was being launched in 1954, the redesign for 1956 was already done, and the majorly overhauled 1957 model's design work was about to get started.