Rumor Mill: A Ford-GM Merger Being Discussed?

[chevrobill]

Agood start would be to stop attacking each other intheir commercials. Keep the focus on model superiority over the imports, price, and warranty.
They dont have to merge, just become players on the same overall team.

[Sal Collaziano]

Originally Posted by Aprime

LOL.

LOL! (I agree! Ridiculous statement!)

[Tico]

When sales get small enough at both companies it could happen. Maybe 5 years from now maybe more. I would rather see them merge than see Ford sold off to some foriegn company. I think this is inevitable for Chrysler already. I think it is time to stop the Ford vs. Chevy talk and start thinking of how anything resembing an American car can exist 10, 15 or 20 years form now. If they merged who says there would be both a Camaro and a Mustang. Whos says there would be a Silverado and F150. That would be stupid. In the long run you only need one. As for Camaro vs. Mustang I think we should just be glad that the possiblity to buy one of them might exist 15 years from now and not which one it is! Wake up people. The downward trend in market share shows no signs of reversing. What is the logical end to this story?

[Sgt Beavis]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

No. Won't happen. Maybe a partnership, maybe sharing technology, maybe just becoming best buddies and work together to kill toyota, but they won't merge.

I totally agree. I can even see some platform sharing. Maybe (huge maybe) they can cut truck development costs by co-developing the frame and suspension of the next Silverado/F-150. Then use different engines, transmissions, and bodies. Similar to what Dodge and Nissan are doing but to a much smaller degree (The next Nissan Titan will basically be a Dodge Ram)

I could see some other platform sharing or maybe even a joint production facility like Toyota/GM currently have..

Originally Posted by Aprime

Tell me a reason why not?

Because it would hurt your feelings isn't a good answer.

I tough times, this is what companies do, just because they're automotive companies doesn't mean it can't happen.

I can give you ONE huge reason. The Ford Family. They'll simply never do it. They'll be interested in partnerships and joint projects but they'll never agree to a merger, even if it makes the most sense in the world. The Ford Family will never simply give up control of the company.

[Spanky]

Maybe someone inside GM knows how to run a football team. The Fords sure don't.

Detroit Lions=suck

[FierySolstice]

Haha... if that happens I would keep the Mustang ang scrap everything else.

[Chaz_23]

The larger the (American) corporation the slower, dumber, inefficient, incompetent, self-satisfied, anti-innovative, corrupt, etc. it becomes.

[Uzzy]

Coke and Pepsi will merge before GM and Ford. McDonald's and Burger King will merge before GM and Ford. The US and Canda will merge before Gm and Ford.

[Ming]

"Detroit Motors" would be kind of cool...

I don't get all of the old rivalry with Toyota/Honda/Nissan eating their lunch.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Chaz_23

The larger the (American) corporation the slower, dumber, inefficient, incompetent, self-satisfied, anti-innovative, corrupt, etc. it becomes.

Thw UAW isn't a corporation, they just run themselves like one.

[BrickTamland]

A merger is about as feasible as Michael Bay learning how to direct a good movie. The amount of slashing and burning required would equal the Brazilian rainforest. They could collude on technologies like hybrid and diesel powertrains, fuel cells, and perhaps a shared vehicle ala Vibe-Matrix and Quest-Villager. A merger, however, is just a mess of massive porportions.

[skylark68]

I see the domestics merging with the Japanese before I see a Ford/GM merger. GM/Toyota and Ford/Mazda/Honda or something of that nature.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by BrickTamland

A merger is about as feasible as Michael Bay learning how to direct a good movie. The amount of slashing and burning required would equal the Brazilian rainforest. They could collude on technologies like hybrid and diesel powertrains, fuel cells, and perhaps a shared vehicle ala Vibe-Matrix and Quest-Villager. A merger, however, is just a mess of massive porportions.

Well I would be all for seeing Ford and GM share 100% of their engines and transmissions, keeping the best and most cost efficient of each. I think such a collaboration would ensure those jobs and engineering talent stays in Detroit instead of both companies going to Europe, Korea, China and Japan to bail them out, technology-wise. The USA needs as many engineers to stay here as possible. A "Detroit Motors" alliance could work.

But please no Mazda B-Series type rebadges.

[FF7Doug]

Originally Posted by Joe in T.O.

The 80's and 90's is what gives domestics the bad name they have today.

Fixed!

[texassierradude]

I remember this same story back in '92. Just a case of some writer with no hard news to report earning his expense account.