(note the disappointment on his face)
As per an article I read in The Economist (link found here), there has been a disappointing turn of events for the outcome of Ford’s 2014. The year began with promise, as Ford prepared to launch a record-breaking 27 new vehicles this calendar year; but as the year comes to a close, it’s becoming obvious that things aren’t playing out exactly (and certainly not as well) as Ford had hoped. As Ford continued this past week to unveil new models of some of their most popular cars at the Paris Motor Show, namely the C-Max, S-Max, and Monedo, the focus was not centred on the stage as they had hoped. Instead, the presentation fell in the wake of an announcement early last week that Ford’s earnings for the year are now projected to be $6 billion. Though this number seems large, it is nearly $2 billion lower than previous estimates for the year’s earnings. This announcement spurred a flow of investors trying to sell out of Ford for fear of what this omen represents. Even a huge, breakthrough year for Ford doesn’t seem to be enough to keep an old brand with an outdated mindset competitive in an ever-changing and ever-progressive industry. Is it time for Ford to re-evaluate the way in which they’re trying to retain their once iron-clad grasp on the industry? Or, is it time to accept that Detroit, Michigan may not be the centre of the universe, as other progressive, modern brands continue to take the industry and consumer world by storm?
