Ford CEO Finally Confirms New "Agency Model"

[AzScorpion]

Good to know! The contractors up here suck too, nobody calls us back, we look outside of our area for good people. I guess is sucks everywhere.

I'm sure some of his recommendations are good I'd just make sure to check them thoroughly. I thought for sure you'd have some better luck there. What's happening is most of us old (er) guys are retiring and there hasn't been a lot of young kids coming into the construction fields for years. The work is to hard and they don't want to do it.

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[Jason B]

The only reason this has become an option is due to the pandemic/supply chain crisis, not Tesla or any of the other direct sales manufacturers. The main issue here is going to be the financial drag this will place on FoMoCo, as they will have to eat the inventory expense, not the dealers. That was the reason for the dealer model- they took on the risk of sitting on all that inventory, and the motor company allowed them pricing flexibility in exchange.

Now, almost all dealers are just used car lots. There's very little new inventory on any lot, industry wide- as such, the prospect of carrying all that inventory has become more palatable for the manufacturer. Ford has wanted this forever.

Farley's biggest challenge now will be to completely revamp the mass production model to meet this new type of demand. People will want a ton of different configurations, and they'll want them instantly- Bronco/Lightning have really shown Ford isn't nearly nimble enough to exist off of a custom order model- this is where Ford is going to fail. Financial conditions change rapidly. What someone can afford now, might not be the case a year down the road. People will cancel orders, then dealers will have some shiny new unattached inventory to gouge people on....

That's part of the concern. Manufacturing will go to a just in time method with little by the way of completed vehicles filling lots. It will be "You want a truck? Here are your 5 options to choose from, and you'll get it in a month or two."

 

[Motorpsychology]

Don't I wish. I live less than 10 miles from MAP, but still paid something like $1,500 for delivery. ):

Long long ago in a city far, far away (ok, Highland Park[St Paul]MN, mid-60s) that was possible. You could watch your car roll down the end of the assembly line and drive it away. Dearborn MI Assembly, maybe others, had the same program. One of my former neighbors picked up his '66 Mustang there, which he still has. My grandparents picked up their brand new 1950 Plymouth at the plant in Los Angeles. Papa's retirement and their first (and last) new car.

I sold at a Twin Cities Ford dealer that was 6 miles from TCAssembly that was building 3G Rangers at the time. Every once in a while we'd get a customer who was disgruntled because they had to pay ~$495 D/D. I always wanted to offer to order a new one built at the Edison, NJ plant.

 

[Motorpsychology]

I'm sure some of his recommendations are good I'd just make sure to check them thoroughly. I thought for sure you'd have some better luck there. What's happening is most of us old (er) guys are retiring and there hasn't been a lot of young kids coming into the construction fields for years. The work is to hard and they don't want to do it.

There does'n seem to be many young people going into any field. Part of the problem is the Boomers (b. 1946-55) have now largely retired from the workforce, but are still active in commerce.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Chevy has been offering that with Corvettes for a long time.

Can you pick your colorado or Acadia up too?

 

[TXRangerTim]

Can you pick your colorado or Acadia up too?

Doubt it. The Corvette factory pick up is a special option for their flagship sports car. You can watch your car being made on webcams. Then take delivery and get a special letter and tour the plant and museum.

 

[AzScorpion]

There does'n seem to be many young people going into any field. Part of the problem is the Boomers (b. 1946-55) have now largely retired from the workforce, but are still active in commerce.

Yup I'm the tail end of the Boomers '64 and have been semi retired for 7 years now. All my friends who are contractors back east are either fully retired now or on their way out. They all say the construction industry is nothing like it use to be when we were all in it. Very sub par shoddy work and no work ethic now.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Yup I'm the tail end of the Boomers '64 and have been semi retired for 7 years now. All my friends who are contractors back east are either fully retired now or on their way out. They all say the construction industry is nothing like it use to be when we were all in it. Very sub par shoddy work and no work ethic now.

It isn't just the construction industry..... Software quality has gone to crap and is getting worse, IMO. I'm not sure if it is the programmers or if it is just the management with their "replaceable widget" mentality (one programmer is as good as another programmer).

I for one cannot wait to retire..... I used to love my job but not any longer.

 

[D Fresh]

There does'n seem to be many young people going into any field. Part of the problem is the Boomers (b. 1946-55) have now largely retired from the workforce, but are still active in commerce.

They're all looking for a "side gig" that earns $100k plus per year.

 

[RedlandRanger]

They're all looking for a "side gig" that earns $100k plus per year.

Working 10 hours a week......

 

[D Fresh]

Working 10 hours a week......

But only if you have a safe space available for their inevitable meltdown when things veer slightly off the ideal path.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Doubt it. The Corvette factory pick up is a special option for their flagship sports car. You can watch your car being made on webcams. Then take delivery and get a special letter and tour the plant and museum.

Exactly.

Volvo, you can add it into any car.

It would be such a logistics saver for them, why not?

And that's not just Basil Hayden talking either. I swear.

 

[TXRangerTim]

Exactly.

Volvo, you can add it into any car.

It would be such a logistics saver for them, why not?

And that's not just Basil Hayden talking either. I swear.

The Corevette option wasn't a money saver it was about the experience of going to the museum and plant and at one point you could talk with some higher ups there. You had to make the purchase at a dealership for $990. Some packages would be up to $5,000 on top of the car cost. It gave you a year membership to the museum and maybe a few other perks.

 

[Langwilliams]

We've been telling ourselves, "it'll go back to normal soon," for almost 3 years now.

"Two weeks to flatten the curve"

 

[Jhbryaniv]

The Corevette option wasn't a money saver it was about the experience of going to the museum and plant and at one point you could talk with some higher ups there. You had to make the purchase at a dealership for $990. Some packages would be up to $5,000 on top of the car cost. It gave you a year membership to the museum and maybe a few other perks.

And you didn't have to wait weeks for a train.

I'd pay it.

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