Ford announced much the same thing several months ago.... if I recall correctly, it announced it will stop making cars ENTIRELY starting soon (I guess that means no more Mustangs, ouch) - and will focus only on SUV's and trucks, at least for the US market.
And will invest into self-driving vehicles and non-gas vehicles (gambling that's the future).
Without a doubt, that's where the money is. For decades, the best selling car in the USA has been the Toyota Camry (my parents have helped that, lol) but it was passed up last year by the Toyota RAV4, a small SUV. I'm in that company now, driving a Honda Pilot and Subaru Forester (a company car), although I still own by Mazda Miata.
Here's the simple truth: The US auto industry once entirely dominated the world. At one time, HALF of all the cars in the world were Fords. In the USA, foreign cars were almost non-existent before WW 2, and still only about 5% until 1960. But here's the thing: Those foreign cars - first from Germany and Sweden, later from Japan, were simply FAR better built and better designed, FAR more reliable and durable, FAR more efficient. And meanwhile, US cars got more and more unreliable, troublsome, inefficient. gas hogs. Their venture with the Pinto and Vega were terrible. Detroit had DECADES to get it right - and easily, quickly could have if it gave a rip. But it didn't. Even at that, it's had DECADES to put out good, well-designed cars but....
We taxpayers bailed out Chysler - only to have it get bought by Mercedes (which could not improve it) and now by Fiat (who also can't seem to improve the brand). We taxpayers bailed out GM big time, but it still struggles and while SOME models prove GM is able, most models prove it doesn't want to. Ford is the only brand we taxpayers haven't had to prop up - over and over - and it has been consistently profitable (mostly because of small trucks) but it's leaving the sedan market, too. Meanwhile, the Asians have taken what Detroit has failed to produce. Now the #1 most American made car is the Toyota Camry (go figure) - more American made than any "American" car. My Honda and my Subaru were both assembled here (unlike many GM and
Ford cars) and many of the parts made here. Along with the Korean cars, they have come to dominate the US market. Why? Because these countries have better engineers? NO WAY! Because they have companies that choose to build good quality and efficient cars that people will buy. Detroit just thinks the government would bail them out .... and blame everything on the unions.
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