Ford To Abandon Most of Their Car Line

[kenwashesmonday]

Body-on-frame construction just can't do well in today's crash tests.

All Nash / Rambler / AMC cars went unibody for 1949.

All Chrysler / Plymouth / Dodge / Desoto cars, except the Imperial, went unibody for 1960. Imperial went to unibody construction for 1967.

It sure took GM and Ford quite a while to catch on.

 

[speedqueen]

I disagree about crash safety. The Town Car was one of the safest cars tested when it was last tested by the IIHS. I think cheapness was the main factor.

 

[vacerator]

Chrysler Imperial, crash worthiness, etc;

The Imperial of the 70's fuselage body style era was very very heavy.
One thing lacking in body on frame construction like the old town car, crown vic., grand Marquis were crumple zones. Crumpleing absorbs impact inertia energy. They added some accordian creases to the front clip section, but a rigid frame just doesn't want to crumple. It's all about mass and rigidness. A frame is thick steel. Where a perimeter frame does do well is in the side T Bone impact.

 

[foraloysius]

"A Ford Mondeo/Fusion is now bigger than the old RWD Scorpio!"

Volkswagen and Opel did the same. The new Polo is bigger than the first Golf. If people are loyal to a certain model, they are forced to spend more and more money.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

The 2011 Lincoln Town Car got an overall "G" crash test rating. In comparison, the unibody mid-size 2006 Lincoln Zepher got an overall "A" rating. It appears that the crash test for the Town car was better than I expected it was after all. The safety improvements made for the new body style in 1998 must have something to do with this.

[this post was last edited: 5/13/2018-08:37]

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/lincoln/town-car-4-door-sedan

 

[vacerator]

Yes,

the cars always get a bit larger. It is decided years in advance. Otherwise, we'd just yawn and buy one anyway.
As for safety, air bag restraints have replaced the larger spaces once in larger cars. Even some of those are killers them selves. Thanks Takata!
TRW made good air bags, but one of their plants exploded near here, and they closed it in the 90's.
My '01 Bonneville had seat side air bags, and the space between the door and seat was wider than our Impalas are. That gives a bit more crash forgiveness, if only a bit. Impala's only had front side seat airbags through 2003. From 2006, only side curtain. Not sure about the latest generation. They help for head injuries, but not much for shoulder, and zero for torso and hip protection in a severe side impact. Severe is anything over 25 m.ph.
At least they do have inside door guard beams. GM has had them since the early 70's. I don't know if they were ever a federal requirement. Back up cameras are now though, as of last week. Thats good, and would not be another good de regualtion. Some older drivers have trouble turning to look behind. Others just won't. I see even drivers with NRA, and other bumper stickers that don't look behind them before backing up.

 

[maytag85]

It's kinda sad to see Ford get rid of a lot of vehicles in their lineup.

A lot of people might remember the thread Old cars vs New cars, and what Ford is doing might explain why I am more partial to older cars.

 

[petek]

Takata is now Chinese owned under the name Joyson Safety Systems.. My neph works for them in Armada MI.

 

[thomasortega]

@lordkenmore

"I'm only guessing, but my guess is that "tiny car" is the reason. It's probably viewed as not profitable enough here, or something buyers don't want."

What about VW Beetle, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper and Scion iA?

I like the 500 a lot, I had one, the only problem is that tiny car is not my number at all.

On the other hand, the Ka is extremely compact, great for cities like Los Angeles or New York, and it is GIANT inside.

Of course it's not a car to make a long trip with the whole family and pets, but it is great for a very tall person (Like Kevin, for example) feel very comfortable in it, without that "I'm in a sardine can" feeling. and use the car for urban commuting.

Other car that would be very nice here is the Fiat Strada or VW Saveiro. It's a tiny pick up truck made on the same platform as the Fiat Palio or the VW Gol. The car is compact and consequently extremely efficient, easy to park (it fits everywhere) and the bed is big enough to fit two large  side by side fridges or two whirlpool dryers.

What doesn't make sense at all was when i was living in Dallas, those short women (almost midgets) driving huge RAMs or F-350 to go to the supermarket. Ok gas is cheap there but, do they really need to drive a car that makes "200 gal per mile" when they could easily drive a comfortable car that makes almost the same as a Toyota Prius and is much cheaper because it's not hybrid.

Room by room. I drive a Toyota Corolla and I feel like in a sardine can. Of course, the rear passengers in a Ford Ka must be midget or have no legs, otherwise the driver and front passenger will struggle, but most people I know (including my husband and I) are driving alone or with only one passenger.

The trunk is not huge, but far from being microscopic and if you flip the rear seat (and the Ka has a brilliant design) you have a monster trunk, comparable to any station wagon.

I know that because I took home a frigidaire affinity washer in it's original box and it fit in the Ka.

 

[vacerator]

Armada has a neat; and older Fords

out door flea market. Busier on weekends. My folks used to buy and sell there.
My dad got a genuine Indian blanket there, and a war of 1812 sabre and scabbard.
There is one like it in the Niagra on the lake museum near Ste. Catherines.
It says Wooley Deacon Dutton on it Birmingham England Improved steel.
As for older cars, in 1980, when the squared off T Bird and Cougar XR7 came out, I thought they were too small and ugly. But now, if you could even find a nice one, not the case. 302 V8 power, decent fuel economy, and comfort. Of course, I like the 79's better. Lorraine Ohio plant turned them out. Oakville also?
Some owners didn't like their LTD II's, but I did. The brougham was as nice as the former Elite. Both in the Thunderbird tradition. Same frame, same drive trains.
Began in '72 with the Gran Torino/Montego line.
Sure gave the GM A bodies a run for the competition.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Face it: people need all wheel drive, or 4 wheel drive, tailgates as opposed to trunks, and perhaps something to rule the road, though more with at least some of the above, are more taking for granted what is STILL a privilege...

Leave it for other automakers to then what will eventually, or even suddenly, follow this trend...

With the lease ending on my current vehicle, a Chrysler 200, which is a 300-wannabe, I believe what my next vehicle's taking the form of, is ever in question...

-- Dave

 

[jamiel]

Saw a good one...the small cars are like an insurance policy for the car companies...they cost you a little in the good times, but in the bad times they pay off!

 

[fan-of-fans]

My mother's Pontiac minivan has side airbags on the seats, hers was the first year to have them as an option, in 1999. GM never had head curtain airbags in their minivans though.

If I was buying a new or used car, curtain airbags would probably be in the must have category, and preferably side airbags too.

Not to generalize, but I think a lot of times the big truck and SUVs get to the driver's head. I ended up in a rainstorm Saturday night on the way home from a trip to the gym. A pickup was barreling up behind me, so I switched lanes with my signal, but they didn't pay attention and switched lanes too and got right on my bumper, whipped into the slow lane to pass me and laid on their horn.

Then another one came barreling around me further along - same model and color!

Another one I thankfully haven't seen. Big red Dodge with high school sticker on the back window. One morning, I was driving and about to get into the turning lane, light was red. In the last few feet, he comes zooming over in front of me, to be first at the light.

Few weeks later, I see him behind me, I'm approaching same light, it turned yellow, so me and about 5 cars in front of me put the brakes on. He guns it and gets into the lane to go straight ahead, puts his turn signal on. When light turns green, he proceeds to turn left in front of everybody, totally illegal.

Not to mention all the weaving and speeding he does. Probably a gift truck from mommy and daddy, The (insert well known name).

 

[vacerator]

My dad had a

'99 Montana. It served them well. Their final car. Windstar before that. Buick Electra Limited and Dodge van's before those.
The GM U body vans didn't fare so well in the NHSTA frontal crash tests. A pillar/Roof deformation, and footwell intrusion by the front wheel.
All wheel drive was one dollar extra per month on our new Edge, so we got it.
If it were only up to me, the Escape was fine. I'm not the taller one.
They had a really sharp Lightning blue Fusion on the showroom floor I also liked.
Too low to the ground for my spouse though.
Ford will bring back all electric sedans. The dealership already has at least 2 charging stations that I saw at the side near the front.
We don't tailgate, feel a need to rule the road, nor compensate for anatomical defficiencies. Our last brand new car was a 2008 Cobalt. The economy was bad then, and gas was $4 a gallon. We had two high schoolers still heading for college who both had to commute.
Now we are enjoying being empty nesters, and some niceties. We've worked very hard.
I still get up on the ladder and clean the gutters, then scrub them by hand with TSP. I've never been afraid to get my hands dirty. I bargain hunt for things for the house to save money.