Ford Is Trying To Keep Up With The Fast Changing Automotive Industry

Ford’s new CEO Jim Hackett has daunting times ahead of him to make sure the legendary automaker can keep up as the automotive industry heads into unchartered territory. With self-driving cars, ride sharing and electric vehicles making headlines; Hackett needs to make sure that Ford can compete.

Automotive News put out an article that shows what Hackett has done, and what he may have to do to accomplish this goal. Some of his activities include trips to Ford’s Silicon Valley offices and meeting with joint venture partners in Russia and Turkey. He’s also already made big decisions like moving Focus production from North America to China and looking into a partnership with India to help share costs.

The article says Ford’s next chapter “must include making money on products beyond pickups, SUVs and crossovers.” Hackett’s faster decision-making could also mean the end of some lower-margin vehicles like the Fiesta, and C-Max. Margins are everything, and with small cars, margins simply aren’t there. So do you think Ford’s making the right call?

This weekend check out this 1932 Ford Three Window Coupe. Builder Brad Starks of Brad Starks Rod & Custom joins Katie to talk about this project that sat in a barn for 40 years. Owner Oscar Gamble bought it and then Brad and his team went to work on a whole host of body mods. It’s motivated by a 515 horsepower LS-3 with an 8-stack injection. Check it out on PowerNation starting at 9am on Spike.