Bill Ford Regrets Not Seizing Initiative On Environmentally Friendlier Cars - Reuters

[hatrack]

I'm sure you do, Bill. I'm sure you do.

MACKINAC CITY, Mich. - Ford Motor Co. missed a chance to seize the lead in addressing environmental concerns and allowed its sedan styling to go stale in recent years, Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said Thursday. "My only regret now is that we didn't move further faster," said Ford, who stepped down as chief executive last September.

Ford said the No. 2 US automaker had not been aggressive enough in revamping the styling of its passenger cars as it tried to shift away from a reliance on pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles where it had held a highly profitable franchise.

"We didn't stretch enough in the past few years," Ford said. "I think as we got back into the car business we weren't perhaps bold enough."

The remarks by Ford, who was speaking to a group of business and civic leaders on the restructuring of the US auto industry, marked his fullest public commentary on his own troubled five-year tenure as the automaker's chief executive.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42307/story.htm

[muntrv]

1. GM & Chrysler didn't do so either. That's why so many Americans prefer imports.

[tularetom]

2. He's concerned about the frikkin STYLING?

at the same time as his company has been falling further and further behind european and japanese automakers technologically.

I'm sorry, I really believe there is no future for the US auto industry.

I believe the technological spark is still present in Amurka, but it has been pretty much stifled by timid and focus group driven execs like Ford.

[WCGreen]

3. I bet he does.....

The US could have taken the lead in energ efficient technology but instead we elected a pawn of the big energy concerns...

Sigh, we coulda been contenders, we coulda been somebody....

[MikeNearMcChord]

4. It wasn't like this happend yesterday

Jesus, the auto industry was hit by the Arab oil embargo in the '70's, they knew that the oil industry would screw them one day, yet for over 30 years they did NADA to improve their product, franky I wish Ford and the other auto execs were thrown out into the streets and made homeless, they brought this to America.

[Javaman]

5. "I think as we got back into the car business we weren't perhaps bold enough."

ya think?