<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-27/ford-plans-to-cut-product-lineup-to-as-few-as-20-models-ceo-mulally-says.html"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" alt="Ford Mondeo" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/fordmulallymodels.jpg" /></a><br />
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When Alan Mulally took charge of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> four years ago, the Blue Oval had nearly 100 models. There are fewer than half that now, and the CEO wants to trim the number down to "less than 30, on our way to 20 to 25." His goal of simplification appears to be driven by the desire to cut costs for everyone - distributors, suppliers, dealerships, as well as Ford itself. That will not only help the brand in the present as it makes do in lean times, but can compound the rewards when markets - especially in Asia - go nuts again.<br />
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Mulally says the returns can be put into research and development, along with engineering for the remaining models. To put this in perspective, on Ford's U.S. site alone, there are 18 vehicles, not including the soon-to-die Explorer Sport Trac, which of course leaves out cars like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/falcon">Falcon</a>, Territory, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/kuga">Kuga</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/s-max">S-Max</a>, among others. So the natural question is: Which vehicles would or should get the axe? <br />
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[Source: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-27/ford-plans-to-cut-product-lineup-to-as-few-as-20-models-ceo-mulally-says.html">Bloomberg</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/report-mulally-says-ford-may-pare-global-lineup-to-just-20-mode/">Report: Mulally says Ford may pare global lineup to just 20 models</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-27/ford-plans-to-cut-product-lineup-to-as-few-as-20-models-ceo-mulally-says.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/report-mulally-says-ford-may-pare-global-lineup-to-just-20-mode/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19651014/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/report-mulally-says-ford-may-pare-global-lineup-to-just-20-mode/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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When Alan Mulally took charge of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> four years ago, the Blue Oval had nearly 100 models. There are fewer than half that now, and the CEO wants to trim the number down to "less than 30, on our way to 20 to 25." His goal of simplification appears to be driven by the desire to cut costs for everyone - distributors, suppliers, dealerships, as well as Ford itself. That will not only help the brand in the present as it makes do in lean times, but can compound the rewards when markets - especially in Asia - go nuts again.<br />
<br />
Mulally says the returns can be put into research and development, along with engineering for the remaining models. To put this in perspective, on Ford's U.S. site alone, there are 18 vehicles, not including the soon-to-die Explorer Sport Trac, which of course leaves out cars like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/falcon">Falcon</a>, Territory, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/kuga">Kuga</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/s-max">S-Max</a>, among others. So the natural question is: Which vehicles would or should get the axe? <br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-27/ford-plans-to-cut-product-lineup-to-as-few-as-20-models-ceo-mulally-says.html">Bloomberg</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/report-mulally-says-ford-may-pare-global-lineup-to-just-20-mode/">Report: Mulally says Ford may pare global lineup to just 20 models</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-27/ford-plans-to-cut-product-lineup-to-as-few-as-20-models-ceo-mulally-says.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/report-mulally-says-ford-may-pare-global-lineup-to-just-20-mode/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19651014/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/report-mulally-says-ford-may-pare-global-lineup-to-just-20-mode/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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