Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Ford seeking global design expression, shedding PAG brands
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Ford Motor Company’s Chief Creative Officer J Mays is ready to push global stylistic boundaries at the Blue Oval. Recently, Ford has implemented a double-barreled approach to design; domestic customers are offered “Bold American” inspired products, while Europeans enjoy the exclusive “kinetic” styling language. But according to Mays in an interview with Automotive News, both of those approaches will soon be dated. The company, therefore, is planning a single global strategy.
Part of Ford’s “way forward,” at least in terms of design, involves the release of its Premier Automotive Group brands. The company recently sold Aston Martin and is considering offers for Jaguar and Land Rover. Volvo remains under review. "Until we sold Aston Martin, there we were with eight brands, and my job was described as an inch deep and a mile wide," explained Mays. "And now it's an inch wide and a mile deep."
U.S. enthusiasts repeatedly covet Ford of Europe products, a recent example being the attractive Euro Ford Focus. A single vision will certainly support a leaner operating structure, although the risk is far greater. Minus the slight regional aberrations, every cutline and crease that Ford commits to production will be judged by the worldwide marketplace.
Source: Automotive News [Subscription required] via Left Lane News
Image: Ford media [European 2004 Ford Focus]
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