What was Ford’s biggest missed opportunity?
A while back we posed a question regarding GM’s biggest missed opportunity. We asked, and you answered with some duesies from the Detroit-based automaker, formerly the largest in the world. Now it’s time to turn our gaze to the neighboring city of Dearborn and ask the same question:
What was Ford’s biggest missed opportunity?
I shall throw my hat into the ring with the Ford Carrousel prototype. (Yes, it is spelled with two Rs.) This design study was intended to be a minivan that fit in a garage. Lee Iacocca was apparently down to put this smaller people-mover into production, but it never came to fruition—likely, thanks to his not-so-secret problems with Henry Ford II.
When the deed was done and Hank the Deuce got his way, Iacocca took the downsized Ford Econoline and made the same thing on Chrysler’s K platform. He did great work at his next gig, don’t you think?
But it coulda been Ford’s success, had the Blue Oval looked 10 years ahead. Imagine the new-for-1980 global Ford Escort chassis—a respectable, compact mode of transport of the era. Take its fully independent suspension and space-efficient design, and turn the whole thing into a minivan. The suspension alone was better than what underpinned the K-car!
And considering the Escort was already spawning the larger Ford Tempo, why couldn’t Ford have make a suburban (lower case “S”) carryall—like a compact wagon, but better?
Sure, it made the Ford Aerostar, and that van’s Ranger-derived platform was quite good for the job. But the Aerostar still didn’t ride and handle like a low slung, car-based Dodge Caravan, which was precisely what the market wanted.
If only Ford didn’t wait a full eleven years after the Caravan/Voyager’s introduction to come up with a proper competitor.
So that’s my take on the question at hand. But now we must hear from you: What was Ford’s biggest missed opportunity?
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I was all set to buy a Focus ST when Ford killed pretty much everything car-like other than the Mustang. Talk about a slap in the face to anyone who didn’t want a truck, SUV or Mustang. Why does Ford think people don’t want cars? All they need to do is look out the window (do ivory towers have windows?) and play “count the Corollas”. So my contribution would be “cars” in general.
BTW, I bought a WRX.
Ford’s biggest mistake was dropping all their car models – not everyone wants or can afford a $100K SUV or pickup truck. It gauls me they dropped the Focus Station Wagon back in 2008. I’ve owned a 2005 since new and it’s the best Ford I’ve ever owned. I’ve been buying new Ford’s for 44 years. My first one was a 79 TBird which I still own. Ford just doesn’t listen to their customers and neither does GM or Chrysler. My next car won’t be a Ford sorry to say because they aren’t making anything I want to buy anymore….very, very sad. Henry Ford would be appalled. He built his company’s name and reputation on a car – the Model T. Not a truck. As for EV’s they are quite frankly- a joke. No infrastructure in place to handle them and they are way too EXPENSIVE. I would never ever buy one. The big three will soon be out of business if they keep going as they are now. Ford lost 3 billion on EV’s last year.
Doing away with the “compact” Ford Ranger. There is assuredly a market in the US for compact (vs “midsize”) pickup trucks in the US. The truly small (172-175″) Datsun and Toyota pickup trucks of the 70s and 80s sold like hotcakes; if they hadn’t, no US carmaker would have brought out their own version. Today’s “midsize” trucks have the same size (6′) bed, but are several feet longer overall and are about the same size as 50s “full size” US trucks.
Back in the 70s both Datsun and Toyota built a crew cab (4 door) version of their trucks (never imported to the US) with six foot beds that were less than 180″ long…which means an extended cab (with two smaller doors) is easily doable…and I’ll bet there’s a market for ’em.