MARK PHELAN: Small cars won't fix it all

Success depends on flexibility and a whole lot more BY MARK PHELAN • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • July 25, 2008 Don't be dazzled by the small European cars Ford just announced it will build in the United States in 2010 and 2011. They're the opening gambit -- and a good one -- but whether the latest plan to fix Ford succeeds depends as much on the moves that follow. How the endgame plays out will hinge on key technologies, other upcoming vehicles and Ford's ability to use flexible assembly plants and global vehicle development to adapt to competition and customer desires. Figuring out which small cars the converted truck plants will build is relatively easy. The European-engineered and designed Fiesta subcompact and Focus compact go into Cuautitlan, Mexico, and the Wayne assembly plants, respectively, in 2010. Cuautitlan also looks... [read full story]