Ford_News
12-08-2011, 02:04 PM
Filed under: Minivan/Van (http://www.autoblog.com/category/minivans/), Work (http://www.autoblog.com/category/commercial-trucks/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Police/Emergency (http://www.autoblog.com/category/police-emergency/), Specialty (http://www.autoblog.com/category/special-limited-editions/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/transitwhatvanawards-opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-commercial-vehicles/#photo-4666894)
In a commercial market where "change" is a four-letter word, Ford has a lot of explaining to do.
It is not often that an automaker decides to dump a best-selling vehicle line, one that's dominated its segment for decades. But Ford's commercial vehicle team is doing it not once, but twice. Ford had been phasing out its Panther platform for a good five years before it finally ceased production of its Crown Victoria (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/crown%20victoria/) taxi, Police Interceptor (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/police%20interceptor/) and Lincoln Town Car (http://www.autoblog.com/lincoln/town+car/) livery offerings in September. Now the company is set to do similarly with its E-Series van (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/e-series/), which will eventually be replaced by Ford's Transit (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/transit/), the venerable European equivalent. Ford divulged a few more details about its commercial vehicle plans at a press event in Dearborn yesterday.
When the final Panthers rolled off the assembly line in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Ford was left with no direct replacement. Instead, the company plans to sell the compact Transit Connect (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/transit+connect/)van in the taxi market, upgraded Tauruses (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/taurus) and Explorers (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/explorer) as police cars, and a "Town Car" version of the Lincoln MKT (http://www.autoblog.com/lincoln/mkt) crossover to livery operators. All things being equal, these are significantly better products than their Panther-based predecessors, yet in a commercial market where "change" is a four-letter word, Ford has a lot of explaining to do.Continue reading How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/)
How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20123684/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/#comments)
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http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/transitwhatvanawards-opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-commercial-vehicles/#photo-4666894)
In a commercial market where "change" is a four-letter word, Ford has a lot of explaining to do.
It is not often that an automaker decides to dump a best-selling vehicle line, one that's dominated its segment for decades. But Ford's commercial vehicle team is doing it not once, but twice. Ford had been phasing out its Panther platform for a good five years before it finally ceased production of its Crown Victoria (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/crown%20victoria/) taxi, Police Interceptor (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/police%20interceptor/) and Lincoln Town Car (http://www.autoblog.com/lincoln/town+car/) livery offerings in September. Now the company is set to do similarly with its E-Series van (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/e-series/), which will eventually be replaced by Ford's Transit (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/transit/), the venerable European equivalent. Ford divulged a few more details about its commercial vehicle plans at a press event in Dearborn yesterday.
When the final Panthers rolled off the assembly line in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Ford was left with no direct replacement. Instead, the company plans to sell the compact Transit Connect (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/transit+connect/)van in the taxi market, upgraded Tauruses (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/taurus) and Explorers (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/explorer) as police cars, and a "Town Car" version of the Lincoln MKT (http://www.autoblog.com/lincoln/mkt) crossover to livery operators. All things being equal, these are significantly better products than their Panther-based predecessors, yet in a commercial market where "change" is a four-letter word, Ford has a lot of explaining to do.Continue reading How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/)
How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20123684/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/how-ford-plans-to-phase-out-the-best-selling-e-series/)