Dealers only have a one week supply of the new Explorer. Image: Ford Motor Company
Just a few years ago, Ford’s future looked anything but bright. Their product mix was aging and uninspired (does anyone remember the Ford 500 or Freestyle?), and the most positive thing anyone could say about the blue oval brand is that sales were less disappointing than their cross-town rivals. Thanks to a string of product successes, like the 2011 Mustang, the 2011 Explorer and the 2011 Taurus, Ford is once again on top of their game. Sales were up twenty-seven percent in January and demand for the new Explorer is so great that dealers have less than a ten day supply on their lots. As an automaker, demand exceeding supply is a very good problem to have.
It’s still a problem, and Ford has announced that they’ll increase production by 13% in the first quarter of 2011 to address supply issues. Additional assembly workers will be hired (recalled, most likely) and plants will add a third shift as demand for product dictates. Ford plans additional production increases later in the year, and has already stated their intention to hire 7,000 new employees in the next two years. If the Focus and the upcoming Escape replacement prove to be as successful as Ford’s other new models, even that may not be enough to meet demand.
Source: Autoevolution
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
