Interview with Edsel Ford

by Andrew Frankl, European Bureau Chief, The Auto Channel

TACH: How old were you when you drove a car for the first time?
FORD: I can't remember but pretty young I would imagine.
TACH: Presumably it was a Ford.
FORD:  Not necessarily, I remember my father bringing home lots of 
competitive products, so it may well have been one of those.
TACH: At what age did you get your license?
FORD: When I was 16...31 years ago.
TACH:  Was it always a foregone conclusion that you would stay with 
the company?
FORD: No,it was never a foregone conclusion.  I went to college and 
I was introduced to cars,autoracing there.  Then I started to think 
what 1 would be doing when I've graduated and came to the conclusion 
that there would probably be a job for me with Ford Motor Co.
TACH.  You've mentioned racing.  Have you ever raced yourself?
FORD:  No,I never had any desire.  I've known a lot of drivers and I 
enjoy the events that way. Safer too, I think.
TACH: Talking of racing for a moment do you regret parting from 
Schumacher?
FORD:  Most of those decisions are made in Europe but from a personal 
point of view he is a sensational racing driver.
TACH: Let's get back to you.  I've seen your CV, you've done marketing, 
advertising, now finance, it looks very much as though you are being 
groomed for the top.
FORD:  I think you'll have to ask them.
TACH:  Are you now part of the executive committee?
FORD:  Yes.  But I am not part of the OCE, which is the Office of the 
Chief Executive, I've got one or two levels to go.
TACH:  The new Taurus and Mercury both have what fine might call the 
oriental, oval look.
EF: I have been in finance for the prast five years so I don't spend as 
much time with the product as I would like to.
TACH:  Do you still see prototypes?
EF:  When I have a chance to.  Jack Tynack and I have been friends for 
many many years so we'll go through the design centre.
TACH:  Are you allowed to have any input?
EF:  No When I had different jobs then yes,in my present job no. This is 
100% finance.
TACH:  Do you ever come across anyone who does not know who you are once 
you've introduced yourself?
EF:  No,never.
TACH:  Has it always been an advantage or is it sometimes a hindrance?
EF:  Sometimes it is a benefit who you are, sometimes it is a hindrance.
TACH:  Can you lead a normal life?  You are not surrounded by bodyguards?
EF:  No,no,no,no,no.  I concern myself with it but I don't overdo it.  
I don't go wondering around look for trouble of course. Sometimes I have 
to have security, depends where I am.
TACH:  Let's talk about electric cars?  Are you getting there?
EF:  I am not really qualified to talk on the subject, my impressions are 
that the battery technolgy is not coming along as fast as we had hoped. 
The range is not more than 100 miles and the charging also takes a long 
time.  The battery technology has got to go a lot further before we can
go into what 1 would call the retail business. We have a number of 
vehicles in California with major fleets, testing for us but I don't 
think it is ready for the consumer just yet.
TACH:  Moving from California to Russia and China,what are your 
expectations there?
EF:  Well,we've just signed an agreement in China to produce a van.  We 
view China as potentially a very important market for us.
TACH:  Coming back to Detroit for a moment how do you feel about the 
Chrysler-Kerkorian situation?
EF:  I think it's going to be an ongoing saga. Like a soap-opera.
TACH:  I get the feeling that the two Bobs(Eaton and Lutz)are doing a 
good Job.
EF:  I agree with you.  You look at their cars, they're art: sensational.  
The new van has been very well received, the Cirrus is a beautiful 
looking car.  Thev've got an excellent market share with the Dodge 
pick-up truck.  Chrysler is doing pretty well.
TACH:  How about further mergers?  The Europeans are forever talking 
about it.  For instance at one point, many, many years ago you had 
discussions with Fiat.  Do people come to you and - to put it in a 
simple way -say would you like to buy us?
EF:  Let me answer this in two ways.  The Motor Company has decided that 
its growth strategy is better implemented by going alone.  From the 
credit point of view, joint ventures are going to be the way.
TACH:  How about this world car concept?
EF:  We are thinking more globally t.han we have in the past.  What you 
hear from Alex Trotman about Ford 2000 is something many of believe we 
should have done many many years ago.   I use the Escort as an example.  
You have an Escort in the United States, we have one in Europe, an Escort
kind of a car in Australia, we have many different Escorts.  The theory 
of Ford 2000 is let's just have one.
TACH:  Will the next Escort have one engine?  Built say in Bridgend in 
Wales?
EF:  Yes.  The same engine, same block, same pistona, same waterjackets, 
same everything.  That's the theory. You say well,this is not rocket 
science, why didn't you guys do that a long time ago?  We never thought 
about it.
TACH:  Do the other guys do it?
EF:  The Japanese do it, the European do it.  What we are saying now is 
that instead of being a regional company, we are going to be a global 
company, like everybody else is.  We need to mirror the European and the 
Japanese - one car is good for every place with a few modifications to 
meet the laws.
TACH:  Mr Ford, thank you very much.
EF:  Thank you.