Ford appears set to accelerate comeback

Mark Fields, president of the Americas of Ford, speaks at the Houston Forum meeting Thursday. Mark Fields, president of the Americas of Ford, speaks at the Houston Forum meeting Thursday. Photo: Nathan Lindstrom, For The Chronicle Photo: Nathan Lindstrom, For The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Ford appears set to accelerate comeback 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Only a few years ago things looked grim for Ford.

Heavily invested in trucks and SUVs, the company got hit hard when gas prices shot up and its sales plummeted.

But after taking huge financial gambles to stay afloat, finding success with cars like the midsize Fusion and unveiling more fuel-efficient technologies, Ford may be back in the game, analysts say.

While in Houston on Thursday, Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, said the company is “by no means waving the victory flag,” but it has come a long way in little time and in position to do better.

Like other automakers, Ford is going through one of the worst auto market downturns ever, but he said the company has been making the right moves to emerge as a stronger automaker.

Ford is bullish on Houston, Fields said, after speaking at a Houston Forum luncheon. The Bayou City is the third biggest market for Ford, he noted.

He is well aware that Houston and Texas are truck country.

There is a strong future for Ford trucks and SUVs, he said, but they will be lighter and more fuel efficient.

The F-Series trucks are still profitable for Ford, Fields said.

Noting that the entire industry is moving toward smaller vehicles, he said the midsize Fusion has also been a profit maker, which makes him “feel like Ford is back in the auto business.”

He said the company has high hopes for the redesigned 2010 Taurus, which debuts later this summer.

“Ford is actually in a good spot right now and has an opportunity to grab market share,” said Rebecca Lindland, director of autos group at IHS Global Insight.

“It’s very ironic. We were very concerned about Ford a few years ago. They got sick first. All the blood, sweat and tears Chrysler and GM are going through Ford already did,” she said.

Ford has already sold off brands it didn’t want, including Land Rover and Jaguar, and it did so at a time when it was more of a seller’s market, Lindland said.

Like all automakers, Ford is feeling the downturn. Ford’s sales are down 39.4 percent this year over last, Lindland said. General Motors sales are down 44.4 percent and Chrysler, 45.6 percent.

While Chrysler and GM have recently announced plans to cut back their dealerships, Ford has been doing its own downsizing over the past three years, Fields said

The company has downsized by about 15 percent and will continue to “right-size” its dealer network, particularly in large urban areas. “We don’t have a magic number” of reductions, he said.

Asked if either bailout money or bankruptcy protection gives Chrysler and GM cost benefits over Ford, he said his company has been proactive by reducing its debt and negotiating new contracts with the UAW, for example.

“If we have to go out and do more we will,” Fields said.

david.kaplan@chron.com