Look what Ford has become:

[sortkaffekop]

An handy man tool They would never have dared that when Old Henry was alive. Interesting to see what is next…

Cheers.
Christian, Denmark

[Old Redneck]

It was his way or no way they say.

[bob miller]

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attach...1&d=1412348676

found in france !

[FL&WVMIKE]

Well, they didn't take any bailout money.
This is a "better idea".
MIKE (mikeburch)

[V12Bill]

Henry used to sell charcoal brickettes through his dealership system. The brickettes were made of scrapes left over from building bodies. When wood stopped being used in quantity in bodies, he sold off the charcoal business. That business is still around and is called KINGSFORD.

[supereal]

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If the new aluminum bodied F series trucks lay an egg, we will probably see lots more Ford branded items to keep the doors open!

[Mike51Merc]

Didn't Henry dabble in lots of diverse products?

[sortkaffekop]

Originally Posted by bob miller

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attach...1&d=1412348676

found in france !

Aha. Batteries! What about a Ford toothbrush??

Talking about throwing a brand on the dump.

If it was a good idea, surely Volvo and Audi would do the same...

[flathead34]

Kodak went that way with batteries. Christmas lights and crayons etc.. Look what happened to them --- lost their focus and they went down the tube. Mike

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by flathead34

Kodak went that way with batteries. Christmas lights and crayons etc.. Look what happened to them --- lost their focus and they went down the tube. Mike

As I understand it, the first recorded attempt at building a digital camera was by Steve Sasson, an engineer at Eastman Kodak. They seemingly "invented" their own downfall when they neglected to develop the idea, in turn resorting to continued dependence on their established business of manufacturing film. DD

[flathead34]

V8Coopman, That is correct about Kodak, but only one of many marketing blunders. Mike

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by Mike51Merc

Didn't Henry dabble in lots of diverse products?

Henry bought a railroad, operated a steamship cargo line, attempted farming with a rubber plantation in Argentina, and developed the modern (at the time) mass production of glass manufacture at the Rouge. i forgot the hundred or so other ventures he had his hand in.

[DavidG]

The rubber plantation was called "Fordlandia" and it was located on a tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil.

[ford38v8]

Thanks for the correction, David. I should have known that, but I had even forgot the name of the experiment.

[jake197000]

the book fordlandia is a good read.

[Tinker]

Guess I need to stop using kingsford charcoal..... Because it's not a car... I guess

Also the ford battery charger that I could not pry from a friends arms... Only if it was in my garage, ha ha

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by flathead34

Kodak went that way with batteries. Christmas lights and crayons etc.. Look what happened to them --- lost their focus and they went down the tube. Mike

I do have to agree with this. You can stretch yourself out to a point of doing nothing well. Big company though.

[flatford8]

Didn't Henry grow soybeans and start making body panels? My father bought a brand-new Ford lawn and garden tractor in 1970...... Mark

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Didn't Henry grow soybeans and start making body panels? My father bought a brand-new Ford lawn and garden tractor in 1970...... Mark

Actually, Henry did assign an empoyee to build a car from soybean resins. The car was built, and driven, but with no windows. The smell was something to remember for that poor engineer for a long time.

Henry had previously swung a sledge hammer at the trunk lid of a 1939 Sedan, of course, for the cameras. The last time he did this, he swung just a bit too hard and cracked the lid.

[V8COOPMAN]

Well, not EXACTLY a '39, but here's the idea. DD