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Old 01-17-2012, 12:42 PM   #1
48Flyer
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Default What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I remember when you were either a Ford man or a Chevy man and the dealerships were rivals.
Yesterday I was behind a new car (could not tell you what it was, as I think they all look the same) and it had a sticker on the back
Somethin or another name..Ford,Chrysler, Toyota.
Remember the good ol days when you went to the Ford dealer to see a Ford?
Just had to vent. Sorry if it is off topic.
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Old 01-17-2012, 01:29 PM   #2
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I agree 100%. THere no loyalty anymore. I saw it all the time when I worked for a Ford dealer. THey had a Ford dealer and a Toyota dealership. He sold Fords and that carried the Toyota dealership most months, yet he always bragged that Toyotas were better.
I would rather ride a tricycle everywhere than own a brand X ( take your choice ) car or truck. I have always owned Fords and have had almost no major problems with my vehicles. No machine made by man is perfect, but IMHO I believe Fords are one of if not the best car or truck. I will be loyal to the end of my days. I also believe in keeping the end profit here in the USA and not in Japan, S. Korea, etc.... It keeps more of us working and not on unemployment.
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Old 01-17-2012, 02:32 PM   #3
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I guess the concept of brand loyalty is a thing of the past. It's too bad, but the world has changed. I like Ford trucks and old Volvo cars and I won't change, but seeing Japanese cars with Ford names or the other way round doesn't make it easy to say I'm a Ford guy.
I'm glad I bought a Ford Ranger in 09, it was US made and now they quit making them.
The old days of Ford vs Chevvy was at least good for a lot of fun at work. My buddy there was a Chevvy guy and I loved teasing him, telling him "there's a Ford in your future". One time I told him Henry would build a nice truck for him and he said Henry was dead. I told him Henry will never die, as long as people need powerful, good looking, dependable trucks, Henry will be there to build them. Now I'm retired and havent' seen him, but I hope the motor in his chevvy blew up.
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Old 01-17-2012, 03:04 PM   #4
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

What ever happened to customer loyalty? I had an '86 F 150 V 8 that I bought new. PCV valve drew its vacuum from the #8 intake runner. All the sludge in the crankcase was drawn into the #8 cylinder and sludged up the rings on #8 piston. End result#1; #8 plug fouled, #2 either a hole in the piston or bearings went bad on #8 rod. Ford did not correct this problem until 1989. How many Chevy or Dodge owners that changed over to Ford that year stayed with Ford? Why would it take Ford 3 years to correct this problem? I bought a Nissan for my wife and tried one more Ford for myself, a Ranger XLT and that has problems too. The Nissan is fine thank you. Just because your last name is Ford, that doesn't mean you know anything about cars..
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Old 01-17-2012, 03:51 PM   #5
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

The economy is in such a mess that a company has to do what it can to survive. If that means selling any product it can, then so be it.
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Old 01-17-2012, 04:49 PM   #6
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

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"Some men are Baptists, others Catholics; my father was an Oldsmobile man."
A Christmas Story

My dad owned mostly Chevys as I grew up, his brother mostly Buicks. Their dad owned mostly Mopars. My other grandfather owned a few Fords, plus a mixed bag of whatever came along.

I'm not a big believer in brand loyalty, because a manufacturer only can earn my loyalty through a good product experience and their only as good as my most recent experience. I grew up (started driving) in the late 70s-mid 80s, which I think everbody will admit was a dismal time for American automobiles and you had to be a real die-hard to own a Ford Grenada, a Chrysler K-car, or a GM X-Body car. I became a VW-Audi guy for the last 25 years, plus I've been buying Fords lately as family cars. I also own a Toyota Pickup that will probably keep running until it literally rusts apart.

There are certain models from every make that I like, and some I dislike. Why do I have to be married to an automobile manufacturer?
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Old 01-17-2012, 06:08 PM   #7
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I agree with all the reply's. For me the bottom line is FORD MOTOR CO. did not cry and get an Obama bailout. That speaks volumes to me.

Any one out there who knows about the problems Harley Davidson had with the 90's evolution motor know's what we dealt with. I don't hate H.D. it just turned my attention to the world of early Ford's and Flatheads.

Thing's do happen and nobody's perfect and for me when somethings goin bad it usually means something good is on the way
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Old 01-17-2012, 06:35 PM   #8
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I personally own four Fords and one Harley Davidson. The rest of my family for two generations beyond myself all own Fords as well.

Funny thing is that I work for Chrysler.
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Old 01-17-2012, 07:01 PM   #9
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I have owned over the years a bit of everything, from american, german, british etc. but my dad was a Ford man, and therefore I became a Ford man, not that I dislike chevy but everytime I got in one or drove one, I like the Fords better. I have been thru 3 Honda's and although I am a Ford man, I'll swear by a Honda or recommend one to anybody. They run well, last long, and have a great appreciated value. I have owned more foreign cars than I have american, and yet you can't beat a Ford...it's American and that's all there is too it!
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Old 01-17-2012, 11:40 PM   #10
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

What is comes down to is money, the companies and dealer will do whatever they can to get it. I mean GM owned Saab, Ford owned Jaguar and Mazda....a lot of the subdivisions bit the dust (Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Mercury...). I've worked on A LOT of different brands over the years (import, domestic and european) and ALL have their problems......some more then others. The thing that really hurt the domestic cars was the late 70's to mid 80's all were junk, smog wise, electrical, running. That is when the big 3 imports (Toyota, Honda and Nissan) really made a name for themselves because they WERE the quality they said.

That said I don't own new cars, my newest car is a '64 Panel truck that I drive daily. I like the body lines of many different brands, so I can say I'm NOT brand loyal but I do own more Fords right now. I still work on brand new cars/trucks and I'm not really impressed.

My .02
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Old 01-17-2012, 11:57 PM   #11
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

Gettin' old and I'll probably have no more than 1 or 2 more cars in my life. I'll guarantee you they'll be Fords. I can't stand the thought of supporting foreign markets and I've driven GM and they felt mushy in the frontend. Chrysler isn't an option either. Simply because they're not Fords. I figure one brand is no more reliable than the rest. They all have about the same level of reliability and fail exponentially at the end of their usable life. My brother owns a Toyota Tundra and he loves it. But you have to understand, he was kicked in the head by a horse when he was very young and the separate plates in his skull fused together. But you know, I don't mind him too much as long as he keeps his drool cup on.
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Old 01-18-2012, 12:43 AM   #12
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

Over the years I've owned most everything but a Dodge. Started with Ford (49 Mercury). The business ran delivery trucks, Ford, Chevy, Toyota Mazda and Nissan. They were all good except the Chevy LUV. Got 437,000 great original engine miles out of a 92 Chevy S10. The one I've owned the longest is a Model A--51 years, still have it. Got 5 antique Fords, 3 Chevys and a Toyota and Honda now. All fine cars, but it still says Ford on my belt buckle.
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Old 01-18-2012, 03:57 AM   #13
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I'm just a car guy! I love most all old cars,even the ones I'm not that fond of, I can appreciate certain design elements or features. I'm very lucky to work in a auto restoration shop where we work on Thomas Flyers,Stutz,Auburns etc..but it is really y amazing to see an early Ford up next to one of the High End marks and see the quality and features that Henry mass produced to give the common man an opportunity to own a truly beautiful vehicle with the performance to match! No wonder Henry was a folk hero! There was a man behind the name! I bet most people on this site don't even know who the CEO of Ford is now days, I know I don't! When auto makers start building cars that the public are really passionate about and are not restricted by the government as to how they ought to be built, you will again start to see brand loyalty! Now days it looks as though 98% of all cars are made at the same factory with GM,Nissan,etc. putting there own stickers on the back.???
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Old 01-18-2012, 06:01 AM   #14
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I don't consider myself "brand loyal". I always buy Ford, GM or Chrysler products but I don't kid myself - cars are built "globally" now and have been for many years. There are actually quite a few suppliers here in Michigan that make parts for all the "other" makes of cars, so I quit looking sideways at people who drive them. Visit any junkyard and you will see most of them stacked three high after 10 years or so regardless of the make anyway.

I collected plenty of Antique makes over the years but finally got what I really wanted; a Ford V-8. That car and my Harley share the garage while the newer Ford and Chevy sit out.
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Old 01-18-2012, 08:50 AM   #15
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

It started for me in the 90s when Ford sent their army of lawyers against hobbyists and suppliers of repro parts. They backed off on that with a sorry excuse of "well, the law says we have to protect our trademark, we're just following the law" but I never forgot it.

My family bought their products loyally throughout recessions in the 1970s, so it's not the economy. We had two Pintos. If that's not loyalty, I don't know what is.

The last two Fords I bought had 3/36 warranties. I never questioned it until the Zetec in my daughter's Escort threw a clutch alignment dowel through the transaxle case at 39,000 miles. So no warranty coverage.

Sorry Ford, until you can warranty your products at least as well as, say, cars made in a small asian nation, I've bought my last Ford car. Not counting my 41, 54, 61 and two 69s
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Old 01-18-2012, 09:02 AM   #16
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

maybe the foreigners who manufacture autos,can do it more cheaply,for one reason,that designs are imitated from american cars.I saw one,that surely was a Lincoln,until I got closer,and saw the hundai name.saves money on design engineers.
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Old 01-18-2012, 10:07 AM   #17
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

My faavorite is a 50's Hudson. Hard to buy a new one. I drive Chrysler minivans for daily drivers.
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Old 01-18-2012, 10:22 AM   #18
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

Corporate Greed happened, I believe when a car became an appliance and was built with planned obsolescence as all cars are now built brand loyalty became obsolete.
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Old 01-18-2012, 11:21 AM   #19
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

Brand Loyalty is an individual preference in just about everything you buy appliance wise. I've always liked Ford products; maybe it started because my dad bought mostly Ford products when I was growing up. My first car, in '65 when I was 16, was a '48 Ford TuDor however, it wasn't my first choice. I had wanted a '62 Plymouth Convertible but couldn't afford any that Ifound. When I got discharged from the Army in '71 (I'd been overseas for 18 months) I went to the local Ford Dealer (because now I wanted a '68 Mercury Cyclone CJ but couldn't find one) and asked to see the least expensive car they had. I ended up with a '71 Pinto, had it for seven months and it got rear ended (it didn’t explode) by a '65 Pontiac Bonneville. I went back to the Ford Dealer and bought a '72 Pinto Squire wagon. In '73 I bought a new Thunderbird and still had the Pinto. In '77 I traded the Pinto in on a new F-150 4x4. Both the T-Bird and F-150 had their share of problems but not enough to make me change brands. In '80 I bought a new T-Bird, kept it for about 8 months and traded it in for an '81 Lincoln Continental Coupe, all the while buying/trading Flathead Fords. I've also had Toyota's, Isuzu’s, and an '83 Cadillac Seville that convinced me to come back to Ford. Our daily drivers now are our '03 Ford F-150 Crew Cab and our '04 Jaguar (Ford) X-Type. Overall I've had both good and bad luck with Ford products but I think I'll stay with them.
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Old 01-18-2012, 09:54 PM   #20
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Default Re: What has happened to Brand Loyalty?

I own (2) Fords, (2) AMC's, (2) Chevys and (2) Chryslers and I'm loyal to all of them...
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