Two of the most popular shows on television nowadays, Survivor and American Idol, both revolve around the notion that the public has the power to vote the weakest participants off of the show. Wouldn’t it be cool if consumers had the same power in the auto industry?
Just as the weak voiced and be-dreadlocked Jason Castro was recently (and rightly voted) off of American Idol, which brand has finally proven it is time to go? Mercury? Buick? Dodge? All three?
Occasionally, though, the most talented Idol performers can also find themselves voted off at the whim of the public. Just ask Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson. She got voted off with seven more contestants still on the show. Who was it exactly who won the year Jennifer got voted off? No one really remembers. What most people do remember, though, is how she brought the house down during her rendition of “And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going” during the final act of “Dreamgirls.”
So which brand is the "Jennifer Hudson" of the auto industry? We nominate...drum roll, please...Volvo. The Swedish brand, currently under the control of Ford Motor *** has been in the news lately not for its strong lineup of entry level luxury models, but with rumors of a possible sale.
Recently it seemed that Volvo’s future was secure. But then the ultimate “voter,” one Kirk Kerkorian, decided to invest heavily into Ford with an eye towards more control. We all remember how well a similar situation went a few years back when Kerkorian tried to force GM into a marriage of convenience with Renault/Nissan.
On May 1, Kerkorian’s longtime advisor Jerry York told Automotive News that Ford should absolutely sell both Mercury and Volvo.
Uh, what was he smoking? With new models like the XC60 crossover and C30 just poised for success with the 30-40 year old urban demographic that Ford so wholly lacks any connection with (sorry, but the retro Mustang is so yesterday), we have to wonder what is the point of tossing in the towel with Volvo? Along with Mazda, it is the brand which has succeeded most under the direction of the Dearborn giant.
As for Mercury, Ford has two options: either completely change the market placement of the brand or send it to the scrap heap where Plymouth and Studebaker now reside. One option in the former would be to follow the lead of other brands like Toyota and turn Mercury into the “young, value” brand for Ford. Hire a small team of young designers who will style fresh takes on modern transportation a la Scion XB. Sell them for one set price. See if it works with your existing dealer network. (One word of advice, though—if Ford is going to try to turn Mercury into the “youth” brand, maybe they should hire some “younger” salesmen at the dealerships. Just a thought!)
So that brings us to one of our other contestants on this week’s battle towards oblivion--Buick. There is no way GM is getting rid of the Buick nameplate what with how successful it is in China. A few years back, when GM said it was going to introduce itself to the Chinese public with the Buick Century, who thought that was going to work? Probably as many people who thought Clay Aiken was going to have a successful recording career.
As for the Chrysler brands, some point to Dodge being primed for the executioner's axe. But besides Jeep, does Daimler’s ex really have any strong brands? As is sometimes said of those without any discernable positive attributes, “there’s just no there, there.”
Deciding which of these brands deserve the “Reality TV Show” ax will hopefully done with more forethought than is given the fate of the average American Idol contestant by the telephone-wielding public. One thing is certain: none of the people who have worked or are currently working behind the scenes at these various brands wants to see them become part of automotive history. Sort of gives new meaning to the phrase, “And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going” now, doesn’t it?