Honda Vs Ford

This morning saw two automotive news stories run by the BBC.

On the one hand, Ford's still apparently on the back foot.

Interviewed on the Today Programme, their European president seemed far from gung-ho about the company's prospects, saying the cuts in the US were a mirror of what happened on this side of the pond over the last few years. He tried to sound up-beat about the company's re-connection with its market, having right-sized its production capacity and model range to customer demand. Customer demand that's calling for smaller, more economical, less polluting cars like Ford's Ka, Fiesta and Focus. Of course, this is on the day that they're unveiling the new Mondeo . . .

And then there was Honda's announcement that it's going to expand the Swindon plant that produces the Civic. The BBC sites The Sun as its source for this story (so a pinch of salt may be needed), but apparently the expansion will will increase capacity by almost 30%. And manufacturing in the UK (/western Europe) is 'in decline'. Obviously not, when you really do figure out what it is your customers want, and how to deliver just that.