Commentary & Voices
Ford and VW Announce Global Alliance
Tuesday January 15, 2019
Today, Ford and VW announced a global alliance. Our analysts and editors at Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader had some thoughts to share. If you wanted to chat with one of our analysts or editors, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
From Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader:
“The industry likely will see more kinds of collaboration like the one announced today by Ford and VW. A single automaker can’t be all things to all customers around the globe as vehicle and technology development become increasingly more expensive.
Interesting that yesterday, Toyota announced the Supra, developed with BMW is being built by a supplier in Austria.”
From Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader:
“We’re going to see more of these partnerships, not only among automakers but also between automakers and tech companies. The dynamic, competitive nature of this industry will reward collaboration while punishing a siloed approach. But as the current controversies surrounding the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance prove, collaboration isn’t always easy, and it doesn’t guarantee success.”
Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader:
“The recent announcement by Ford and VW shows the increasing importance for American automakers to have a robust global strategy – it also makes the idea of punitive tariffs kind of silly. As we’ve seen with other partnerships, leveraging two brands, complementary strengths can help close gaps in product offerings as the types of “in-demand” vehicles continue to change both in America and abroad.”