Officially, Ford says its reason for putting the “For Sale” sign on Jaguar and Land Rover was to reduce their bloated appearance at the time and make the brand more cohesive. Ford says this is part of its “One Ford” plan. Unsurprisingly, this boosted Ford’s earnings, with their SEC filing saying, “These sales have also boosted our overall earnings.”
Sales of Jag and Land Rover had been flat since 2006. Ford’s “One Way Forward” plan, the same one that killed the Crown Victoria, had no facilities for complex equipment and passive car ownership. Nothing to do with Ford. Like big names like Jaguar and Land Rover, they didn’t mix well with Ford’s image of low-end cars for the masses. Not for nothing, Ford also said that it “made our Ford Blue Oval brand better for consumers by re-establishing the brand’s history with affordable, safe and sustainable transportation for all, which offers the best value for cars.” Capital goods should not be part of the plan.