Looks like the number 2 US carmaker's future is still a definate maybe.
Ford Motor Co said on Wednesday that none of its European premium brand car businesses was for sale at this stage except Aston Martin, but added it would continue to examine all its options.
What that really says is nothing. Who wouldn't examine all their options?
Not to be critical, but this still says very little about Ford's future.
"For the moment Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover are not for sale. If that changes we will tell you about it," Lewis Booth, head of Ford of Europe and its Premier Automotive Group of premium brands, told a Web cast presentation to analysts.
Of course he also said they're not ruling out anything.
"Everything is on the table," Booth said.
That certainly clears things up...
Ford, which is in the midst of its third restructuring in five years, has said its British sports car unit Aston Martin was for sale.
But stakeholders and speculators are really looking for Ford to dump Jaguar, due to it's continuing losses.
The second-biggest U.S. carmaker said two weeks ago it would cut 45,000 jobs and close 16 plants in North America to return the region to profits by 2009.
Obviously, Ford's long term issues won't be solved by selling of its Euro brands. The struggle is far from over.
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