Bill Ford Quotations

I believe very strongly that corporations could and should be a major force for resolving social and environmental concerns in the twenty-first century.

I think the world is filled with so much hype and PR bull. Frankly, it all comes out in the end. Good or bad, I'd rather just let our accomplishments really speak for themselves.

As long as gas is cheaper than bottled water, we can't be in a position of dictating to the consumer what to buy.

Nobody's irreplaceable, including me. I think for too long we've had a cult of personality in this company and in this industry, and frankly, I'd like to see that diminish.

I never wanted Ford to be a place, like the tobacco industry, where our employees were not proud of coming to work for us. I felt there was a danger of that, should we be marginalized as a major polluter.

I walked in and inherited a management group that I didn't know very well. They didn't know me, and we had a very short window to put together a credible recovery plan.

One of the things I've had the advantage of, growing up and being close to the top management of this company and other companies for most of my life, is seeing how CEOs start to believe in their own infallibility. And that really scares me.

I think I was the first executive to ever speak at a Greenpeace business conference, in London in 2001. That didn't play well here at Ford, but I thought it was an important signal to send internally, that these were the kind of issues we needed to be grappling with.

I don't ever want to believe my own press clippings, good or bad.

One cannot find a healthy economy anywhere in the world that does not have a strong industrial base, period.

All things being equal, I think people would still prefer to do business with their hometown companies. That's true in America, that's true in China, that's true in Germany.

I don't care where you are in the world, people are aware of what technology is available to others. If you're in Nairobi, you're certainly aware of the iPhone.

When I joined Ford, in the late 1970s, I felt strongly we could not forever be a huge user of natural resources without there being consequences. But I was alone in my thinking in those days.

while maintaining the progress we have made in Europe and Asia. ... With these new appointments, I am confident that we have the leadership team in place to execute our plans and deliver outstanding results.

When you factor in population growth, it's clear that the mobility model that we have today simply will not work tomorrow. Four billion clean cars on the road are still four billion cars, and a traffic jam with no emissions is still a traffic jam.

For all the progress, we recognize we're very far from the finish line

Creating a strong business and building a better world are not conflicting goals - they are both essential ingredients for long-term success

I believe fuel cells will finally end the 100-year reign of the internal combustion engine. . . Fuel cells could be the predominant automotive power source in 25 years.

A good company delivers excellent products and services, and a great company does all that and strives to make the world a better place.

Social obligation is much bigger than supporting worthy causes. It includes anything that impacts people and the quality of their lives .

It's amazing how much data is out there. The question is how do we put it in a form that's usable?

We decided to do it together. They have a buddy program where you go through basic training together.

Lots of stuff that made this company great started off as something that wasn't in the budget.

Nearly a decade ago, the government offered subsidies to their domestic auto suppliers to build hybrid batteries, which are one of the most expensive components of today's hybrid vehicles. That gave them a head-start.

If we don't adapt to a changing market and shifts in consumer demand, then like any business we deserve to suffer the consequences,

I feel very good about our bench strength.

From this point forward, innovation will be the compass by which the company sets its direction,

He just said he was sorry for what happened, ... I thought the evidence was overwhelming.

Hans-Olov's work at Volvo demonstrates great insight about brand strength and connecting with customers, ... We'd like to leverage that wisdom across the company. At the same time, we know it's important for him to stay involved with Volvo, one of our Company's greatest success stories.

It is clear that individuals and companies that want to be successful in the 21st century will need to be leaders in using the Internet and related technology. That's what this program is all about.

Our industry is beginning a dramatic restructuring which is sorely needed, ... The consequences will be painful to some.

Our best people are in that critical age range, ... I feel actually very good about our bench strength.

It' didn't work then, and I'm afraid it won't work now.

While the challenges are great, so are the opportunities.

We are not going to shrink ourselves into oblivion. We think our plans are based upon what's feasible to us,

We're not going to be ready until January,

We beat analyst estimates in the first and second quarters and we will do it again in the third quarter,

We recognize that our fourth-quarter results forecast is unacceptable and we are working with a laser-like focus to improve our performance,

We've delivered considerable progress over the past several months,

This transformation isn't going to be quick and it isn't going to be painless. It involves risks and the financial rewards won't be immediate. But in the end, I believe we'll get there.

This transformation isn't going to be quick and it isn't going to be painless.

(Fields') next challenge is to lead The Americas automotive operations back to a sustained level of profitability while producing the best cars and trucks in the industry,

We need to have a debate nationally that includes business and obviously includes the politicians, ... It's got to come up and it's got to come fast.

We have demonstrated throughout the year that we will continue to take the actions necessary to return our core business to sustainable profitability. We understand the issues, our priorities, and have the right team in place to get the job done.

Every day is a big test, ... It's not going to be a bed of roses for the next number of quarters. But we are making progress. I feel very good about where we are from a leadership standpoint.

Ethanol is typically cheaper than regular gasoline and we're going to do all that we can to support it,

I've always had a problem with setting goals. I know when I get out I will be able to accomplish that goal. It will make us better people in the long run.

Despite recent announcements, our domestic auto manufacturers are still the foundation of the auto industry in this country, ... We still employ nearly 90 percent of the workers in our industry. We still manufacture 75 percent of the cars and trucks made in America. We purchase 80 percent of all U.S. auto parts.

As our results indicate, we face many challenges in this competitive and difficult environment. We have demonstrated throughout the year that we will continue to take the actions necessary to return our core business to sustainable profitability. We understand the issues, our priorities, and have the right team in place to get the job done.

They train us to survive. It's the best training and the best military in the world and best technology in the world.

These plant and benefit actions, while painful for our employees, are necessary as we confront a serious situation, ... More tough decisions will follow in the months to come.

In addition, we are working with fuel providers to expand the infrastructure needed to provide ethanol. And we're going to actively engage customers so they will understand that they have (flex-fuel vehicle) options.

The hardest part is getting used to the military lifestyle and being told what to do. For us, basic training will be the most difficult part.

The future arrived faster than we expected because of this year's sharp spike in fuel prices,

The challenge we face isn't a traditional economic downturn. It's a new, rapidly evolving, brutally competitive global marketplace.