Ford Motor Company (F) Stock
In 2010, Ford sold around 5.3 million vehicles. 2.413 million were to North America, 1.573 million were to Europe, 838 thousand were to Asia/Pacific, and 489 thousand to were to South America. Around 92% of total revenues were from the automotive operations, while the remaining 8% were from financial services. But in terms of profit, 58% of profits were from the automotive operations and a substantial 42% were from financial services. Ford鈥檚 financial services help finance their vehicles to consumers via vehicle loans. So when they sell a vehicle, they generally receive the profit from the vehicle itself as well as interest profits from a loan. Ford has had declining revenue and profit losses, followed by a rebound. Ford has sold and canceled certain brands and revenue streams. Revenue has rebounded steadily recently. Ford has had highly erratic earnings. They were on the brink of folding during the recession. Ford also reported losses during the recession in the early part of the decade. Operating and free cash flow were erratic over this period. Due to the financial arm of Ford, as well as their non-cash costs of depreciation, cash flow is usually a lot larger than net income.
RECENT months have seen Land Rover gather another selection of awards for its iconic 4x4s during one of the most successful periods in the company's history. And Land Rover's sales in the UK exceeded 50,000 units last year for the first time since the Solihull car maker opened for business 60 years ago. The most recent awards were 2008 What Car? The original Freelander was the UK's best selling 4x4 from launch until the end of 2005, but good as it was the Freelander 2 is head and shoulders better. Whereas the original diesel Freelander was willing but a bit lacklustre, the new 2.2- litre has impressively sharp acceleration and feels far more car-like both in its performance and handling. And the extra length and width means far more space for passengers. Freelander 2 prices start from pounds 22,000 for the diesel model and pounds 26,245 for the 3.2-litre petrol.
We are seeing more and more call to restore gray market Land Rovers. Some of these vehicles are simpler than US-market trucks but overall the jobs of restoration are similar. In the past decade we have seen two other Land Rover models emerge as collectible and restorable - the 2003-4 Discovery II and the 1993-1995 Range Rover County LWB. Land Rover did a facelift of the popular Discovery II for the 2003 model year. Headlights changed and the 4.0 engine was upgraded to the 4.6 liter version from the Range Rover HSE. 25k. Even when adding in costs for paint and interior the cost to redo a 2004 Discovery is far below the cost to buy a good Defender. The Discovery II has (with the exception of longer wheelbase) essentially the same off-road capabilities as a Defender, at 1/3 the price. Discovery II trucks have gotten a reputation in some quarters for having thinner frames that rust and break, and for having liner failures in the 4.6 engines.
If the head gasket has failed you are looking at 拢500 upwards to get it fixed as you will need to have the head cylinder skimmed and pressure tested. The 1.8 litre petrol, L series 2.0 litre diesel and 2.5 litre V6 petrol Freelanders all have cam belts that should be replaced at the 72,000 mile service. How much will it cost? A routine cam belt change will cost you under 拢200 for a 1.8 litre petrol Freelander, 拢350 for an L series 2.0 litre diesel Freelander and 拢450 for the 2.5 litre V6 petrol Freelander. Without taking the cam belt cover off it is difficult to tell if there is wear to the cam belt. If the cam belt has snapped you will certainly know - the car will not go! How much will it cost? If the cam belt on the Freelander has snapped you are probably looking at an engine rebuild. Warning lights are on the dash for a reason - something is wrong!
