Paul Meisel

Ford's Inventory Mix: What the Heck is a 'Crossover' Vehicle?

"While more crossovers are likely to hit the market, I will continue to encourage automakers to avoid the temptation of "product proliferation." The more you try to splice the market to meet the individual wants and needs of consumers. The more investment that is required with lower returns."

True, but if you can do proliferation more cheaply (I think Chrysler is the leader) then you get more customer market penetration with reasonable investment.

I used to have arguments like this with my dad all the time (he wasn't sure why the 50s Ford Station wagons weren't still in production, along with the Studebaker Hawk, the Avanti, and the Checker.) He said "why do you make all those models" and I said "Because people buy them, Dad..."

George's remarks highlight the difficulties of segment analysis. I think to be really accurate you have to do it by model, trended in monthly data over several months (I am quite sure that is how George does it internally).