Fiesta is the gamble for Mulally: If one is to take the editorial assessment of Alex Taylor's article in the May 5 issue of Fortune [see link] as some kind of insider view of what Ford has accomplished with its third attempt at a "World Car", then the design and engineering team that Ford as assembled is on to the right formula this time.
It is more and more apparent that Ford'a future in not in U.S. market but globally-- in China and India but really in Mexico and Africa by 2015 or sooner. With global design, marketing, and strategic positioning, Ford (and GM) could well be more successful by focusing primarily on markets outside the U.S. in the next 10 years.
The biggest challenge for Mulally may not be to get his design and engineering teams to come up with winning ideas and new approaches to new and old markets, but rather, getting a group of people who have thought "the Detroit Way" for years and years to adopt a whole new way of thinking, managing, and communicating. The Car Guy from Michigan State needs to bring the Major in Fine Arts from Columbia into the room and listen-- and include -- with the Airplane guy from Boeing orchestrating this new and exciting adventure
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