Automakers adjust

So, the New York Times was right. Sort of. Ford has decided small cars are the way out of a constant flow of red ink, and some truck assembly plants would be converted to auto production.

So close. The St. Paul plant had a good news-bad news day. Good news that it’s going to stay open for two more years (well, good news except perhaps for the people who took a buyout on the expectation it would close in 2009), but bad news that it won’t be converting to auto production and stay open beyond 2011.

Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally had a plan to return Ford to profitability in 2009. That plan has now been scrapped, too.

But big isn’t entirely out at Ford. Among the initiatives announced today is a seven-passenger Lincoln.

There’s at least one more adjustment the automakers need to make, as a quick scan in a car dealer’s lot revealed to me this morning. Can you spot it?

car_sticker.jpg

Update Ford says electric cars commercially feasible by 1977 (h/t: Michael Wells)