Can Ford and Volkswagen nail the joint bakkie project?
The era of completely independent automobile manufacturers is no more. Virtually all legacy automakers pushing big volumes have merged with others to achieve shared ambitions and maintain positions of strength. Or have, at the very least, agreed to synergies with fellow brands for the purposes of product development and technology-sharing. There are anomalies. Think niche players in the exotic sphere like Koenigsegg, Pagani and McLaren. Not to forget relative newbies funded by billionaire entrepreneurs, including Tesla, Faraday Future and Ineos. But when it comes to mainstream, popular brands, chances are your emblem of choice has a tie-up with another firm you may hold in different esteem. Take BMW and Toyota, for example. In 2013 they signed a deal to work on fuel cell technologies, research lightweight materials and develop a sports car. As you know, a result of that was the Z4 and Supra: a twin breed launched to mixed reception, with some camps doubting the authenticity of the latter as a true successor to its forebear, which was immortalised by a certain fast, furious film franchise. In July 2019 Ford and Volkswagen signed a long-term agreement that will see collaboration on electric and commercial vehicles. Of particular interest to our market is the latter point.