Ford CEO Jim Farley is intent on delivering something he says no other automaker currently gets close to.
Shortly after, Ford says it doesn’t have a real off-road rival – and Mr Farley said ‘I think that’s the point of this opportunity. Speaking at the annual Dakar Rally, he said ‘The world’s off-road car market is wide open; Ford wants to dominate it.
In the bivouac – or mobile town – that follows the Dakar Rally around Saudi Arabia, Farley said bluntly in the phrase “If you want to be the Porsche of off-road you’ve got to win the dakar”.
But Mr Farley said the company’s ambition is not just to compete in the off-road car space, but to dominate it as Porsche has defined on- road performance for decades.
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Just as the Nurburgring is an unofficial test for so many performance car brands – Porsche was added – it’s the desert.ands and rocks of Saudi Arabia that prove what is fast becoming the heart of Ford’, its product lineup will be on fire.
Mr Farley believes that there is no single, undisputed leader in off-road enthusiast cars; no brand has a reputation for the same loyalty, aspiration and technical authority Porsche or Ferrari have on the road. He sees absence as a problem, but as an opening for and also does not mean something.
He said ‘The auto business has no obvious off-road leader in the off road space, unlike on-the-street enthusiasts. When one likes to be a lover of the joy of driving off-road and want an enthusiast product they would love, Ford’s favorite thing that they buy and also support Ford for victory. , ” and.
Ford’s plan to fill that void hinges on a fundamental rethink of how racing fits into its business.
Mr Farley says that Motorsport, which is no longer considered a marketing exercise, was an integral part of the product development process – particularly off-road racing where durability, suspension and real-world toughness matter more than showroom specs.
That philosophy has elevated the Dakar Rally to a central role in Ford’s global identity.
The company’s ‘North Star’ in motorsport has been the basis for Dakar’, Mr Farley said – which is best evidenced by what customers want to see in cars like Ranger Raptor, Bronco and future off-road ‘halo’ models.
He said ‘We want to dominate not just racing but also to translate the racing into what we sell as an off-road enthusiast.
Ford has restructured its recently revamped Ford Racing division (formerly known as Ford Performance) into a more independent organisation to support that ambition, with ‘an obligation which extends beyond competition and into road-going production vehicles.
Ford’s old formula – where racing was mostly to make headlines and excitement – for Mr Farley is no longer in the sense.
He said ‘It was for many years in our industry racing that we were essentially doing marketing and that’s not what we look at it anymore. Is it a cost-effective way to raise money for ritual, that’s what we do – it’t our business. Paraphrasingr ’It is.
The aim is to create a tighter feedback loop between what Ford races and what it sells.
In addition, Ford has already incorporated its own engineers in racing programs like Dakar and its new return to Formula 1 (an engine supplier to Red Bull) so that the rest of its product development team will have a direct line.
Mr Farley says it’s all about ensuring customers can “have a piece of Dakar when they drive their Ford”.
That approach mirrors the playbook used by brands such as Porsche, where motorsport credibility and road-car desirability are deeply intertwined.
But Mr Farley is clear that Ford’s version will be built around off-road capability, not circuit lap times.
But we believe there’s a lot of people that buy enthusiasts products, off road and on-road–that can be’very active part of our company’.’ He said ‘We think it is an important aspect of the business model for this company to have more customers who are interested in these things.
Crucially, Mr Farley sees this as a long-term brand transformation rather than a single product play.
He claims Ford doesn’t have to serve every price point in all markets anymore. In contrast, it may also be a precursor to enthusiast-led segments where emotional connection, engineering credibility and motorsport success reinforce each other.
And in the off-road world, Mr Farley believes the biggest prize is still there for the taking.
But if Ford can win Dakar, translate that success into vehicles for customers to buy and build a loyal international fan base around off-road performance, Mr Farley’s vision could well be reality – even despite the fact that is still quite much ‘long term target of this.
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