The blue oval is so synonymous with the Ford products it adorns that journalists tired of writing the word “Ford” sometimes swap in the phrase “the blue oval” for the company itself. Ask us how we know.
The blue oval is almost out of blue ovals.
Thousands of Vehicles Awaiting Nametags
Ford has delayed deliveries of thousands of vehicles because it lacks Ford badges to place on them. The Wall Street Journal reports, “The car company has run into supply constraints with the brand-name badges and nameplates that specify the model.”
Supply chain crises have rocked the automotive industry for almost two years. Automakers are building fewer cars than they could sell, sending prices soaring.
Mostly, they’re low on microchips. Today’s cars contain hundreds of tiny microprocessors controlling everything from cabin temperature to tire pressure monitoring systems. A global shortage has almost every automaker trimming production. Kelley Blue Book parent company Cox Automotive estimates that Americans could buy just 13.3 million cars this year – nearly 4 million fewer than the pre-pandemic norm.
But it’s not just microchips. Automakers have also run out of more mundane things, like seat foam and sound insulation.
Now, it’s badges. And yes, Ford is holding the cars back rather than selling them incognito. Most of the Fords awaiting identification are F-150 and Super Duty pickups. The blue oval (we can’t say Ford again, it’s hitting semantic satiation, as Coach Beard would say) is storing tens of thousands of unfinished trucks in large unused parking lots near its factories. They’re not all waiting to get pinned with a name, but many are, the Journal reports.
Supplier in Legal Jeopardy
One badge supplier was recently forced to pause its operations when it was found dumping hexavalent chromium into a Michigan river. Hexavalent chromium is a cancer-causing chemical used to produce plated exterior car parts. Like… you guessed it.
There’s no word on when Ford will catch up on gluing IDs to trucks. We’ve reached out for an update on the timing.
