Ford set itself up for the 21st century with a major ‘realignment’ strategy, merging its European and American divisions and harnessing economies of scale for ‘global Fords’ and a load of new models for its Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lincoln luxury brands. Did it work? No. It was more chaotic than efficient, and come 2000 Ford was in dire straits, losing money in both Europe and South America.