Platform flexibility

Once-rigid platforms transform into “shared components” that cut costs and boost flexibility.

There was a time when manufacturers used a few vehicle platforms to create a variety of different models for a relatively low cost. The trouble was, the variety came mostly in the names of the different cars than from any substantial difference from one car to the next. That was because they shared so many components and so many hard points, such as suspension mounts, floorpans, and firewall cowl stampings, that the cars were barely distinguishable.

Ford sold the Fox-platform-based Fairmont, Mustang, LTD, Thunderbird, Cougar, Capri, Marquis, and Mark VII. General Motors built a variety of closely related small, medium, and large J-, X-, and A -cars. At one point, virtually every car Chrysler sold was based on its K-car platform.