Ford's Jim Farley on beating China, and the storm nobody sees coming

Ford's Jim Farley on beating China, and the storm nobody sees coming

From Masters of Scale by WaitWhat

August 25, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

Jim Farley discusses the challenges facing Ford and the auto industry amid global disruptions and competition from China.

With the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and fuel prices still elevated, few auto executives are feeling the pressure more acutely than Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley. He joins Rapid Response to give a candid account of what the turmoil means for the auto industry, and for an iconic American brand navigating one of the most turbulent moments in its history. Farley gets frank about the China threat reshaping the global auto business, and his frustration with Ford's own ingenuity. Plus, why Ford is back in Formula One, and why Farley sees a storm gathering in the so-called "essential economy".  This episode originally aired on Rapid Response in April 2026. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Guest: Jim Farley

Topics covered

  • auto industry
  • global business
  • China threat
  • fuel prices
  • Ford
  • Formula One
  • essential economy

Keywords

  • Ford
  • Jim Farley
  • auto industry
  • China
  • fuel prices
  • Formula One
  • essential economy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ford Motor Company

Places: Strait of Hormuz, China

More episodes of Masters of Scale

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Masters of Scale podcast page.