Ford's Struggle

How can one of America's oldest and most successful car companies get it so right in Europe and so wrong in its home market? European Fords regularly get "car of the year" awards and are widely lauded by the automotive press over there, but Ford is struggling to keep its head above water in America. They do know how to do make fuel-efficient and desirable small cars because they already make them for the European market. Even though the European equivalent of the minivan, the S-Max, is a 7-person people mover, it's almost desirable...something you could never say about a Grand Caravan or Chevy Uplander. The announcement came earlier today that Ford will begin to globalize their car designs and begin building some of these "world" cars in America. This is promising, but what took Ford so long to realize that not everybody wants a mediocre, bland, and un-inspiring vehicle? Why are American Ford sales numbers the most threatening to the company, rather than European ones?