You can't turn that kind of machine around. Whenever they're faced with a problem, the only thing they know how to do is ask someone else.
Cisco pioneered the model of outsourcing a lot of its technical research (two different teams would quit and start startups to solve problem X; one would get traction then Cisco would buy it -- bonus for the team! -- and the others get their jobs back).
Big Pharma has pretty much outsourced early stage candidate development.
In both these cases (and many others) the large company has strong development, manufacturing, distribution and sales pipelines as well as strong balance sheets, none of which a startup is likely to develop.
If Ford chooses this path I don't see it a reason to criticize.
I'm going to argue for any large scale project, the answer will be no.
(Separately they have to adapt to a different market model; I'm not talking about that).
The Ford GT was designed in secrecy in the basement of the design studio. The 3.5L EcoBoost engine was engineered in house and with Rousch including all of the engine controls. Multimatic is just assembling the vehicles in Canada, since Ford doesn't do by hand construction of cars.
I work for Ford as an engineer, but I am only speaking for myself, not for Ford.