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1965 Ford GT40 Roadster crossing the block at Villa d’Este

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Europe, Ford, Racing

1965 Ford GT Roadster

1965 Ford GT Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

A one-of-five 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster will be auctioned off at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy on May 21. The car was built in 1965 as a prototype by Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations center in England, and is one of four surviving examples.

The Linden Green example crossing the block was raced by John Whitmore and Bob Bondurant in the 1965 Targa Florio, running as high as third before it was forced to quit after being damaged. The car, chassis GT/111 was lost after the Targa Florio, waiting to resurface until 2006.

The car was authenticated and restored in 2007, and has made vintage race appearances around the world, starting with the 2007 Goodwood Revival. Given the car’s rarity, blue-chip name and Whitmore/Bondurant prestige, the GT Roadster will no doubt fetch some serious bank when it rolls across the block.

Gallery: 1965 Ford GT Roadster

1965 Ford GT Roadster

[Source: Top Gear | Images: Top Gear]

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster crossing the block at Villa d’Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford to idle first plant as a result of Japan disaster

Filed under: Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

ford super duty

2011 Ford F-450 Lariat – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford hasn’t said much about its supply situation in the wake of the earthquake in Japan, but now the automaker has no choice but to spill the beans. The Detroit News reports that Ford will shut down its Louisville, Kentucky plant next week due to a parts shortage. The facility produces the Ford Expedition, Ford Super Duty trucks, and the Lincoln Navigator. Ford sales analyst George Pipas did not identify the part that was in short supply, though he did add that high gas prices have helped slow sales of these vehicles anyway.

Ford will also shut down its Flat Rock, Michigan plant, where the Mustang is produced, because the automaker already has a 116-day supply of the pony car. In Europe, Ford will idle the Genk, Belgium plant that produces the Mondeo, S Max and Galaxy minivan to help prevent future shortages.

Ford announced that events in Japan could further affect future production, but at this point it isn’t interested in divulging the extent of its supply issues. Ford is actively searching for other parts sources wherever possible.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Ford F-450 Lariat

[Source: The Detroit News]

Ford to idle first plant as a result of Japan disaster originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford discloses exec salaries, Mulally package worth over $26M

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

Alan Mulally

Ford had a very good financial year in 2010, with the company’s second consecutive year-over-year market share increase and a net profit of $6.6 billion. Those sparkling stats made Ford’s stock jump, with 68 percent in total gains for the year. And when stock prices soar, so do the executives’ compensation.

The Blue Oval filed its annual proxy with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the fine print reveals some very happy executives. At the top, CEO Alan Mulally scored $1.4 million in salary, as well as $9.45 million in cash bonuses. Not a bad take-home, but the big cash comes after adding in long-term stock options, which brings the total to $26,520,515. If ever an auto exec were worth $26 million, Mulally is it.

Ford Chairman Bill Ford, Jr., didn’t do so bad, either. Ford’s $1.4 million salary and $2.7 million bonus is overshadowed by long-term stock options that balloon the total to $26,460,998. Ford’s numbers are a bit misleading since the chairman opted not to take any compensation until the company was solidly profitable.

Mark Fields, President of Ford Americas, took in $8.8 million in total compensation, followed by CFO Lewis Booth at $8.2 million and manufacturing and labor boss John Fleming at a mere $5.9 million. If you’re counting at home, the top six reaped a total of $75 million in compensation in 2010. Now that’s a good year, folks. Hit the jump to read over Ford’s cash-stuffed press release.

[Source: Ford | Image: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]

Continue reading Ford discloses exec salaries, Mulally package worth over $26M

Ford discloses exec salaries, Mulally package worth over $26M originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: Ford beats GM in March sales

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, GM

Ford Fiesta

2011 Ford Fiesta SES – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors posted its seventh consecutive sales gain for the month of March, with 206,621 total sales. A good month, no doubt, but Ford had a better month for just the second time since 1998. Ford last bested GM in February, 2010. The Blue Oval posted sales of 212,295, thanks in part to a 21-percent jump in truck sales.

That’s a victory of 5,674 units for the Dearborn, MI-based automaker, but the real drubbing came in the ongoing battle of Ford Vs. Chevrolet. The Bowtie brand moved 148,197 units, compared to 203,794 for Team Ford. That’s a 28-percent sales jump for the Blue Oval, which admittedly amped up fleet sales for the month, but retail sales were also up 14 percent.

Ford had plenty of hot products moving off dealer lots, with 53,272 F-Series trucks sold, a record 9,787 Fiestas and record March sales for the Escape and Fusion. One factor holding back GM sales was a $700 per vehicle cutback in incentive spending, though that will probably help the automaker’s bottom line more than a few extra Malibu sedans rolling off the line.

While Ford was victorious in March, GM is still up for the year by 97,000 units. Stay tuned to Autoblog for our monthly By the Numbers update, which will lay out sales totals for all of the major automakers selling in the U.S.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Breaking: Ford beats GM in March sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford’s second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start *UPDATE

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford, Lincoln

In 2010, Ford reinvented its SYNC system with the launch of the refreshed Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX. But the new integrated system – MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch or what’s known as “SYNC generation 2” – has been plagued by more than a few bugs. And part of the problem is due to its design.

If one of its various functions trips up – navigation, phone or entertainment, among others – the system can restart. This can leave the driver faced with a blank display and a restart procedure that can take two to three minutes. Double bummer: It usually wipes out your paired phones and indexed music.

After talking with several colleagues who have experienced similar issues (including one where the volume was stuck on max while the A/C continued to blow cold air in 42-degree weather) and experiencing these issues first hand for ourselves, we called up Ford’s Head of Technology Communications, Alan Hall, and got on the phone with one of the Blue Oval’s engineers to see what’s causing the issues and how the automaker is addressing them.

Continue reading Ford’s second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start…

*UPDATE: Official statement from Ford added after the jump.

Continue reading Ford’s second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start *UPDATE

Ford’s second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford details its rigorous pothole testing techniques

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Europe, Hatchback, Ford

2012 Ford Focus

Ford suspension testing – Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite increased government expenditures in England to fix the country’s potholes, Ford is eager to prove it still rigorously tests its cars for their ability to withstand big pavement gaps. According to Ford, its cars go through thousands of miles of tests across two proving grounds to make sure they won’t sustain damage when presented with uneven surfaces.

The Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium goes as far as to include an inch-by-inch recreation of a notoriously porous English road. More abusive road surfaces are simulated at Ford’s Dunton Proving Ground in Essex, England. Ford says that between the two test facilities, it tests every wheel and tire combination sold on its entire European vehicle portfolio.

The budget for this sort of testing is huge, as each test car is strapped with around $2.5 million worth of electronic gadgetry designed to register and record the effect of each pothole strike. Ford uses the data to improve its current suspension systems and design new ones, which will go on to be further refined at Lommel and Dunton.

Gallery: Ford Europe suspension testing

Ford Europe suspension testing

[Source: Ford]

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Ford details its rigorous pothole testing techniques originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing

Filed under: Podcasts, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Electric

Autoblog podcast logo

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Here’s Autoblog Podcast #223. The crew this week is Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth. Topics covered are Ford’s commitment to the 2012 Focus by giving early cars a 30-mile shakedown drives, Japan’s amazing ability to repair roads in days, the Autoblog long-term Hyundai Equus and the sad passing of David E. Davis, Jr. Your feedback in our Q&A module winds it up, and we’ve embedded that in the post below, as well. Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next week!

Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing

Japanese road crew repairs quaked damaged road in six days
Ford giving 2012 Focus 30-mile quality exam prior to sale
Hyundai Equus Ultimate joins the long-term Autoblog Garage
Auto journalism pioneer David E. Davis, Jr., dead at 80

In the Autoblog Garage:

2011 Chevrolet Volt
2011 Kia Sportage
2012 Ford Focus Titanium

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman Chris Paukert

Runtime: 01:17:50

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Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sales exceeding Ford’s expectations

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Lincoln, Luxury

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Given that the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is little more than a gussied-up Ford Fusion Hybrid, it’s not surprising that the gas-electric MKZ achieves the same 41 miles per gallon city and 36 mpg highway rating. Admittedly, we were a bit shocked when Lincoln announced that the MKZ Hybrid starts at $35,180 (including destination and delivery) – the same price as a gas-only front-wheel-drive 3.5-liter V6 model. Perhaps that’s why buyers are snatching up the MKZ Hybrid at a rate that even Ford didn’t expect.

Initially, Ford targeted the hybrid version to account for approximately 15 percent of total MKZ sales. However, the numbers show that the MKZ Hybrid’s take rate has averaged between 22 and 23 percent since January of 2011. Ford says that March’s numbers look similar. Through the end of February, Lincoln sold a total of 3,343 MKZ sedans, 762 of which were hybrids. With no premium price tag and gas prices soaring, perhaps nobody should be surprised by the MKZ Hybrid’s take rate. Perhaps the better question would be, is the hybrid model profitable?

Gallery: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: First Drive

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sales exceeding Ford’s expectations

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sales exceeding Ford’s expectations originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford, Mercedes-Benz named top brands in new Harris polls

Filed under: Ford, Mercedes-Benz

The latest Harris polls are out, and the big winners in the automotive sector are Ford and Mercedes-Benz. The two brands made the top of the list for full-line and luxury automakers by scoring highest in terms of customer connection, commitment, equity and trust.

Ford took the top spot for full-line automotive due in part to strong new products, beating out Chevrolet, Honda and Toyota. Chevy finished second, while Toyota dropped from first place to fourth overall. Hyundai and Kia were pointed out as fast risers in the survey, though neither automaker made the full-line top 10.

On the Luxury front, Mercedes-Benz took the top prize away from Lexus, though Toyota’s luxury arm only slipped one spot to number two. BMW, Infiniti and Acura round out the top five.

A total of 25,099 people aged 15 and up were randomly asked about 60 brands out of a total of 1,273. Each brand was given a total of at least 1,000 responses, with rankings chosen based on a calculation of Familiarity, Quality, and Purchase Consideration. Hit the jump to read over the Harris Interactive press release.

[Source: Harris Interactive]

Continue reading Ford, Mercedes-Benz named top brands in new Harris polls

Ford, Mercedes-Benz named top brands in new Harris polls originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford sues Nissan over commercial with bikini models in Brazil [w/video]

Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Nissan, Humor, South America

Nissan Tiida Ford Focus commercial with bikini models from Brazil

Nissan calls out Ford Focus with Brazilian bikini models – Click above to watch the video after the break

In the advertising world, the gentle ribbing of competitors is almost a given. Whether its dish soap, paper towels, computer companies or automobiles, poking a little fun at your main rivals is the name of the game. But sometimes a company or its advertising agency goes a little too far, and that sometimes means the long arm of the law is dredged up and forced into service.

Such is the case with corporate rivals Nissan and Ford. Apparently, Nissan ran an advertisement in Brazil for its Tiida (known as the Versa here in the States) that may be most notable for its complete lack of any actual Nissan products. Instead, the commercial revolved solely around the Ford Focus, and specifically its base asking price, which is 3,000 reais ($1,806) higher than the Tiida.

No harm in pointing out that your product is cheaper than a competitor’s, right? Well, apparently that depends on how you go about it, as Ford took exception to the use of the two rather irritating rappers and a gaggle of scantily clad bikini models drinking champagne and dancing provocatively around the Focus, explaining how they live in the lap of luxury by overcharging customers. Yeah, it’s kind of funny.

Did Nissan go too far or is Ford making much ado about nothing? Check out the video after the break, then feel free to sound off in the Comments.

[Source: Reuters, YouTube]

Continue reading Report: Ford sues Nissan over commercial with bikini models in Brazil [w/video]

Report: Ford sues Nissan over commercial with bikini models in Brazil [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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