If FoMoCo wants of vehicles I'd like to drive next, here it is

Number 1 on the list is the new Fusion Hybrid. I'd love to see how the transition from electric to gasoline power is and if the batteries added weight upset the handling. Having never been a fan of the "Dave" look, I have to say the new Fusion's muscular flanks do impress me. So, if anyone at FoMoCo could arrange for MFD to drive this, send me an email myforddreams@aol.com

Number 2 is the Tranist Connect. Not a van fan here, but having driven commercial vehicles of various sizes over the years I'd like to see how real world useful this is. I'd also be interested in the power or lack of it with the 2.0 and automatic trans. In Europe this come with a torquey Diesel and manual transmission, but since I've walked around the Transit Connect at the New York Auto Show, I could guess that the Focus powertrain should be enough. I'm waiting for these to start popping up in Taxi fleets, the 22/24 mpg rating makes that a near no brainer to me.

You knew the Fiesta would be on the list. Do I need to remind you why? No, I didn't think so. This is probabl going to be my next new car.

And I'd love to test a new Taurus, a SHO would be nice, but even the 268 hp model would be acceptable. In my opinion, the Taurus seems to have outgrown it's midsize roots. As a former Crown Victoria owner I'd love to see how this fills those shoes as Ford's new Full Size sedan.

So, if anyone at Ford could contact me, I'd really love to have the Fiesta for my week in Cape Cod.

Lincoln MKT driven and admired

So, last week your humble blogger was among several that were given a First Drive of the new Lincoln MKT. Is it a wagon, is it a truck? It's Lincoln's answer to the high fuel costs of the Navigator and Escalade, as well as competition for Acura MDX and Audi Q7.
And Lincoln has done their homework. I'm not a fan of big SUVs and I'm a huge fan of Station Wagons, so I'm impressed and overwhelmed by the MKT.

Impressed with the quality feel and level of luxury that is everywhere in this people mover.

From the wood accents to the soft touch dash materials and the butter leather interior.

Also impressed with the EcoBoost V6's 355 hp and Kansas flat torque curve. I didn't bother the with steering wheel paddle shifters, didn't need to, since the new 6 speed automatic shifted smoothly and never hunted for gears no matter the driving situation. Our half day in the new Lincoln took us on almost every type of road you could imagine and at one point I was going to complain about the slight body roll I experienced around tight twisty country two lanes, until I realized that I was doing almost twice the posted speed limit. This is a big vehicle, cavernouse interior and a substantial pressence on the road, but never did it feel like a truck.

I haven't received the promissed images from Lincoln's marketing folks, but luckily I had my trusty digital camera. So I can show you a glimpse of the cabin. But you need to sit in it to really appreciate the luxury and comfort. I couldn't find anything not to like. All the usual tech gear and automatic everything of course.

Between the Syn and largest Nav screen in class, this is a tech junky's playground.

But even non-tech people will appreciate and be able to use all their toys.

The USB port for your flash drive, MP3 player or my suggestion a portable hard drive, is at the bottom of the center console, which is as big as the boot on my little Mazda.

The DVD screens for the kids allow you to play the same movie on all screens or 2 different movies with headset connections. And the soccer team will have easy access to the third row, especially if you opt for the elecric self folding middle seats. Back strain will be a fond memory for many reason, including the power liftgate and easy load height. A totally flat load floor in 7 seat configuration makes hauling large loads easy as pie.

Try as I did, I couldn't find anything to hate about this. I personally have no use for all the room, but I'm calling my buddy with the Navigator and telling him that he needs this.

I almost forgot the 20 mpg we averaged during our half day and that's with two heavy footed drivers who really wanted to find fault in the worst way. I was really happy with two of the colors offered as well, the burgundy on top and this very nice blue. I drove a black MKT as well.

I'd love to hate this, but after driving it I just can't.

Ford's response to Cash For Clunkers in US, LetFordRecycleYourRide

Jim Farley, FoMoCo's GVP for Marketing talks about Ford's response to the "Cash for Clunkers" legislation, Ford has opened a website, linked in title, called LetFordRecycleYourRide.com where you can learn more about what the program is about and what Ford products qualify.

If you qualify, you had better act fast! And that's a big "IF" as to qualifying. From what I've heard and read, your "clunker" has to be at least 8 years old (2001) but no older than 25 (1984) and the new vehicle's new fuel rating compared to your clunker's will determine how much you'll get. I've heard the reason for the no older than 25 years, is the effect of lobbying by classic car groups. And to me that makes sense, how many people have 25 year old cars and would be in the market for a new car? Let's not crush all those "classic" civics, GLCs and Celicas.

Seriously, if I saw someone trying to scrap and 84 SVO I'd be crying. But hey, if you really want to scrap that Z/28, go ahead. And while you're at it, cut off the mullet.

Can you identify this?

I'm still sort of amazed about this, so I decided to mention it again.

Yesterday, your humble blogger attended a product presentation with other members of the automotive media. And whiile sitting waiting for the shindig to get going, at a table of professional "automotive" journalists, I was fumbling with an object like the one pictured above.

When a one of the professionals asked me with a straight face, "what's that?"

I assumed somebody was having fun at the expense of the little blogger, so I smiled and responded that I thought it was there as an ashtray. When the blank stare confirmed that this person, a professional "automotive" journalists, really didn't know what I was holding in my hand I replied "it's a piston." It's over 24 hours later and I'm still gobsmacked.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are mechanics who could pull out obscure pieces from under a hood and I may scratch my head and guess, but a piston? Something every internal combustion engine, diesel or petrol, has had for over 100 years?

And this ladies and gentlemen is why traditional media, be it print or digital, fails us.

Because there are people who barely understand what they're looking at telling us what is good and what is trash. I'm not saying you have to be able to rebuild a Solex or Webber carburetor, but identifying a piston is so frigging basic.

From Top of the line to Bottom of the range, FoMoCo goes after tech savy buyers who want quality. From MKT to Fiesta with Sync and more

As you probably know, I attended a meet and greet with Lincoln Engineers and marketing people yesterday and test drove the new MKT ( review to come later ) and MKZ. And these are two well fitted vehicles, tech goodies out the wazoo. Both cars featured a great blind sport warning system, the MKT has parking assist and of course there are the THX audio and Sync technology integration system, version 3.0 was installed on both the Lincolns I drove. And I will remind you that if you already have a Sync equipped FoMoCo vehicle, fear not, free downloads are available. These are the type of tech gadgets you'd expect on top of the range flagship models. And then it dawned on me, I know I'm slow, but Ford Lincolln and Mercury models across the range are available with some of the best technology available on wheels. Even the lower range cars. The Focus currently has Sync, the Fusion, Taurus, Flex, Edge and on and on until you get to........

Even the Fiesta will have Sync. And not just Sync, but even the lower end models will be tech heavy. And from what I saw when I sat in one at the New York Auto Show, this will not be the crap boxes of yesteryear.

I'll come back to this topic over the weekend, I want to look into more of the amazing tech available.

Update, video from Ford on YouTube showing some of the neat technology

Lots of Diesel talk on Autoline After Hours gets me thinking..

So, I'm watching Autoline After Hours online tonight and there's tons of Diesel talk! And anyone who's read my blog over the years will know I love the idea of Diesels. For several reasons.

First is the superior fuel efficiency offered by Diesel. The flatter torque curves don't hurt either.

But the main reason I love the idea of Diesel is the oportunities they offer of Energy Independence.

If we ever want to withdraw from our addiction to foreign oil, Diesel is both the short term answer and in a way the long term answer also. Diesels get roughly 25% better fuel economy, which will reduce how much oil we'll use. But the better answer is this, Diesel Engines were originally designed to run on Peanut oil. Therefore, the future will be improved Bio-Diesel.

One question during Rapid Fire, was what Diesel vehicle the panel would want here.

I'm not on the panel, but my answer is this, give me a Ford Mondeo 5 door liftback or estate, I'll take the 2.0 TDI with a 6 spd manual.

MFD makes it to my first Media day, with Lincoln

So, MFD has made it to "media" status. I went down to Manhattan to see Lincoln's latest offerings. The MKZ ( major refresh ) and MKT ( new ) And this is the line of Lincolns waiting to whisk us away to the Queens Botanical Gardens. Manny, our driver, was a veteran of traffic roads and very likable. There were about 24 members of the media, digital and print, some of whom I've heard of. Actually, I was shocked to be sitting two chairs from Jerry Flint of Forbes Magazine. A man who I've read with admiration and used as material here on MFD many times. There were no other names that jumped out at me, but I did meet a very nice young man from Rides and 0-60 magazines, who was my co-driver.
Once out to Queens, we were given access to engineers and marketing people who've working so hard to re-invent Lincoln. Detailed presentations and then access individually. I was impressed by Dan, the Engineer behind EcoBoost. I'm sorry to say I do not remember his last name, but we had an interesting discussion about the future of EcoBoost, no I didn't get any scoops, but I did bounce some ideas off him to see what reaction I'd get. The entire Lincoln team were outstanding. Once we were fed and satisfied we had picked their brains to our satisfaction, we were teamed up and set loose with a car and directions. Think scavenger hunt or rally, 2 drivers, one car, a varied route and and let's not forget the toll money. I started off in the MKZ taking first turn behind the wheel, then my co-driver took over after our first stop. It was nice talking to him and getting a journalist' view of different subjects. We both agreed that since I'm not traditional media and not dependent on advertising dollars from the manufacturers I am free to rant and rave as I will.
It was a long day and very educational. Not just about the cars, but about "automotive journalist" also. Now I'm not going to reveal the name of the journalist or who they write for, but I was gobsmacked by the following exchange.

I was sitting at a table with some prominent journalists and there were two pistons on the table as props. Along comes a journalist who sits down and picks one up, then asks "what's this?" I thought they were just pulling my leg, since I'm not a professional so I replied jokingly that I thought it was an ashtray. This person looked at me blankly and I realized it wasn't a joke. I proceeded to explain that what this "automotive journalist" was holding was a piston. This is not a joke. A person who writes professionally about the auto industry and vehicles didn't know she was holding a piston. I wonder if she realized there was a row of turbo chargers on a rack labeled EcoBoost? Maybe she thought it was modern art or complimentary hair driers.

If you email me, I'll tell you what site this person writes for.

Lincoln MKZ review

So, today MFD made it to the big time, actually snagging an invite to a manufacturer's presentation for the media. And here's my first impressions of the Lincoln MKZ, formerly Zephyr. While I thought the Zephyr was a better name, the new MKZ is a better car.

24 media types, including little old me, were given the keys and set loose with Lincoln's "entry level" offering.
And let's just start off with this, the new MKZ goes way beyond just a mid-cycle refresh.

To puncuate that there was a 2009 MKZ right there for side by side comparision. And while the old MKZ was already nice, the changes are subtle and startling at the same time. And entirely new front clip, which allowed powertrain engineers to retune the engine, as a result of improved under hood heat management. And it also lowers the cd from .34 to .32. For you non-technical types, like me, that means it slips throgh the air just that much better. And it looks so much meaner too!
And there's little that feels "entry level" inside either. All of the interior panels are completely new. Nice soft touch materials, new guages with a very nice lighting feature. Of course the guage cluster moves with the wheel, which means that anyone, no matter how tall or short ( like me ) can see the speedo and set up a comfortable driving position.
A very clean center stack with reasonably easy HVAC and Audio controls, flows int a very useful center console. Everything felt just right. It was easy to set the power seat, mirrors and wheel for any driver. The seats were very supportive and comfortable. Our travels brought us from Queens Botanical Garden through bumper to bumper traffic, then up to quaint Westchester villages on a mix of highway and twisty back roads.
The navigation screen, which I needed for some of these winding county lanes, was at the perfect height for viewing, with no problems viewing, no matter which way the sun was shining.

Overall, I'd say the MKZ was a fun drive, but comfortable enough to shuttle grandma or the kids anywhere. I was satisfied with the power of the V-6, even without EcoBoost. And while I'm usually a shift for myself kind of guy, I was impressed with the automatic's smooth seemless shift and lack of hunting. It's what you'd expect in the class. And about this point I'd be begging for a nice 6 speed manual, but I could live with this. Not only that I could enjoy it.

Edsel would be proud! Ford Family unifies and keeps the faith!

You're all probably scratching your heads and geting ready to correct me, telling me that it's Henry Ford that would be proud of his Family's actions recently, but bear with me, in my opinion it's Edsel that would be proudest. If you read the New York Times Article, linked in the title, you'll read how the Ford Family met earlier this year and decided to stay the course with the Way Forward. 35 members of the family met and talked with Alan Mulally about the direction the company is taking. And it was an overwhelming show of force and faith in the company.

It's true that old man Henry started the company, but it's the spirit of Edsel that is probably proudest of the family's actions. While his father thought his purchase of Lincoln and starting of Mercury to be distractions, it was Edsel that really shaped the modern Ford Motor Company and I mean that in a very real way. It was Edsel that in the mid 20's started development of the Model A, Ford's first "modern" car. It was Henry, who upon discovering the prototype on a stroll through the factory one day, destroyed it with a sledgehammer. It was Edsel that talked his father into buying the failing Lincoln Motors and in 1939 starting the Mercury brand as a step up from Ford, competing with rival GM's Pontiac and Chrysler's Plymouth brands.

Edsel was just as much a car guy as his famous father and like him rubbed elbows with the movers and shakers of the time. That's Edsel on the left and Admiral Byrd in the center.

It was Edsel's offspring that to this day run the company.

In 1943 it was Edsel's son Henry II "The Deuce" that stepped in after his father's death brought grandpa back to Dearborn and nearly sent FoMoCo into the history books. Henry II reluctantly took control from grandpa and his goon Bennet, with the support of his grandmother Clara.

Continuing a Family control of the company into the toughest and best times Ford would see.

And after The Deuce's death in 1987 the family began quarterly meetings that continue to this day.

And Edsel's grandson and Henry's nephew, Bill Ford jr is not the only Ford family member to work at the family business. There are 5 family members, including Henry III.

So, again I say, Edsel would be proud and he should be.

106 years this family has put the world on wheels and while I won't discount Henry I's legacy, it's important to remember the contributions made by following generations and the fact that it's still a family afair.

Ford gets DOE loans, not "Bailout" money, GM & Chrysler didn't becaause they weren't "viable companies"

Ford received $5.9 Billion in loans from the Department Of Energy and I want to stress that this is not a "Bailout" this program was initiated in 2007 under the Bush administration and the appropriations were made in 2008 before the industry meltdown.

This money will be used to further develop more fuel efficient cars, including Battery Electric and Plug In Hybrids. But there's more, it will be used to develop technologies that will reduce weight across the model lineup. You can read the article linked in the title at Edmunds.com Green Car Advisor. And more at Car Scoop

Here's FoMoCo's statement from their website;
DEARBORN, Mich., June 23, 2009 – “Ford Motor Company is proud to be among the first automakers deemed by the government to be among the best companies with the best technologies in American manufacturing and fuel efficiency. This green partnership between Ford and the U.S. government will help accelerate the development of advanced technologies for even better fuel efficiency and emissions. Ford is absolutely committed to fuel economy leadership with every new model we introduce. In fact, we plan to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven years. Our partnership with the Department of Energy also will help retool our U.S. plants more quickly to produce fuel efficient vehicles and help meet the new, rigorous fuel-economy requirements.”

I've been critical of Electric, Hybrids and especially Plug In Hybrids, but they are part of the new reality. And with the improvements FoMoCo has made to the Escape and the new Fusion Hybrid I've become a fan. Many of the faults have been addressed and the Fusion Hybrid's 41 mpg city just can't be argued with. I'm also a huge fan of the other technologies such as EcoBoost and the weight reduction.

But let's be very cleaar, this is not a bailout! I especially found this line concerning GM & Chrysler amusing; Both companies applied for financing last year but their financial distress disqualified them from consideration in the first round of financing. The $25 billion program is only open to viable companies.

FoMoCo Mustang news that I just can't get excited about....

So, I've been seeing tons of tweets and blog posts on some new Mustang "news" that I just can't get excited about. The return of the glass roof option for 2009. Had they stopped this? Will it continue for 2010? While it's something that sounds cool and looks good, it's always been something I have an issue with. Mustangs have not had moonroofs from the factory for at least the last 19 years, maybe more. I remember I wanted one on my 91 Mustang and the dealer told me that Ford didn't offer it. He suggested I get a convertible. Ok, flash forward to 1994 and the "new" Mustang, still no sun/moonroof, but there was the convertible option. Ok, so now jump ahead a decade and the 2004 release of the 2005 "All New" Mustang! Nope, no sun/moonroof.
I seem to be alone in missing the moonroof, an option I've had inseveral cars. But a couple of years ago Ford decided to offer the glass panoramic roof, nice! But, it doesn't open. And it has a sunshade so your chrome dome doesn't get third degree burns. But it doesn't open! So, it's back.
Even the Hyundai Genesis Coupe has a moonroof. I'm going to have to check GM and Chrysler to see if the Chalenger and Camaro have moonroof options. Glass roof, big deal.

And in further farce news, there's a 45th Aniversary Lee Iacocca special edition Mustang.
Not from FoMoCo, but from Galpin Ford in So Cal? Special body kit, only 45 to be made, blah blah blah..... Who cares? I'm sure they'll sell every one of them, but who really cares, other than the few collectors.

You know what, if you want to send me good news about the Mustang, tell me they're finally going to put a 21st century suspension under the rear.

If you want the latest news on these two "special" Mustangs, visit AutoBlog, Jalopnik or one of the media sites listed in sidebar. I'm waiting for some REAL Mustang news.

What does Ford have for Mercury? What's left in the global cookie jar?

Wow, I've been going round and round with this, wondering what the hell FoMoCo can do with Mercury. For 2009 the brand has 4.5 models, none unique to the brand. There's the Grand Marquis, Milan, Mountaineer, Mariner and Sable, but only 3 of those will be around in 2010 and there are no planned new models for Mercury. Lincoln has the MKS, MKT, MKZ, MKX and Navigator (right?) and even the Concept C based on the Euro Focus. But as I've said before, there aren't any new Mercury models, no Flex based CUV, no Edge, no Taurus based Sable, no Focus based small car. Nothing, not anything. And so I was going over past posts where I had proposed stuffing Mercury dealers with overseas FoMoCo models from Europe and Australia.
Much like the last "unique" Mercury Models the Cougar and Capri, one based on Euro Mondeo and the other Asutralian Ford Capri (Laser or Mazda 323). But with the Fiesta, Focus and Transit Connect all on their way to Ford dealers next year, what's left?

Well, they could bring the Ford Focus CC as a Mercury. But does it pay to ? I assume the new Focus powerplants would be EPA certified and since it's basically a Volvo C70 I would assume it wouldn't have a problem passing crash tests. It's a stretch, but it's one of the few models that Ford could bring to give Mercury a Halo model. Call it the Capri or Cougar or If you insist call it the Msomething. It would never be a huge seller, but considering Mercury brand itself only sold 180,000 or so units last year, it could be enough.

And I've said it before, but the land down under could be tapped for some fresh Mercury blood.

Falcon and Territory models, the sedan, crossover and maybe even the ute? I don't know if the 4.0 I6 could ever pass EPA certifications, but how about the 3.7 V6? Or even just the 4.6 V8?

I'm still convinced that FoMoCo plans on letting Mercury fade away, but if the brand is to have any future, these are the only ideas I have. What say you?

Kelly Blue Book's list of 10 "coolest" new cars under $18k, Ford Focus only domestic on the list.

Kelly Blue Book, of used car valuation fame, has released their list of the 10 "coolest" new cars under $18k and only 1 Domestic car made the list? The Focus, evne thought it's not the Focus I want does make sense. It's a great value, gets good MGP and with the new SYNC system it's loaded with technology. And despiste my criticism it's a zippy, good handling car. I'll even go as far as to say that I like the looks of the coupe. I'm still on record as being pissed that Ford dropped hatchbacks and wagons from the Focus line, but it's still a car that I could recomend without any twinges of guilt. I also agree with most of the cars on the list, but of course not all of them.

Kia Soul, you bet, I think this will be a fun little car and that's without driving one yet.

I like the styling, I've sat in one at the auto show and liked the interior and I trust Gary over at The Garage's opinion. So this box on wheels makes sense. And speaking of boxes on wheels, the other boxes on the list are the Scion XB ( dull and not the miser it was originally) the Nissan Cube ( which I must be the only one to think is ugly as sin) and the near box Honda Fit ( which I actually like.)

The non boxes on the list continue with what I consider one of the best values on wheels, the Mazda 3. Of course I'm biased, I have an 06, but mine cost more than $18k. There's also another of my favorite hatches, the VW Rabbit, soon to be Golf again, but with it's 2.5 L 175 hp I-5 isn't really the fuel sipper some of the others are. I was surprised to see the Subaru Imprezza, I didn't realize it could be had for under $20k, and with the AWD I'm sure it's in the VW's camp of economy. The Suzuki SX4 is on the list and I can't fault that, it's frugal and not too ugly.

I guess the only car I just don't see as being "cool" is the Smart. Not that it's not fun or cool, but more that in my mind it's not a car. It's a golf cart that you can drive on the street. And even though it's half the size of a Focus and has one less cylinder it's MGP is not stellar compared to the Focus. I know they are trendy, but when I drive by one in my Mazda I feel like I'm driving a 76 Cadillac by comparison. It's not a CAR, it's a Vespa with 2 extra wheels.

I take issue with the Caliber not being on the list. I cross shopped the Caliber and was very close to buying it. It may not compare well to the Mazda 3, but it does have a certain fun factore and some "cool" options. The "cooler" for drinks, the lit cup holders, the Boston Acoustics tailgate speakers Economy with the smaller 1.8 I-4 isn't too shabby either. And I'm fairly certain you can get one for under $18k.

Ok, the Cobalt isn't "cool" but it's a good value. We shopped it against the Civic back in 05 and it drove better than the Civic, we bought the Civic because of it's quality perception. We bought it over my objections to be honest. But that's another surprise, the Civic isn't on the list either?

Here's KBB's criteria for the test "In choosing the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000, we use the same set of criteria that consumers use in examining such vehicles. Safety, fuel economy, interior size, comfort, technology and fun-to-drive are all considered, as is the decidedly subjective cool factor." I guess the Cobalt doesn't have the Technology or interior size.

The "cool factor" must be what got the Smart on the list, cause it's got little else going for it.

That's just my take, I haven't driven some of these cars, the Soul, XB, Cube, SX4 or Smart, but I have a sense of value just like many consumers. I know my "cool factor" personally isn't very high, so I guess I'm lucky that my Mazda can make up for some of that.

Remember the idiot? All the buzz when his Fiesta was "stolen" but not a peep now?

Just about a month ago there was a tweet from Fiesta Movement's Brooklyn Agent saying his car was stolen. The net was abuzz, blogs updated as the car was "sighted" either on it's way to Boston or being driven around Washington D.C. Scott Monty, Ford's Social Networking guru was sending updates to Jalpnik and others and even I was intrigued. What about the GPS tracking system? How hard could it be to find a purple Ford Fiesta with pink spots?

And then we found out it wasn't stolen, the idiot had just parked illegally and the car was towed away. And then there were posts by said idiot saying he found the car in an impound lot, but the NYPD wouldn't give it up, He even took photos of it in the lot. So, how did this soap opera end?

No tweets from Scott Monty, no updates on the major blogs, nothing I could find on Google or any other site. So, reluctantly I checked the idiot's webpage and it seems that back on May 29th he did what seems to be his last Fiesta Movement post. Yes the car was stolen, no the NYPD were not conspiring against him or incompitent or evil. The idiot had given them the wrong plate number. And that's why the Fiesta didn't show up on their system. But he got the car back on May 29th, without any mass protest or spontanious party at the impound lot. No fan fare, no muss no fuss, the idiot got the car back.

Now, I should point out that when I say he posted his last Fiesta Movement post, I don't know if he's out of the program, I just mean that I endured scanning through his site and can't find anything related to the Fiesta or Movement since May 29th.

I know the Movement's agents are supposed to be trendy, hip, internet savy folks who at the same time generate buzz for themselves and by extension the Fiestas, but why not even a whimper about how this resolved itself? Could it be that when it was "stolen" it was buzzworthy, but when the agent is an idiot it's not?

I debated posting a link to him or his video and I decided he's too stupid for that and I'm just not that nice.

Detroit News asks how Henry Ford would react to what's happening today in

Interesting article at the Detroit News ( linked in title) asks what Henry Ford would think about current events in the world, especially the auto industry. Bill Ford jr says that it would not surprise his great grandfather, considering Ford's roller coaster history of bankruptcies. "Most of this wouldn't shock him because a lot of this happened during his lifetime," says Bill,

Douglas Brinkley, author of "Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress," which I read several years ago, commented also, pointing out Henry's first auto company Detroit Automobile failed.

And let's not forget Government involvement in the 40's, when after Edsel Ford passed away and the US Navy released Henry Ford II from service to come back and run the company.

Interesting piece. I personally think that the real question should be how would Edsel or Henry II view curent events. Edsel was a greater businessman than his father and Henry II saw Ford through some of their toughest times also.

Henry Ford was capricious and without his offspring FoMoCo could have been history as long ago as 1927 or again in 1943.

Driving Like Crazy video, courtesy of the Cato Institute?

I read P.J. O'Rourke's latest book, Driving Like Crazy recently and really enjoyed it.
Then I saw him all over the boob tube, Real Time with Bill Maher and the Daily Show.
But I was too lazy to find a proper YouTube clip. Well, I have to thank Chris Moody of The Cato Institute for sending me the link to the embeded YouTube clip below.

MyFordDreams to drive new Lincolns?

No, I didn't win the lottery and plan to buy a bunch of new cars, but I did get an email inviting me to an event next week, where I'll be able to drive the new Lincoln MKZ, MKT and maybe the MKS? Maybe I didn't make FoMoCo angry with my last couple of posts. I'm waiting for confirmation, but so far 2 emails and I have date/time/location and outline of events.
If I did win the lottery, the MKZ would be my new daily driver, that's how much this car has impressed me. I liked the Zephyr name better, but what's in a name.

The MKT intrigues me, it's the city cousin of the Flex and when I saw it at the Javits Center in April, I had to admit it looks sharp. I don't have the need for something this big, but it's nice.

So, let's see where this goes, if I get a confirmation and the proverbial "golden ticket" to actually see, feel and drive these. Maybe they'll realize who I am at the last minute and bar the doors.

But I've been fairly good to Lincoln and have only beat up on Ford for the Mustang and Ranger.

Of course my pointing out the obvious about Mercury can't help.

Check this page next week for updates, MyFordDreams may actually be treated like "digital media" instead of deranged stalker.

Has Ford's Mercury brand gone from the "sign of the cat" to Schrodinger's Cat?

With all the buzz about Ford and Lincoln lately, the silence around Mercury is deafening.
Has the brand that once used the tag line "Sign of the Cat" become the paradoxical Schrodinger's cat ? Are they dead but nobody has looked into the box? How many Mercury models are on offer today and how many will there be next year? I believe there are technically 5 today, Mariner, Mountaineer, Sable, Grand Marquis and Milan and next year there will be 3? No Sable, no Grand Marquis.

While Ford execs like Alan Mulally do promotional tours with the very handsome new Taurus, there's no Sable? From day one there were always the Taurus/Sable twins. But that's always been a major problem with the brand, most Mercury models were twins of Ford models. I believe you have to go back to the early 60's to find a unique Mercury powertrain and the last unique Mercury model not shared with Ford or Lincoln was actually a Mazda based Australian Ford.

At several websites and forums I've heard speculation about a new Euro Focus based Mercury model coming in a few years, and they point to the Lincoln C concept. But Mercury hasn't had a compact model since the Capri and before that the Tracer, both Mazda based. Mercury never got a Focus variant like the Lynx twin of the Escort.

Mercury is dead, but nobody noticed. I don't car that the dealerships are still open and they trickle a few cars out the door, the brand is dead.

Who Google searches this "78 Thunderbird mpg" ? Someone at FoMoCo that's who.

I've mentioned before that I sometimes look to see who's looking at my blog and I've been happy lately to see Livonia MI appear almost daily, because that's Ford Motor Company. And I can even see how they got here, a google search, a tweet or even just typing in http://www.myforddreams.com/ . But what struck me today was how odd this is.

Someone from Ford Motor Company landed on my blog after doing a Google search for 78 Thunderbird mpg ? Who looks up the mpg of a 31 year old car? And of course I've blogged about my 78 T-Bird and posted pictures of it many times, so of course if you do a weird Google search for Ford related items, I'm going to show up.

I get visitors from all over the globe, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the UK and of course all over the United States. I get people doing Google searches for Ford models like Orion, Ikon, Bantam, Courier, Everest, Ka and of course Ranger and Mustang.

I amuse myself to no end sometimes, but what really amuses me is how some folks find me.
Of course I hope they'll come back, but damn who Googles 78 T-Bird mpg?

The real reason the 05 and forward Mustang doesn't have an IRS, let's do away with the lies and excuses

Since the earliest days of MyFordDreams one of my biggest criticisms of Ford has been the lack of an Independent Rear Suspension when they redesisgned for model year 2005. After all the Mustang was designed down from the latest rear wheel drive chassis Ford had at the time, and that was the Lincoln LS and Ford Thunderbird chassis and both of those cars had IRS. But it's misleading to say that the Mustang was based on these two cars, it was engineered down from them, sharing mostly the front part of the chassis. Excuses at the time, that continue to this day are that in order to keep the Mustang at a profitable pricepoint it was decided to leave out the IRS. And when the Mustang was the only real Pony car available in 2005 you could almost buy that. But let's clear some of the bullshit away ok?

Many have argued that the complexity and weight of the IRS were too much for the Mustang's "low" price of entry. But if that's true, how can Chrysler afford to have an IRS on the 300/Magnum/Charger/Challenger chassis? Well, they did inherit that from Mercedes previous generation E-Class, so the development costs were less. How about the new Camaro? That has a new chassis, with IRS and the price jump over the Mustang isn't extreme. And let's not forget Hyundai's new Genesis Coupe, that matches Mustang's pricepoint and power, but does so with an IRS.

As I mentioned in my last post, some have argued that the Mustang had an IRS offered in 1999 and 2000 SVT Cobra models, but owners took them out to save weight and increase strenght for drag racing. While that may fool some folks, that's part of the bullshit I want to clear the air on.

Firstly, the Cobra was a limited production model and yes owners of the SVT Cobra may want to take those beasts drag racing. But Corvettes race, Chargers and Magnums, maybe even 300Cs? You can bet your ass that Camaro owners will bring their new cars to the track. And all of those have IRS. And if you're modifying a car for strictly track duty, you're more than likely back halfing the chassis or doing a full tube chassis anyway. No my friends, that's just bullshit.

Ford Motor Company wasn't responding to pressure from devoted Pony Car customers who wanted to go racing.

They were responding to the customers who made the 2005 Mustang the hit it was.

Don't fool yourself or try and lie to me. It was rental fleets that bought the vast majority of 2005 and 2006 Mustangs. And it was for that reason the Mustang didn't get an IRS. The rental companies wanted to keep it simple, because they knew they'd have to service and repair the cars. As P.J. O'Rourke said in Driving Like Crazy, the best car for driving fast is a Rental car.

And one of the ways to keep those rental cars profitable, is to keep them simple, keep them mediocre. Keep a live axle under the Mustang for the Rental fleets, not he enthusiasts.

In 2006 and 2007 there were a flood of "Program" Mustangs on Ford dealer lots, because they'd all done their first year in Rental fleets. And let's face it, that boosted Mustang sales in a big way. If I recall Ford sold 190,000 Mustangs in 2005, more than they anticipated. And how many of them do you want to guess went to Florida, Las Vegas, Southern California rental fleets?

But now Ford has pledged as part of the Way Forward to cut the umbilical cord of Fleet Sales, because they know that it's not good for their image. Who wants to buy a Rental car?
Of course you have to keep the live axle if you're selling to rental fleets at discounted prices and then force feeding your dealer network those rental rejects a year later.

But let's assume Ford wants to truly be competative with the Mustang. They'll need that IRS and we'll end up paying a couple of thousand dollars more for the car as a result. But they'll make more profit per unit and improve their global image. Who hasn't seen Top Gear's reviews of the Mustangs over the last few years and heard Hammond, May and Clarkson refer to the Mustangs chassis as being like a Conastoga Wagon?

An IRS will add weight to the car, complexity and cost, but it will also make the car more sure footed and safer on choppy roads. Take this from a former Mustang owner, who's had his Mustang up to 130 mph on public highways in dry weather, but gotten passed by Honda Civics in bad weather and on twisty parkways with rough pavement.

No more lies, no more excuses, no more bullshit. Let's tell it how it is. And let's get an IRS under that Pony soon

Update, Motor Trend has similar piece, that has more information;

Angus MacKenzie at Motortrend.com 2010 Ford Mustang near enough is not good enough

I know Jeff at http://www.drivingenthusiasts.net/ has a clearer point of view on this and if I'm not mistaken has written on it in the past. He may also be able to clear up some of my mistakes.

Jeff's blog post! I can always count on Jeff at drivingenthusiasts.net to clear up any mistakes I make on this subject. Jeff's knowledge is encyclopedic.

Same old excuses and arguments about IRS for Mustang

I recently joined FoMoCoNews.com's forums and it never fails, you hear the same old excuses and arguments against an IRS for the Mustang.
"It was available once and it was not a "draw" for additional customers. In fact, several customers swapped in a live rear axle because it was lighter and better for drag racing !"
And my response? "I've heard that before, but let's not forget that not all Mustang buyers will be going down the quarter mile. And don't Chalengers, Camaros, Corvettes, BMWs and even Cadillac CTSVs go drag racing? "

The promise of a 2013 IRS Mustang is nice, as is the increase in power, but even Hyundai's Genesis Coupe has IRS and the 2.0 Turbo 4 has 210 hp to the Mustang 4.0's 210. You can love Mustangs and still point out their lacking. That's how you improve the breed. You can't design a car for the 21st Century just to go fast in a straight line. Even though I've read great reviews of the new multi-link live axel's handling, it's laughable to excuse the lack of IRS at this late date.

And I say yet again, why no IRS for the Mustang?! I'll keep saying it until I'm blue in the face or there's an IRS under the Mustang. You don't design a car for the 21st Century using a live axel.

No argument or excuse is valid, period.

Trying to "follow" the Fiesta Movement, but it's sooooo stupid sometimes

Ford's "Fiesta Movement" campaign, is it working? The idea was to get 100 Euro-Spec Fiestas in the hands of "Agents" who will get the car free for six months and help promote the car ahead of the US intro next year. Young "Tech Savy" hip kids who'll jump through hoops and Tweet the hell out of it.

Tweet, FB, YouTube, what ever their choice, they'll use the "Social Networking" sites to generate buzz about the car. And in an effort to "follow" I myself have joined FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube and even LinkedIn to see how they're doing. I "follow" a couple of "agents" on several sites and of course Scott Monty FoMoCo's guru of Social Media on Twitter. But I'm not learning much about the Fiesta at all. I'm seeing cute/funny kids making stupid videos of themselves, sometimes with friends sitting in the cars and giggling. I'm reading reports about "stolen" Fiestas, that weren't really stolen, just impounded because it was parked illegally.

Ocassionally there'll be some video of the kids playing with the SYNC system, but it's never informative in any real substansial way. These "agents" are promoting themselves more than the car. Several are comedians, actors, or just Idiots as in the case of the Brooklyn New York agent.

I tried to have an open mind about the entire thing, I really did, but how many cars are going to be sold because of the "Movement"? Will the 100 agents buy them? Some of these folks didn't even know how to drive a stick shift until they were handed the keys.

Now, to be fair, there are an additional 40 or so press cars that are being assigned to journalists and "Mommie Bloggers" so that they can write about their impressions. Ford is also aparently doing this with the new Hybrid Escape and Fusion, the Mommie Blogger thing anyway.

Does this generate any real buzz? I know I'm a little light headed from watching stupid YouTube videos and reading stupid tweets and blogs, but dizzy doesn't equal buzz.

Well, that's not fair or true, I do know that several Agents have appeared on local TV stations, on morning shows or local news, so I guess there is some buzz to it, but what about the Internet?

I'm not making any friends by writing this and crushing any hopes that Ford would ever let me drive a new car. But let's face it, they weren't going to before this anyway. I'm a man in my 40's who's not interested in putting my mug on YouTube or being someone's dancing bear.

New Ranger may get EcoBoost, but should it get a Diesel?

If you've visited my blog before you must realize I love the Ranger and have written about it many times. I own a 1999 Ranger XLT, best damn truck I've ever had. Even on MyFordDreams Classic I ranted about the Ranger And while I'm hoping we get the new T-6 Ranger and even looking forward to the EcoBoost I-4, I'm still wondering if FoMoCo is being foolish by not offering a Diesel version.

Mahindra & Mahindra is going to bring their Diesel powered compact pickup here next year. Detroit Free Press article says they're taking advantage of axed Chrysler dealers and will get better than 22 mpg from their 2.2L Diesel. While that MPG figure isn't stellar, don't forget about the grunt of a diesel for towing and hauling. Will the EcoBoost Ranger's 175 hp 180 lb ft be a match?

I'm hoping we get the T-6 Ranger and I'm wishing that it offers a Diesel option.

Mustang to get 3.7 V-6 in 2011? Finally a six worthy of a Mustang

So I read over at AutoBlog (linked in title) that FoMoCo is about to get rid of the boat anchor 4.0 SOHC V-6 and replace it with the Duratec 3.7 DOHC V-6. Great news! It seems such a shame to have this great wrapper for such a dog engine, finally there can be a V-6 Mustang worthy of it's name. The 3.7 beats the 4.0's 210 hp by about 50hp and I'm sure the sound will be more fitting than the current truck motor. Igor, a frequent commentor here has been saying this for quite a while and I've been begging for it for just as long. AutoBlog speculates that they could get as much as 300 hp from a naturally aspirated 3.7, matching Chevy's Camaro. And let's not forget the 365 hp in EcoBoost trim. So, Ford is finally pulling up to the bar, 400 hp V-8 and hopefully 300 hp V-6, it's about time. But there's one more little thing.....

When will the Mustang finally have an IRS? Ford makes/made units that can take the power. Just look at the above photo of the Australian Falcon's IRS or below at the 1999/2000 Mustang SVT Cobra's IRS units. I have read every excuse over the years, "There isn't a unit that can handle the power" Bull#*# ! "You can't make it profitable" Well, how come GM, Chrysler, Hyundai and Nissan can? "You can't retrofit one onto the current chassis" But what about the below Cobra unit? That apparently can be bolted onto any 1979-2004 Mustang.

Enough excuses, you're fixing the power defecit, fix the chassis too.

Bill Ford wants government transparency in helping run Government Motors

Bill Ford acknowledges that at this point Ford Motor Company is at an advantage because unlike crosstown rivals they didn't get on the Government Dole. Ford will be able to operate without Government interference, making decisions on the fly. But he's requesting transparency in the Government's role in running GM moving forward.

He points out that he's not as concerned about Government involvement in Chrysler, because we only own 10%, that's We as in "We The People". But GM is a different story, We own a lot more of GM and even though the Government says they want to get out of the auto industry as quickly as possible Ford has a right to be concerned. Let's not forget that the Government wanted to be out of Iraq as soon as possible too.

Ford introduces auto trans in Fiesta in Europe, a must have for US market

Car Scoop has a piece linked in the title about Ford introducing a new auto trans for the Fiesta in Europe. Interestingly, it's only available with one powerplant, a 1.4L petrol unit and in this class of car it will account for only 10% of sales in Europe. It's a necessary evil for the US market so the timing is good. I prefer a manual shift myself, my Ranger and Mazda are both stick, but here in the US automatics are a majority of the market.

Chevy ads making fun of F-150's tailgate step backfire?

The AutoObserver at Edmunds.com has a lenghty piece on Full Size trucks and one aspect that caught my eye was a bit about Chevy running ads saying Ford's new tailgate step was un-manly? I haven't seen this ad, but it's apparently having the oposite effect?

I guess that old saying "people in glass houses.." is true. Why point out a new feature on a competitor's revised truck? And what's so un-manly about it? I'm not a tall guy, if I was buying a full size truck, this is the type of feature may be an advantage to me.

Read the article linked in title

Planes hits Ranger, Ranger wins!

An Australian newspaper has a story of a plane near Johanesburg South Africa that crashed into the front of a Ford Ranger Crew Cab and thankfully nobody died! Nobody in the Ranger was even seriously injured. I heard about this when on Twitter, there was a tweet from FordAPA saying Plane hits Ford "SUV" I guess this proves that old tag line "Built Ford Tough"!

I of course was amused that someone at FordAPA confused the Ranger Crew Cab for an SUV.

Maybe they're not familiar with the Australian term Ute? But looking at the picture, you can see the pickup bed. The Explorer Sport Trac isn't sold in South Africa, but the Ranger Crew Cab is.

Take a look at this picture of an un-dammaged Ranger and see for yourself. And wonder why Ford never sold this here in the US

P.J. O'Rourke on Real Time and The Daily show this week

I tried to get YouTube clips but don't have the patience to go through them all.
But this week P.J. O'Rourke is all over the digital dial. So far I've seen him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Real Time with Bill Maher promoting his book.

My favorite part was when he was talking about not being able to get laid in a Prius.
I'm not as happy when he's talking about letting Detroit fail. Seems like odd words from a man who's family owned a Buick dealership and is so passionate about his Suburbans.

Ok, I finally found a clip

Does FoMoCo really need to be concerned about the new "leaner" domestic competition?

Pundits and analysts have been saying that Ford Motor Company could be facing tough competition from domestic competitors GM & Chrysler, after they've both done restructuring after bankruptcies and in the case of Chrysler the "alliance" with Fiat. Just my view, but I think they're overstating the case and ignoring the advantages Ford has.

Chrysler isn't merging with or forming an "alliance" with Fiat, the italians are buying the company for next to nothing. And neither company has a reputation for high quality products.

Chrysler's model lineup is growing stale and isn't known as fuel efficient. The Caliber/Patriot/Compass triplets are the most fuel efficient models and are already built as part of an allience with GEM ( partnership of Mitsubishi, Hyundai/Kia, Chrysler and Mercedes ) where engines are cooperatively designed and built. The Caliber triplets are also built on a Mitsubishi Lancer/Outlander platform. When you come to think of it, not many of Chrysler's lineup has been a clean sheet design for quite a while, with the exception of mini-vans trucks and SUVs. The 300/Charger/Chalenger & defunct Magnum are/were all built on a chassis from Merecedes' last generation E-Class. The Sebring/Avenger were built on Mitsubishi platforms (Galant? or Eclipse) The big Sprinter was a Mercedes/Freightliner sourced unit. Wow, other than the above mentioned trucks, SUVs (including Jeep) and Minivans what else did they designe? The Journey? Isn't that based on the Caravan? So, their hopes are pinned on new Fiat platforms?

The earliest any Fiat, more than likely the 500, will get here is 18 months? And then what? New Sebring/Avenger models built on a Fiat platform at least 2 years away? And how will these be better than the Mitsu sourced crap they already have? And what about Hybrids? Other than the electric vans they're building for the Post Office, what does Chrysler have? Fiat doesn't have Hybrid technology, in Europe they rely on small Diesels. And let's not forget Fix It Again Tony.

As I read and commented on the other day, european consumers rank Chrysler and Fiat at the bottom of the scale in quality. So I guess I don't see the "New" Chrysler as being any threat to Ford. Hell, I don't see it being a threat to Kia.

Now, General Motors is another story. They are slashing and burning like a madman with a machette. Selling Hummer, Saab and Saturn, selling huge portions of Opel, killing Pontiac and it's not clear what's to become of Vauxhall. Holden, their Australian subsidiary, seems safe for now and I haven't heard anything about Daewoo either. They've just entered bankruptcy and there's no Fiat waiting in the wings for them. But luckily GM isn't Chrysler. They've got technology and products already in development. We've all heard of the Volt, and they've got Gasoline Direct Fuel Injection engines already in select models and there's talk of smaller Turbo GDI engines in upcoming small cars like the Chevy Cruze. But GM isn't through bankruptcy yet and despite the government's claims that it will be quick and painless GM is much larger.

And despite the big "Hybrid" decals running down the sides of some of their trucks/suvs/cars they don't have a credible Hybrid in place. The "mild" hybrid system that they're canceling in the Malibu is a poor man's substitute for the true Hybrids from Toyota, Ford and Honda.

It's basically a roll start assist system that uses the alternator to get the car moving from a stop and incorporating a start/stop system. "Mild Hybrid" my ass.

General Motors won't take 2 years to get some fresh product out, they will experience delays though. Many products have been put on hold, like the Chevy Cruze, but you can bet that as soon as bunkruptcy is settled they'll be getting programs in gear. But didn't I read at AutoEnthusiasts.net last week that Bob Lutz has said that the Volt is a money loser?

Ford is still losing money, but less each day. Ford is also bringing out fresh models and technologies and that combined with public perception will make the difference.

Yes GM and Ford will always be competing and GM may once again be the top domestic manufacturer. But Ford can settle into second place comfortably and in my opinion it could be less than a decade before Chrysler is either in deep shit or dead.

New model roll out and unlike "real" automotive sites, this is the best MyFordDreams can do..

As I read all over the web, that other sites and of course print media are reviewing the new Ford products, this is the closest MyFordDreams can get to the action. An email from my local dealer anouncing a sneak preview of the 2010 Taurus, Mustang and Hybrid Fusion on June 27th.

I'd give your left arm, I need mine, for the chance to actually get a test of any of FoMoCo's new products, but as just a guy, that isn't likely to happen anytime soon. I remember, in better times, there were oportunities such as GM's Auto Show In Motion or Mazda's Zoom Zoom driving events, to do this. I know that Ford had a similar program, but never in the North East?

As just a blogger, I can't get press credentials or access to any vehicles or information.
I try and get to a dealership and test drive new cars, but after a while the salesmen know you're not serious about buying and don't want to let you drive anything.

Guess I'm just in a bad mood on a lazy Sunday.

Another Focus CC video

With so many drop tops dropping from the market, maybe Ford should consider this here?

I was reading this week, that as a result of GM's restructuring (Bankruptcy and killing brands) there's going to be a gap in available convertibles. Maybe Ford should consider bringing the Ford Focus CC here to the US as a Mercury?

80 MPG Ford S-Max? US know how UK Engineering global greenness?

A California company, Capstone Turbine Inc. , worked with a UK company, Langford Performance Engineering , to install their C-30 Micro Turbine into a Ford S-Max and it achieves 80 mpg! They call it the Whisper Eco-Logic, here's how they describ it "The design characteristics of Capstone's turbine permits ultra low emissions, high fuel economy, multi fuel capability, no coolants or lubricating oil, and little to no maintenance in an automotive application"

It's a Plug In Hybrid, that uses the gas turbine to recharge the batteries and they in turn power the electic motors. An amazing bit of engineering that seems to be done apart from Ford Motor Company. Capstone is looking to bring this technology to the US. But since the S-Max isn't ready to come to these shores, I wonder how this system would fit in the Transit Connect?

Sorry about the "Weasel" thing Bill...

So, I was looking to see who is looking at me and I noticed there was a visitor from Livonia MI and it was someone from FoMoCo. And they had done a Google search for Bill Ford that landed on my post about CNN Money's profile of Alan Mulally. Cool huh? Yeah, maybe not so cool, because in that post I mentioned that in the past I had referred to Bill Ford as a weasel.

Well, I was pissed, Ford was making stupid moves and watching market share drop. I haven't called him a weasel in at least a year. I'm not going to shine his shoes, but I forgive him.
Let's hope he's got a sense of humor too. On the road I'm going to be keeping a close eye in the rearview, making sure a squad of hitmen in new Lincoln MKSs don't try and put me in the ditch. My little Mazda3 wouldn't be much of a match.

Good to see recent visits from FoMoCo, maybe if they'd dropped in back in 05 or 06 they'd be closer to their "Way Forward" and profit? Not to be too smug, but a lot of what Mulally's doing is what I said back then.

Mazda "considers" alliance with Ford or others on "Electrical Devices that boost fuel efficiency"

In the article on Bloomberg.com (linked in title) Mazda anounced that it's considering alliences with Ford (and others?) to cooperate on "electrical devices to boost fuel efficiency" This seems like a no brainer to me. Considering that Ford still owns 13.8% of Mazda and....

Has the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan on the market, which just happen to share a platform and powertrain components with Mazda. I don't know why Mazda hadn't committed to Ford's Hybrid program earlier. The Escape/Tribute, the Fusion/6. And even though Mazda was first to market ( among partners ) with Gasoline Direct Fuel Injection and Turbocharging, they could benefit from the new EcoBoost powerplants.

I know Mazda held high hope for their Hydrogen RX-8s, but with no real infrastructure it just doesn't pay. And with new EPA standards a couple of Hybrids couldn't hurt, especially in California.

Government buys $129 Million worth of Fuel Efficient Fords, and $158 Million on GMs & Chryslers?

New York Times article ( linked in title ) says that the General Services Administration spent a total of $287 million on new fuel efficient vehicles for Government agencies and that the lion's share went to Ford. Well, that makes sense, since Ford offers the Fusion and Escape Hybrids and the standard Focus gets 34 mpg. That $129 Million bought 7,924 Ford models and that averages out to $16,279.66 each car, I'm betting there are a bunch of Focus sedans with those G plates.

I recall reading that The Post Office was going to buy a coule hundred Electric Dodge Minivans, but what else are "We" buying from Chrysler? For our $53 Million, we're getting 2,993 Chrysler products at an average of $17,707.99 each. Calibers? Avengers? What qualifies as "Fuel Efficient" from Chrysler? At that breakdown, I'm assuming the Electric Postal vans are under a seperate deal. Maybe Obama missed his Hemi 300C?

GM's share is $105 Million for 6,348 vehicles, averaging out to $16,540.64 per vehicle. I can see the Cobalt, maybe the Malibu, some Equinox? GM at least has some "Fuel Efficient" vehicles.
Maybe that's where all the Pontiac Vibe and G6s are going?

The Times says that Uncle Sam didn't try and put any pressure on manufacturers or use their "owner's" discount, but paid contract prices.

I guess this will help ease speculation of favortism toward GM & Chrysler and bias towards Ford. It's really a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. But I'd really love to see a breakdown of those 17,265 vehicles to see what our money is buying, I mean besides shares in worthless companies that we'll never see a dime from.

CNN Money gives credit where it's due, profile of Mulally

CNN Money has a profile piece on Alan Mulally and his work at FoMoCo that finally gives credit where it's due. And before I start gushing about Ford's CEO, I will admit that I've been very tough on these two since I started blogging in 2005. Some of the less kind things I've said over the years are "This is no way to run an airline" and I regret to admit calling Bill Ford a weasel.

Over the last year they've redeemed themselves in my eyes, not that they've lost sleep about my comments, but I'm sure they're sleeping better than the heads of crosstown competitors GM & Chrysler. And I promise not to call Bill Ford a weasel anymore, really.

With all the doomsday predictions this piece at least recognizes Mulally's efforts and accomplishments.

With all the Fusion Hybrid news I almost forgot about the Escape..

And then I read this great review of the Escape Hybrid ( linked in title ) at Automotive Addicts.
While it can't match the Fusion Hybrid's 41 mpg city, it's 29 mpg city is amazing for an AWD cute ute. My neighbor recently bought a Saturn Vue "Hybrid", with GM's 2 mode system, after reading this review I want to walk across the street and slap him right in the head 3 Stooges style. Ok, admittedly I'm not a fan of my neighbor, but I am a fan of the Escape Hybrid.

On a personal note, I'm not too sure how I like the grille treatment. No, let me correct myself, I do like the grille but I'm thinking it's sort of the orphan Ford, not SuperDuty and not Dave.

I never want to do a road trip with P.J. O'Rourke, but I want to read about his next!

Finally finished Driving Like Crazy by P.J. O'Rourke and I gotta say I would be afraid to drive across country ( any country ) with him, but next time he does it I want to read about it!
Driving across the Baja with Mike Nesmith, across India with other journalist or even across state lines with his wife and offspring, O'Rourke's misadventures are epic. I'd love to have a beer or four with him and listen to him tell these tales, but after reading about them that's as adventurous as I am.

Mr O'Rourke's views of the world and his love of bombastic SUVs may not be very PC, hell nothing about him is, but this is a great read for the beach or even that commuter rail ride.

Ford going to be David to GM's Goliath?

Not too good at trying to create images, sorry, but couldn't find anything that worked.
One of my rare chances to show my un-creative talents.

So, will Ford be playing David to GM's goliath? Or if you believe all the media hype, will Ford be the heavyweight hasbeen being pummeled by the new welterweight champ? All of the non-stop speculation about the future of Ford has my eyes rolling round and round. Is it that the media believe that if you repeat something often enough it becomes true? Does the media secretly hope for the demise of the one Domestic Automaker that didn't ask for Federal Bailout help?

It seems that every scribe for every publication is faulting Ford for doing the right thing.
They want Ford to fail, despite the fact that it's on the road to recovery. Media like The Wall Street Journal, linked in title, persist in proclaiming GM the eventual top dog in a fight that's far from over. While ocassional praise for Ford's inovation and ability to avoid bankruptcy is seen, there's often the backhanded slap of speculation that they won't be able to compete in the future.

You don't hear speculation about Toyota's future, nor Honda, yet both of those companies are feeling the economic pain as well. Truth be told, there's plenty of bad news at Toyota.
The #1 Automaker has sucummed to the same bad habits that the Domestics had. An overreliance on large trucks and SUVs, stale product and mediocre quality. Toyota has become GM in a very real sense. Yet it's Ford that the media keep digging a premature grave for.

While it's true that Ford Motor Credit is at a disadvantage to GMAC since the later was able to become a bank holding company and tap into further Federal assistance, beyond parent GM's auto bailout loans and bankruptcy. It's also true that Ford will be able to seek Union contracts closer to crosstown rivals.

As the right wing loonies gather to boycott GM and the courts continue to throw wrenches in the Fiat/Chrysler works, Ford continues to make gains and work toward recovery and a profitable future. All the media reports are hoping to become self fulfilling prophecies. And it just makes me sick. A lie is still a lie, no matter how many times you repeat it, except in the American Media.

My one concern is that consumers who read this non-stop obit for a recovering FoMoCo will soon start to believe the hype. I on the other hand have faith that Ford will be David and overcome the Federally supported GM. Inovative fresh product and good business practices will do that.

Jeff at DrivingEnthusiasts exposes the myth of Focus RS

As one who's spent the last several years complaining about the state of the North American Focus and pining for the Euro Focus, I've been amused about speculation and whining of no cool RS Focus here. But nobody sets the record straight better than Jeff over at Driving Enthusiast, click the link in title to read all about it. Jeff exposes the myth. You can't cancel plans you never made.

Pickup Trucks.Com has story on EcoBoost +! Bobcat?

So, I'm looking at Twitter and I see a post from PickupTrucks.com, when I see Ford and Bobcat in the same sentence. You know my mind went into all sorts of spasms. My love of all things FoMoCo, small and quirky was pumping adrenaline and causing a blood sugar crash.
And while I ( and probably only I ) would love to see the resurection of the Bobcat, it was actually better news.

More FoMoCo "green" initiatives. There's been so much to salivate coming from FoMoCo lately that it's easy to forget that crosstown rivals are slashing and burning their way through bankruptcy. Hybrid Fusions, Fiesta Movement, new Focus and possible new Ranger, what more could be coming? We're hearing names like EcoBoost, Coyote V-8 and Scorpion Diesel, it's like overload.

Anyone could tell that I think the EcoBoost program is a winner. Smaller more fuel efficient engines with big engine power! But how do you improve on this? They call it Bobcat, I think of it as EcoBoost + or maybe even EcoBoost for the big boys.

Pickup Trucks . Com has a very thorough explination of the entire thing, linked in title, but basically it's an old racer's trick updated and made green. Ethanol injection added to the EcoBoost system. Well, not pure Ethanol, the more elusive E-85. I've been a critic of the whole Flex Fuel E-85 thing for a while. It's nice to have a Flex Fuel badge on your car or truck, but since the fuel isn't available everywhere it seemed to be more of a public relations and EPA loophole thing than something the average consumer could appreciate.

But, E-85 is going to become more available and FoMoCo is developing this system for the larger end of their lineup, full size trucks and SUVs. It will be cleaner than Diesel and with the E-85 injection have comparable power ( torque ). Click on over to PickupTrucks.com and read it for yourself. I'm going to do a little dance here.

Who in their right mind would buy this?

I've been reading news about this since Friday anad have been wondering who in the hell would buy this? But let me get the Ford connection in here right away. Tata Motors, who make this overgrown golf cart the Tata Nano, last year bought the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford Motor Company. And made huge headlines last year when they anounced that they would be producing and selling the above enclosed skateboard for their domestic Indian market.

And now they say it may come to the United States by 2011 or 2012? This my friends is a sign of the Appocolypse, never mind any Mayan prophecy. I know we Americans are just crap junkies, we did after all buy Yugos ( Not me! but I did know a couple of hapless souls who did )in the 80's. For some reason we Americans will buy anything foreign and cheap, just look at Wal-Mart!

But in this era of mandates on safety and emissions, there will be no way that Tata can bring anything remotely like the 2 cylinder golf cart to the United States. The AutoProphet, linked in title, points out some serious flaws with this fantasy.

I for one never thought the Smart would be a good fit on American roads and I'm right.

I can't tell you how many times I've passed one on local 2 lane roads in my little Mazda 3 and felt like I was driving a 76 Cadilac by comparison. I don't care how many airbags you cram in there, it's just a bubble on wheels. And the Smart has Mercedes DNA. But the Tata? I believe it has more in common with a toaster than a car. Maybe you'll see them as security vehicles in gated communities? Those poor Square Badges have it bad enough in the little electric golf cars, I feel their pain as they'll be breaking down after each speed bump in their Nanos.

"Driving Like Crazy" will leave you bruised and battered, but with an ear to ear smile.

So, I'm half way through P.J.O'Rourke's Driving Like Crazy and it left me mentally bruised and battered, but with a big ol' sh*t eating grin. Normally I don't bother with the Acknowledgement section of a book, just go right at Chapter 1, but from page one P. J. O'Rourke starts a roller coaster adventure of his life in the 70's & 80's. From his chapter on how to do all the wrong things in a car to his real life adventures ( several times ) in Baja. Reading how O'Rourke "discovered" single handedly of course NASCAR in the early 80's was a treat.

Note to self, don't go to Baja with his friends, or maybe at all. Having read about his various treks through the peninsula I'm not sure I'm man enough.

I'll let you know how the rest of the book goes, but even just from this half, I'd say buy it.

Pundits can't make up their minds about Ford's fate..

It's litterally split down the middle online. Many pundits are saying that Ford Motor Company is picking up market share because they didn't take Federal assistance or enter bankruptcy, but in the same breath they're saying this puts Ford at a long term disadvantage. It's confusing for those of us trying to get a clear picture of what's to come. I'm not an Auto Industry guy or even a journalist, but here's my "regular guy" take on the situation.

While many say that Ford will be at a disadvantage to GM and Chrylser because these bankrupt companies will come back as trimmer and more competative companies, carrying less debt and be able to return to profitable operations quicker. Horseshit! What these pundits seem to be blind to is the American Consumer's ( and to some degree the International Consumer's ) perception of these two floundering companies. Since we the taxpayers are footing the bill for the recovery, with no real chance for a payback, there will be a bad taste left in many folks mouths.

Let's put it simply, many people, for right or wrong, wanted to let GM & Chrysler die last fall. Sure, that was a shortsighted view of the situation, but it will still stick in people's craw. And despite the bailout thousands, tens of thousands of people will loose their jobs and many more will loose their retirement funds ( employess and investors alike ) because of the bankruptcy.

Add onto that world of hurt the closing of over 2,000 dealerships and the bad feelings about that. As many have pointed out, in some smaller rural communities, new car dealerships are major tax revenue sources and genertional members of the communities, who've given to charity and supported everything from Little League to the Elk's Club in some way.

Many of GM & Chrysler's assumptions about a return to profit require that car sales return to pre-crisis levels. But many analysts say that new car sales will never return to the 16 million a year level they were at. I keep reading the new car sales will be closer to 10 million. So, who says GM & Chrysler will be able to regain those sales numbers in a tighter market with all of these bad feelings?

Ford's not out of the woods, but neither is Toyota, Honda, Hyundai or many other manufacturers. Ford has been refreshing models, introducing new models and techonologies and will continue to add more inovations and improvements over the next few years. Ford says they may return to profitable operations by 2011 or 2012. That's because they've got the capital and freedom to invest in the changes they need to make.

Does anybody remember how Chrysler's lineup sucked in 1980? Sure, the K-Cars "saved" the company, but do you remember how stagnant the rest of their lineup was well into the 80's? Their fullsize trucks and vans got minor facelifts and were among the slowest selling for a decade. The Mini Vans are what really helped Chrysler and this time around they don't have that type of inovative product to help them out of this quagmire. Are you counting on Fiat's small cars to do that? Have we all forgoten how bad Fiat cars were? All you have to do is go online and read reviews of the Fiat 500 compared to the Ford Ka, which share platforms and powertrains and are built in the same Polish plant. The Ka is consistantly said to be a better handler and have better reliability. I've read pundits say they think that even with the bailout and buyout by Fiat, Chrysler will be dead in a decade.

I don't expect GM to die in a decade, but other than the Volt and Cruze, I don't expect there'll be much inovation from GM in the near future. They'll be smarting from this for a long while.

I was surprised to read on DrivingEnthusiast.Net ( linked in sidebar ) that Bob Lutz was quoted saying that GM wasn't too sure about the Volt program and that the Camaro was the wrong car at the wrong time. GM thinks that they can't produce the Volt and sell it at a reasonable price and never expect it to earn a profit. It's window dressing for the Government I guess.

What happened to GM's new small car/engine plans? The Cruze looks like it's going to be delayed. And I haven't heard much about their small engine plan. I had heard that Cruze would be powered by a direct injected turbo charged 1.4 cyl.

So, Ford has EcoBoost, new Fiesta and Focus, Hybrid and Electric plans and fresh product. They've also got some measure of freedom that comes from not being on Uncle Sam's payroll.

Do GM & Chrysler believe we the consumers of the world will have such short memories?
Let's see how GM in the US does, let's watch Opel/Vaxhaul/Holden overseas. Don't forget all the Government monies from Canada, Germany, Britain and elsewhere, and the taxpayers who will never see a payback.

Ford has always done fairly well in forgeign markets and they will continue to. I'm not saing Ford will be the number one automaker in the world, I'm saying that I think they'll survive and be competative. I'm saying that my next new car purchase will be a Ford and I think many people who would have thought GM or Chrysler will follow me.

Stop digging Ford's grave. If you want to do a "Deathwatch" start one for Chrysler/Fiat. You can't expect that one mediocre company would buy another damaged company and come away stronger. It just doesn't add up.

Update, two articles that could indicate GM & Chrysler's future;

AutoBlog on Fiat Chrysler UK Quality perception

AutoBlog says Right Wing ready to boycott GM

Finally! Going to tear right through Driving Like Crazy by P.J. O'Rourke, let you know what I think

Finally got my copy of Driving Like Crazy! I'm going to see how far into it I can get this weekend and start blogging about it when I can. I haven't looked forward to book like this in ages.

Auto vs Stick? New Poll at MFD

I've done this before, just hoping this time I get bettter responses. You have until June 30th to vote.

Do you prefer to shift for yourself ? All 4 vehicles at the MFD Ranch are stick shifts, but here in the United States it seems that is the exception to the rule.

Emunds' list of cool European cars we can't buy seems to be missing some, here goes...

So, Edmunds Daily has a list of 3 cool European cars we don't get and you know I had to respond.
Top of my list? The Ford Kuga! This cute ute from Europe is rumored to be coming here as the replacement for the Escape. If that's not true, bring it as a standalone Mercury, but bring it here soon! I'll take mine in this blue, with the 6 speed manual and a 2.o EcoBoost.

How did they miss the world class Mondeo? Good enough for James Bond but not us?

And while they rightfully point to the European Focus RS and it's 300 hp, I say why not the Focus CC convertible coupe. The closest we get to this here is the Volvo C-70.

But with 4 years of blogging about what great foreign Fords we don't get I guess I'm being too tough on Edmunds.

T-6 Ranger mule in Michigan?! According to AutoBlog

First there were photos from Austrlia, where the new T6 is being developed, then the Swiss Alps, where it's being tested and now Michigan? According to AutoBlog's post and they've got the spy shots to prove it! Click the link in the title to see for yourself and this time it's a 2 door long bed.

If I soud like a cheerleader for Ford sometimes, dig deeper

I realise that recently I've sounded quite a bit like a cheerleader for Ford Motor Company, but you should dig deeper if you think I'm just parroting good news. I've been a major critic as well.
But there's been a lot of good praiseworthy news about Ford lately.
I was going to post a snapshot of myself here, but then I saw just how gray the beard is getting. So, I took a page out of Bob Schultie's book and posted the above. Well, Bob probably gone for something with a bit of cleavage, but we at MFD try and keep it PG.

MyFordDreams has always been my personal blog where I discuss Ford Motor Company, history, global products and where I think the company can do better in the United States.

You need dig no deeper than MyFordDreams Classic to see I've given the company a tough time on many ocassions. I've griped about the latest Focus and why we should have gotten the same Focus the rest of the world has. There have been endless rants about the poor Ford Ranger, how FoMoCo let it deteriorate to near the point of extinction. I've been critcised for my rants on no IRS for the 2005 and forward Mustang.

Most famously I've stated that there were certain Fords I just wouldn't buy. Lets not forget that in 2006 I bought a Mazda 3 and even test drove the Dodge Caliber, rather than even look at the 06 Focus. I'm not a huge fan of Ford's naming scheme of the last decade, the "F-Bomb" pieces I've doen and the "E-Bombs" too. I've lamented on previous Lincoln offerings and Ford's over reliance on big SUVs and Full Size truck sales. I've pulled out the soap box on what I consider the waste of NASCAR.

So, I if I sound like a cheerleader lately, you'll have to realise just how far Ford has come and how far they're going in the future to understand the praise. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to rant on the Dave vs Kinetic design and the continued lack of IRS for the Mustang, and have no doubt I will, but just giving credit where credit is due.

Kudos for Fusion ( especially Hybrid) EcoBoost, Fiesta and upcoming Focus. I'm waiting for the Kuga ( rumored to replace the Escape) and Ranger.

World Car Fans has more spy shots of future Ranger, maybe we'll get it?

You don't have to dig much to learn I love the Ranger and I have one. And of course I've lamented it's rumored demise. I've also hoped and dreamed it could survive. And of course recently there have been rumors flying about an Australian designed replacement codenamed T6 that if it makes it to these shores will share in the EcoBoost goodness via 1.6 liter 175hp 180 lb ft Torque turbo I-4.

And if you click on the link in the title you can see spy photos at World Car Fans taken in the Swiss Alps showing the truck in Double Cab form.

Business Week's "Car that could save Ford" article and my take

David Kiley of Business Week wrote a nice piece on the upcoming 2011 Ford Fiesta. He's had seat time in a Euro Spec version, talked to a Fiesta Movement Agent and interviewed FoMoCo Euro design personel. And he's got nice things to say, but I of course take issue with a couple of things. First is this dig at the top "The Bad: Lacks a few features, like a sliding rear seat, to keep costs down." David this is odd, how many competitors have this "Sliding rear seat" you're looking for? I've read up the Fiesta, watch reviews on Fifth Gear and Top Gear and many many others and nobody but Nobody including the notoriously cranky Jeremy Clarkson ( who stands well over 6' ) complained about a sliding rear seat. Many mentioned that the seat doesn't fold flat, but nobody thought that a deal breaker. How many tall folks ride in the back of sub-compact cars for any lenght of time anyway? But I'm nit picking here.

My real issue is the implication that any one vehicle will "save" Ford at all.

David your assumption that Ford needs to be "saved" is wrong in the face of what we've been seeing lately and their "Way Forward" plan that's been working to evolve the Blue Oval.

It's going to be several models that set Ford apart. It's going to be the work that Alan Mulally has been doing with the "One Ford" and the fact that Ford has recently updated several solid models like Mustang, Taurus,Fusion and F-Series trucks while bringing new product like Flex and Edge to market.

Ford will survive because they're going to have the products and technologies to compete in a truly global market. Because of the Fiesta, Fusion, Upcoming Focus redesign and EcoBoost & Hybrid technology.

I'm sure Ford appreciates the praise of the Fiesta, it's a praise worthy car, but let's not peg our hopes on just one model or understate all the hard work that's been done.

4 of the top 20 selling vehicles in May are Fords! The Car Connection has the entire list

#1 Ford f-150 shouldn't be a real shock to anyone, the F series truck has been one of the best selling vehicles in the world for 26 or more years. And with a nice update of a great truck it's topped the list.

And new product sells, so the Fusion which was already popular is again an easy call.

The one that sort of raised my eyebrows was the Escape. Sure, it's recieved a recent update and it's a solid performer, but with other cute utes in it's class receiving major overhauls and the Escape' blocky styling, I was surprised that Escape was higher on the list than CRV or Rav4.

And although I've been critical of the US Focus, here it is also in the top 20.

Well, it's styling is fresh and with features like SYNC it's got appeal. But I'm sure the 34 mpg and relatively low price don't hurt.

Ford continues to inovate, patent articles show "Driving Inovation"..

Ford Motor Company has a long history of inovation. And a few years ago, when Bill Ford coined the new moto Ford "Driving Inovation" it was signaling that history would be repeating itself yet again. First some highlihts, Ford was the first to use the assembly line process for manufacturing automobiles. When Ford came out with it's flathead V-8 in 1932, that was a huge leap in lightweight, relatively powerful technology that was available to "everyone". Sure there had been V-8's prior to 1932, but this was indeed an inovation, because it put a reliable, powerful powerplant within reach of the average buyer. Ford was also the first to use Safety Glass.
Henry Ford, the tinkerer, was famous for his exploration of alternative fuel and alternative material technology. So, it should be no surprise that........

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the most patented car in history, as seen in the article linked in title from AutoBlog. I love the quote from Christine Wren, director of business development for The Patent Board - "Ford's patented technologies are closer to the cutting edge than its competitors" I would bet that she doesn't just mean Domestic competitors. Ford has been working on Hybrid Technology, alternative fuel techonology and other fuel saving techonologies such as EcoBoost as a direct result of Bill Ford's vision as he stated when he took over in 2000.

So it was a bonus find on the below

motorauthority has an article on the upcoming "Scorpion" V-8 from FoMoCo, a 4valve per cylinder pushrod engine with inboard exhaust feeding a turbo charger and outboard intake.

We've seen this idea before, I believe GM and BMW among others have explored this reverese flow idea. The article states it could be used for Gasoline or Diesel applications, but I believe this is going to be strictly Diesels, but who knows.

So young Bill Ford is following in his great grandfather's footsteps by Driving Inovation at the Plant that Henry built.

Despite being mortgaged the Blue Oval still shines, benefiting from tarnished image of competition

The iconic Blue Oval shines, despite the fact that the very logo was mortgaged months ago.

Ford Motor Company, the only domestic manufacturere not to take federal recovery loans or declare bankruptcy is seeing an increase in sales, market share and stock price for several reasons, but one of the most important is perception.

Perception can mean everything in the auto industry and for the first time in a long time, that is paying off for Ford Motor Company. Perception isn't always based on reality, like the perception that domestic auto makers couldn't match the quality or service of foreign makes. All you need to do to dispell that myth is look at JD Powers rating and actually drive some of the domestics.

But the false perceptions have kept folks away.

Some perceptions are based on short term factors, like the recent good press that Ford has been recieving and the bad news for domestic competition. And this can change quickly. Right now Ford is doing it's best to cash on on several things. They've got new product like the Fusion, Flex and 2010 Mustang. They've recieved great press on green technology like the Hybrid Fusion, EcoBoost powertrains and new small platforms coming ( Fiesta & Transit Connect) and people are actually trying out Ford cars.

Maybe some folks are looking at Ford because they're skitish about buying a bankrupt GM or Chrysler. Maybe they're looking at incentives, but hopefully they'll drive away because of improved perceptions. Ford is right to capitalize on the good press, but needs to be prepared for the future. So, yes some incentives for defecting Chrysler or GM customers, but more work on the overal quality/value perception front. I've heard Ford may dust off the old slogan, "have you driven a Ford lately?" and now is the time to do it. "If you build it (Quality cars people want to drive) they will come.."

Great global Ranger commercial

Why didn't they bring this to US?

With Fiat's anouncement that the 500 will be here in 18 months, could we be seeing the Ka too?

AutoBlog piece linked in title, Fiat says 500 could be in Chrysler dealers in about 18 months. Could we be seeing the Ka here soon after? Take a look at this Euro ad for the Ka, sort of a "Where's Waldo" game, where they say there are 80 images of the Ka in the 40 second spot.

Ford vs Chevy (Holden) Down Under

"The Ford's a better car..." So says Top Gear Australia! The only way many of us are going to see Top Gear Australia is on YouTube. Too bad the producers couldn't get their gear together for the US Version.

MyFordDreams on YouTube, well a begining anyway

In an effort to put MyFordDreams "out there" I've started a YouTube page/profile and uploaded some short clips of my Mustang at the racetrack. I had posted them on my blog a while back. Just keeping busy waiting for more good news from Ford.

AutoBlog has spyshots of the US version of the Fiesta sedan, cool meets Dave

This was one of the Verve concepts that became the Fiesta, I believe for the Chinese Auto Show.

Both China and the US prefer small sedans rather than hatchbacks. And while we've seen Euro spec Fiestas while following the Fiesta Movement, there will be tweaks for the US Market.

The Euro spec Fiestas get the full Kinetic Design treatment, but we're going to get a bit of the "Dave" look. If you recall, when the Iosis concepts first introduced the Kinectic design, that European Ford's have been showcasing these last few years, the response from Dearborn was the "Dave" look, also sometimes confused with a disposable razor.

You can't see clearly in the spy shots because of the camo, but you know you can expect a 3 bar grille similar to the current Focus ( US version ) and in keeping with the Fusion, Taurus, Edge etc...

Evolve or die they say, so MyFordDreams is evolving, getting into the 21st century

In April of 2005 when I started blogging MyFordDreams I was barely computer literate.
I knew how to turn it on and type ( if not well ) and not much more. Look at that filthy old monitor at it's "huge" 15" screen and it must have weighed close to 50 lbs. And over the years I learned a lot, some things that today many people take for granted, and I shared that learning process on my blog. I would post so that other would be bloggers would have an easier time learning to post pictures and links and videos. I highlighted free services and just some basic stuff. All of that is way back in the archives of MyFordDreams Classic . But I never seem to stay ahead of the curve. Unlike many bloggers, I have no background in Publishing, Web Design or Computers ( in any way). Like an old time boxer I went in face first and took the hits.

But like Darwin may have said, you evolve or you die. So, today I'm doing several "Social Networking" efforts, including Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

I've got my own Domain name and even with the graying of the beard I'm still learning.

If you're part of any of these networks look me up and I promise I won't cyberstalk you.