Ford Marketing Boss Jim Farley Allegedly Tells GM to Stick it in Upcoming Book

We’re not used to automotive execs using foul language or trashing the competition when speaking out in the open and/or in public, so we were somewhat surprised with some of the comments allegedly made by Ford Motor Company Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jim Farley.
According to Jalopnik, the Ford executive who joined the Detroit automaker in 2007 after nearly two decades at Toyota and Lexus, was quoted in a book as saying that he is “going to beat Chevrolet on the head with a bat” and that he hates GM.
And oh, Farely reportedly dropped the “F’ bomb on the General as well….
The quotes you’re about to read are said to have come from early copies of the book "Once Upon A Car” from New York Times reporter, Bill Vlasic. The book is scheduled for release to the public in October this year.
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Chrysler Surpasses Ford as Canada’s Biggest Seller of Light Trucks

Canada’s economy seems unaffected by most of the Western World’s woes, where markets are struggling and unemployment is booming. In fact, Canada’s economy is growing and as a result, unemployment is falling and people are getting jobs. Therefore, they have money to buy cars, or light trucks, pickups and SUVs. Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Ford
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Double Standards, or how (Not) to Sell Cars to Women

In the 1950s, products for women were no doubt designed and marketed by men. Take for example the 1955 Dodge Le Femme, a truly absurd car (by today’s standards) that came with a matching purse, raincoat and umbrella as well as a bright pint interior with rose-patterned trim.
It’s the equivalent of offering a car today with a…tampon dispenser in the glovebox.
Across the pond there was the Daimler 104 Ladies’ Model with electric windows, a simplified gear change (no, I did not make that up), an umbrella and a vanity case under the dashboard.
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2013 Ford Focus Coupé Design Study by David Cardoso

Ford is going full force with its latest generation Focus that is currently available in a variety of body styles including a five-door hatchback, a four-door sedan, a station wagon and a pair of MPVs that carry the C-MAX moniker.
A three-door hatchback is on its way while we have also heard talk about a convertible and possibly a compact coupe model.
Enter the world of independent designer David Cardoso whose previous work on conceptual studies includes the Renault Twist, Audi Hydron concept, Cobalt coupe and the Mitsubishi Flexis.
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Ford Begins Production of New Focus in Russia

Ford's Vsevolozhsk Plant near St. Petersburg in Russia has begun assembly of the firm’s new generation Focus. The five-door hatchback is the first member of the Focus family to roll off the assembly line in Russia with the four-door and station wagon variants to enter production in September and January, respectively. Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Ford
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US Government offers Concessions to Detroit Big 3's Trucks Models

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the US government is willing to allow carmakers to lower the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) of their future trucks and SUVs at a slower rate than normal cars.
In return, the Obama administration wants to reach a deal by early next week that will allow the government to improve mileage standards from today’s target of 35.5 mpg (6.6 lt/100 km) by 2016 to 56 mpg (4.2 lt/100 km) by 2025 for both cars and light trucks, leaving the automakers a longer period of time to bring their large trucks, pickups and SUVs in line.
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New Gen Y Buyer Survey Spells Trouble for Detroit

Auto pricing website TrueCar studied the car buying behaviour of four million Gen Y (18 to 27 year-old) over a twenty-four month period and here’s what they found.
Scion took the crown for top brand, with 37.4% of the market and for top model (the tC coupe), with 21.2%, while second place went to Mitsubishi (32.1%) and their Lancer sedan (20.3%).
Mazda was the third most visited brand for Gen Y buyers, though only 17th in terms of model. The top four vehicle choices were Japanese, with a German in seventh place and a South Korean in ninth.
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It Came From eBay Hell: Mercury Cougar Based Bugatti Veyron Replica

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Of all the cars I’ve featured in “It Came From eBay Hell”, this one takes the cake. It’s a 2002 Mercury Cougar with 120,000 miles (193,120 kilometres) on the clock, though that’s not what makes it special. No, what makes it special is the composite and fibreglass Bugatti Veyron body draped over it.
That’s right: it’s a Cougatti Vercuryon! Not only does this modern masterpiece come with (Walmart™ Brand) 20-inch rims, two-tone paint and leather everything, it also comes with all the stuff that made the Mercury Cougar the modern classic it is today:
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Union of Concerned Scientists Releases 2011 Hybrid Scorecard: Prius = Good, Touareg Hybrid = Bad

The Union of Concerned Scientist, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its second annual Hybrid Scorecard. The organisation criticised hybrid car manufacturers for not delivering on the technology’s promise, for placing performance above fuel efficiency and environmental benefit and burdening hybrids with features that put them out of the price range of average Americans.
A total of 34 hybrid vehicles from the 2011 to 2012 model year were tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The latter is features that don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make the cars more appealing to money-conscious consumers.
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Ford Mustang Exotica Hides an Aston Martin Vanquish V12 Under its Hood [with Video]

We’re pretty sure that, during the time Aston Martin was under the ownership of Ford, the thought of stuffing an exotic V12 powerplant under the bonnet of a Mustang must have crossed the mind of a few company engineers.
And while we never saw something of the sort officially from Ford, an independent custom shop actually realized the idea with the 2005 Ford Mustang 'Vanquishd' show car that was presented at the 2006 SEMA aftermarket gathering.
Built by Western Motorsports, this one-of-a-kind Mustang gets a 6.0-liter V12 engine with 600 ponies from a 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish. Power is sent to the chunky rear wheels through a 6 speed manual Tremec T-56 transmission.
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Pickup Trucks Inventories Rising, Manufacturers are Worried

It seems like US carmakers are beginning to worry about the rising inventory of their big pickup trucks. For example, General Motors has an inventory of 122 days (or 4 months) of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra according to a report from Reuters, or 50% higher than the typical industry inventory of 80 days.
But GM isn’t the only automaker in distress. Chrysler, Toyota and Ford also are behind their projected sales, with 93 days inventory for the first two makers and 79 days for the third respectively.
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2011 Australian International Motor Show Photo Galore

Even though it’s not as famous as its Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo or Detroit counterparts, this year’s edition of the Australian Motor Show, which takes place in Melbourne from July 1 to 10, has some interesting debuts including the Mad Max Concepts pictured above as well as a number of new production and prototype models from the local divisions of General Motors (aka Holden) and Ford.
You can take a look at all the vehicles in our comprehensive photo gallery right after the break. For those of you interested in learning more about the Ford-badged Mad Max Interceptor prototypes, check out our previous post here.
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Ford Asks: What Should the Focus EV Sound Like?

So the all-electric Ford Focus EV is landing stateside in late 2011 to snub its nose at the likes of the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi i MiEV with its utterly conventional name that’s not even an acronym.
Now Ford is asking its most important shareholders (the general public) what the Focus EV should sound like, as there are members of the world community that think silent cars are a danger to the blind and the deaf.
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U.K.’s Auto Industry to Young People: Be an Engineer!

Twenty-three of the U.K.’s car and component factories have opened their doors to teachers and students alike in a renewed bid to entice young people into automotive and manufacturing engineering. At the annual summit of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Tony Walker – Toyota Motor Manufacturing U.K.’s deputy managing director – said:
“The industry today is hi-tech. There are no oily rags. There are no smoke stacks. It is an inspirational and an aspirational place to be.”
In fact, carmakers are eager to point out just how fun and lucrative engineering can be. It’s all part of the U.K. government’s push to shift its focus away from financial services after the deadly Global Financial Crisis of 2007.
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Only for Europe: New Ford Fiesta Sport Special Edition

Building on the success of the European market Fiesta Sport + (called the 1600S in the UK and Sport S in Germany) that was launched this past February, Ford has unleashed a new Sport Special Edition that includes further enhancements inside and out.
The latest sporty Fiesta is available with two engine options, the most potent of which is the 1.6-liter Duratec Ti-VCT petrol unit delivering 134-horses and 160Nm torque at 4,250rpm.
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Former U.S. Ford Police Interceptors find New Life in Britain as "Rare American Muscle"

You know what they say: “One man’s trash is another man's treasure”. While police forces in the U.S. are rapidly replacing their Ford Crown Victoria Interceptors with the latest batch of patrol vehicles from Detroit’s Big 3 including the Ford Taurus, Chevrolet Caprice and Dodge Charger, the Blue Oval’s geriatric model is finding a new life in the UK as a quirky alternative to those who want to stand out from the crowd.
The perpetrator in this case is a UK-based company named “USA Cop Cars Ltd”, which has recently started bringing fully refurbished 2009 and 2010 Ford P71 Police ‘Interceptor’ law enforcement cars into Britain.
The British firm describes the Crown Victoria as a rare “muscle car with a difference”. If that hasn’t put a smile to your face, maybe this will: the used Ford Police Interceptors carry a price tag between £23,000 and £29,000 or about US$37,000 and US$46,700!
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FPV’s Murdered-Out Falcon GT Concept with Supercharged Boss 5.0 V8 Debuts in Melbourne

Not to be outdone by rival Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) unleashed its first-ever concept car at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne.
Unlike HSV and its Black Edition Clubsport and Maloo R8s, FPV went for an all-blacked out look for its bespoke GT muscle car, which is based on the local market, rear-wheel drive Falcon sedan.
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Ford to Baby Boomers: We Get that You’re Old and Feeble and Can’t Read Small Fonts

*This article has been (patronizingly) posted in a larger-than-normal font for our older readers
From next year, the fonts in Ford’s Edge and Explorer SUV models will be some 40% larger as well as thicker. The reason? Baby Boomers have poor eyesight. No, really, Ford’s done a study and everything. The bigger fonts will extend to interior display screens control and A/C controls, and will gradually be rolled out onto other models in the Ford range in coming years.
In a statement on their website, Ford expressed its desire to make it, “easier for people of all ages, particularly aging Baby Boomers, to read display fonts.” Ah, like the little boy or girl who flat-out tells his grandparents that they’re old and wrinkly, Ford has snagged upon that babying / slow and loud way anyone under the age of 30 speak to anyone over the age of 50:
“YES, MRS. JOHNSON. THE WEATHER IS NICE TODAY. DO YOU THINK YOU’LL GO DOWN TO THE PARK?”
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Ford: More than 50,000 Cars with 1.6-liter EcoBoost Engine Sold in Europe

Since its introduction in late 2010, Ford’s new 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine has proven to be a hit with European consumers having sold more than 50,000 units. The engine, which is manufactured in Ford’s UK Bridgend plant, is available in six different models (Focus, Mondeo, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, S-MAX and Galaxy). The company attributes its success to its blend of performance, economy and low CO2 emissions. Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Ford
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Ford Gives Japan Special Edition Mustang V6 Sport Appearance

America’s second favorite muscle car after the Camaro (in terms of 2011 sales as Chevy’s model has outsold Ford’s pony car by around 33 percent through May, according to the latest data), is being offered in Japan in a limited edition version called the “Mustang V6 Sport Appearance”. Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Ford
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