Ford Straightline Archives

Quite an interesting January as the domestics gained while there were mixed results for imports. You might have heard about that Toyota recall thing? Yeah, that news dinged Toyota's sales a good 16%, could be even worse in February if the situation doesn't improve.

On the flip side, both Ford and GM improved their year-over-year sales in January. Credit some of those gains to incentives designed to get the attention of wary Toyota consumers. Nissan and Hyundai also picked up some nice gains in January. For a full run down on all the stats, check out the full report on AutoObserver.

AutoObserver: January Whacks Toyota, But Sales Firm for Other Makers

Categories: Auto Industry,Chevrolet,Ford,General Motors,Honda,Toyota,Toyota Recalls

The crafty, Mustang-obsessed folks over at MustangHeaven have uncovered the order guide for the 2011 Shelby GT500.

Were you hoping for a new aluminum engine block? Bingo, you got it. How about a glass roof coupe? Done. Some standard HID headlights? Check. MyKey? Check.

Other notable option is the SVT Performance Pack. It will include a 3.73 limited slip rear end, revised springs and shocks and unique side stripes.

MustangHeaven
 

Categories: Coupes,Ford,Future Vehicles,Sports Cars

Here's a better look at Ken Block's new Ford Fiesta rally car going through tech inspection before the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta Michigan yesterday. Look carefully and you can see inside the door frame that the car was once red (same thing inside the hatch). We're going to go out on a limb and say that this is the same Olsbergs-built Fiesta which Kenny Brack drove to victory over Travis Pastrana in the X Games last summer. Really, how many of them can there be? 

That video and more after the jump.

Continue reading Block Fiesta At Tech In Michigan, First Race Now Underway.

Categories: Ford,Motorsports

Remember Mercury? It's sort of like the Buick of Ford. Expect for all the new product. 

It's been slowly swirling the drain for some time now, yet various Ford officials keep meekly voicing support for the brand. This despite the fact that the last new Mercury product shown at an auto show was the refreshed Milan -- in 2008.

Just yesterday AutoObserver Senior Editor, Bill Visnic, was at the Washington D.C. auto show yesterday where he observed the following:

CEO Alan Mulally was asked if the company's Mercury brand has a future. It is a question that comes up a lot lately.

Mulally seemingly backed Mercury full-go, but was careful to qualify his support. Not once, but twice.

'The plan right now is (to develop) Ford, Lincoln and Mercury,' Mulally answered. He said Ford is working to more effectively position Mercury with smaller vehicles that occupy the void between the mainstream Ford brand and Lincoln, which directly targets the luxury-premium market. "That's our plan - to continuously improve the Mercury and Lincoln brands," Mulally said.

But after a little more discussion, Mulally felt compelled to reiterate: 'That's the plan right now.'

No, Mulally didn't draw imaginary quotation marks in the air when he said 'right now,' but his careful persistence in emphasizing the qualifier palpably left room for Ford - and Mulally - to change course anytime about Mercury, which more than a few analysts and skeptics continue to insist should be done. - Bill Visnic, senior editor, Edmunds AutoObserver

Categories: Ford

It's going to take a while to get used to writing Ken Block and Ford in the same sentence. But here we go: Pictured above is Block's new Rally America Championship Ford Fiesta race car. And while the dripping-paint motif of the Monster-sponsored Fiesta is, you know, pretty ugly really the car is cool.

Block will debut the car at this weekend's Sno* Drift rally in Northern Michigan. It'll be the first of six Rally America races Block will race the Fiesta in this season. Ford will also provide his race car for seven rounds of the World Rally Championship, although that car will be a Focus RS. And, naturally, Block will also perform at the X games in July driving a Ford.

We'd be surprised if Block didn't squeeze in the filming of a sequel for his hooliganism-as-high-art Gymkhana series of videos.

Make the jump for an more photo and video samples of the new Fiesta racer as well as links to Block's earlier work with a certain Subaru.

Earlier Story: Ken Block Leaves Subaru for Ford -- and WRC.

Continue reading Ken Block's New Ford Fiesta Rally Car Revealed.

Categories: Celebrities,Ford,Motorsports

Sorry folks, but we had to keep the winner clean, so some of you were clearly ineligible.

Thanks for suggestions though.

Categories: Ford

Who knew seatbelt airbags could be so fun? Well, at least these guys seem to be enjoying them. Why, we're not entirely sure.

Got a caption to sum this one up?

And don't forget to check out the caption contest on our Long-term blog.

Categories: Ford

It appears as though GM's new plan to drum up interest in its products revolves around challenging its competitors to contests that are either heavily weighted in its favor or utterly pointless to begin with.

First we had the CTS-V challenge, a seemingly straightforward "my car is faster than yours" event that quickly became mired in rules clearly meant to stack the deck in Cadillac's favor.

Now the shameless boasting has moved into the truck world as GM's product chief, Tom Stephens, has challenged Ford to a good ol' fashioned truck pull. You know the drill, chain a couple pick ups together and see which one wins/blows up first.

It's a classic "hold my beer and watch this" charade that has absolutely nothing to do with the respective capabilities of the trucks involved. The fact that anybody at GM, not to mention its product chief, thinks there's any validity to this PR stunt is disappointing. And slightly embarrassing -- for them.

Pickuptrucks.com 

Categories: Chevrolet,Ford,Trucks

To give you some perspective as to how long it's been since a Ford paced the Daytona 500, the last vehicle to hold that honor was a Ford Torino GT. The year was 1970.

This time around, it will be a glass-roofed 2011 Ford Mustang GT dressed in red paint and a few decals. Ford Racing also added a revised suspension, strut tower brace and new mufflers.

Adding to the mystique, Barrett-Jackson will be auctioning off the actual pace car this weekend which means you can buy the very car you'll be watching on TV, provided you care about NASCAR of course.

Categories: Car Auctions,Classic Cars,Coupes,Ford

Shelby American wasted no time coming up with its own take on the new 2011 Ford Mustang. Officially dubbed a concept, the 2011 Shelby GT350 will go into production later this year with few changes.

This is essentially an aftermarket package that you purchase after you plunk down the $30K for a Mustang GT. It includes a supercharger that pushes the new 5.0 V8 to around 500 horsepower, a set of Baer brakes, 19-inch Cragar wheels and "super sticky" Goodyear tires Shelby says. The suspension also gets new springs, struts and sway bars from Ford Racing along with adjustable camber/caster plates.

Shelby says all GT350s will be white with blue stripes. Not sure if that means you have to start out with a white car or not but it probably helps. Shelby also adds a new front fascia, revised taillight treatment and a center-exit exhaust.

All this for only $34K -- that's on top of the original car, not total. So you're looking at a minimum of $64,000 for a Shelby GT350. Hope you like white.

Categories: Car Auctions,Classic Cars,Coupes,Ford,Motorsports,Tuners and Modifications

Not a bad deal for a Ford Mustang with the new 412-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8, provided it's true of course. Ford hasn't officially released pricing, but the numbers rained down from MustangHeaven yesterday and they appear legitimate.

On the bottom end, the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 coupe will arrive with a $22,995 price tag. That includes the new 305-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6 mated to a six-speed transmission. On the high end, the 2011 Mustang convertible premium will start at $38,695.

MustangHeaven

First Look: 2011 Ford Mustang GT

Categories: Convertibles,Coupes,Detroit Auto Show,Ford,Sports Cars

The granddaddy of all car auctions, Barrett-Jackson, runs next week from Tues. Jan. 19 to Sun. Jan. 24. Already a Hemi 'Cuda re-creation has been struck from the car list because the VIN on the car didn't match the title. Turns out the car was reported stolen in 1976.

Shelby American is the official sponsor of the opening night, invitation-only gala on the 18th. Carroll Shelby and his empire are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the GT350 Mustang and the 427 Cobra. So if you don't like Mustangs and Cobras, stay away from Scottsdale.

As usual, pre-1970s American nameplates account for the vast majority of lots at Barrett-Jackson, among them the 1930 Ford Model A used by the famous gangster John Dillinger. During a run from the law in 1934, "Dillinger, it is said, smashed the Ford's rear window with his Thompson [submachine gun] and sprayed his pursuers with bullets," reads a Barrett-Jackson statement.

The most expensive car ever sold at a Scottsdale auction is the 1966 Shelby Cobra Super Snake Roadster that went for $5.5 million at the 2007 Barrett-Jackson auctions, according to Sports Car Market.

There are a few newer cars on offer, too, and the newest of the new will be the first, full-production 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. The winning bidder will get to specify the drivetrain and options on the car. The proceeds, over and above the market value of the CTS coupe, will benefit the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

Other curiosities include this tiny Honda 600, the first mass-market Honda automobile and a 1952 Watson Roadster customized with a front-mounted 29-liter V12 tank engine by Blastolene. The 270-inch-long tank car has a 160-inch wheelbase and weighs 8,400 pounds. There's a video of it after the jump.

Speed will broadcast live from the auction Tuesday to Sunday. You can view the TV schedule here.

Barrett-Jackson car list

Autoweek

Sports Car Market

IL News: John Dillinger's 1930 Ford Model A To Cross Barrett-Jackson Auction Block

Continue reading 2010 Barrett-Jackson Auction Preview: 1,200+ Cars, One Less 'Cuda, First CTS Coupe.

Categories: Cadillac,Car Auctions,Ford,Honda,Manufacturers,Plymouth

If you can stand the promotional tone of the voiceover, this video offers the most detailed look yet at the MyLincoln Touch interface that will be standard in the 2011 Lincoln MKX. As we noted, the setup isn't operational in the 2011 MKXs Lincoln is showing in Detroit.

Categories: Car Tech,Crossovers,Detroit Auto Show,Ford,Lincoln,Luxury Cars

#NAIAS Ford took home both the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards here in Detroit. The Fusion Hybrid is a solid winner, but we're still scratching our heads over the choice of the Transit Connect. It's an intriguing European hand-me-down, but its sluggish performance with the mandatory four-speed automatic limits its appeal in our eyes.

If you look at past history when a manufacturer has swept these awards, it's no guarantee of a nameplate's success. Honda took both honors in 2006 with the Civic and Ridgeline. GM did it in 2007 with the Chevrolet Silverado and Saturn Aura. Flash to 2010 when the Ridgeline isn't selling and the Aura is out of production.

IL News: Ford Sweeps 2010 North American Car and Truck of Year Prizes

See the full list of finalists for North American Car and Truck of the Year.

Categories: Detroit Auto Show,Ford,Hybrids,Minivans,Sedans,Trucks

During Ford's wide-ranging press conference on the new Focus, Bill Ford came out to do a little company cheerleading, which is OK since it's sort of his company. He reiterated the company's goal to produce a pure electric version of the Focus.

That was about it. No claims of 200 miles on a charge. No boasting that it will drive like a sport sedan. No timeline either. Sounds like Ford is being a little cautious on this one. Smart move.

Categories: Detroit Auto Show,Ford,Future Vehicles