Why Ford & Smith Electric Have Called It Quits on Electric Van Partnership

Well, that didn’t last long. Less than a year after Ford Motor (s F) and Smith Electric Vehicles announced plans to collaborate on an electric version of the Detroit automaker’s Transit Connect commercial van for the U.S. market, the two companies have called it quits on the deal.

Ford and Smith, which have both received multimillion-dollar awards from the Department of Energy to work on electric vehicle projects in recent months, say they “mutually agreed” to part ways on the Connect after realizing that they want to pursue different markets.

Ford reiterated to us today that it aims to release the electric Transit Connect in North America late next year, followed by the electric Focus passenger car in 2011 and three other plug-in vehicles over the next three years. Smith, on the other hand, wants to focus on medium-duty commercial trucks, which it started assembling in a new Kansas City, Mo. facility this month.

According to a release from Smith today, the company decided that that it would be better off putting its resources into the production-ready Smith Newton truck, allowing the company to keep pace with what it calls “swift growth in demand” and gain market traction more quickly. That’s in comparison to working with Ford to enter the market for electric car-derived vans like the Connect — a space that Smith says it’s “concerned” will become increasingly competitive.

“Smith is choosing to put its research, development, manufacturing and marketing resources where we can get the most bang for our buck,” Smith CEO Bryan Hansel said in an announcement yesterday about plans to develop two additional models (Class 3 and 4 trucks) based on the Newton truck platform by year’s end. “The medium-duty truck market is the real sweet spot for electric commercial vehicles.”

Smith’s uptick in demand is partly thanks to the DOE, which the company says has allocated $4.5 million in funding to municipal customers through the Clean Cities program, helping them pay for 65 Smith Newton electric trucks for city fleets. In August, the DOE also awarded $10 million directly to Smith as part of the competitive battery grant program to help the company develop and deploy up to 100 electric vehicles in Kansas City, Mo., and Michigan. (Smith’s UK-based parent company, the Tanfield Group, set up a majority U.S.-owned business for Smith earlier this year, allowing it to qualify for federal and regional funding that the Smith Electric Vehicles UK could not — it’s complicated, so we’ve explained the company’s intercontinental origins more fully here.)

According to Smith, the Transit Connect project with Ford would have limited the amount of capital available for the Newton ramp-up, and at relatively low production volumes, the Connect will not “justify the investment” in the short to medium term.

An 11-year-old company called Azure Dynamics thinks otherwise. Ford — which is still working with the Tanfield Group in Europe — announced this morning that Azure will be stepping into Smith’s old role for the Connect project, integrating its Force Drive battery electric drive train into the Connect platform. While Ford and Smith are parting ways, Ford tells us this morning that it already has some common ground with Azure: The two Michigan-based companies both use lithium-ion cell technology from Johnson Controls-Saft — Azure in its E-450 Balance Hybrid trucks, which are built on a Ford chassis and slated for a 2010 launch, and Ford in its plug-in hybrid Escape demo vehicles.

Ab heute sendet DMAX "Die Ludolfs" wieder ab Folge 1

Heute um 12 Uhr kommt auf DMAX wieder die erste Folge der Ludolfs “Der Scheunenfund”:

Uwe und Manni finden in der Scheune ein echtes Juwel: einen Ford Capri, Baujahr 1972 – die Begeisterung ist groß! Das Schmuckstück ist das ideale Geschenk für Peter, der in den 70er Jahren leidenschaftlich gern Capri fuhr. Mit viel Liebe zum Detail wird der Youngtimer von den Ludolfs wieder fahrtauglich gemacht. Auf einem Sportflughafen soll der Capri anschließend beweisen, was er noch drauf hat. Peter, der seit 13 Jahren nicht mehr Auto gefahren ist, traut sich nicht ans Steuer, aber seine Brüder Uwe und Manni unterziehen den Wagen dem ultimativen Härtetest.

Ab Montag kommen dann jeden Werktag gegen 12 Uhr die weiteren Folgen.

Why Do Rally Drivers Need Co-Pilots?

Friends have asked me this question before. They seem to think its as easy as knowing the race course, kinda like F1.  But rally is totally different; the courses are longer, road conditions vary and there are obstacles around every turn, not to mention fans hanging out on the track.

Watch as Irish rally driver Jimmy Deane pushes a Ford Escort MkII to the limits.  Driving instructions come from Barry Meade, the co-driver, whose driving instruction is so overwhelmingly positive, you’d think his day job was being a motivational speaker.

 

Via AutoBlog and their sources…

Om dagens stora nyhet: Geely lägger bud på Volvo

Det har varit en förmiddag med hög nyhetspuls. Nyheten att Ford nu går in i ett mer intensivt förhandlingsläge för att eventuellt sälja Volvo Cars till kinesiska Geely nådde mig på morgonen. Kanske sammanfattar Michael Robinet i en artikel på Bloombergs det hela bäst:

“Volvo is completely integrated into Ford’s product development strategy,” Michael Robinet, a CSM Worldwide analyst in Northville, Michigan, said Oct. 20. “This is akin to selling a room on your house. You can’t separate it easily.”

Mina reflektioner är tre:
1. Det är bra för Volvo att processen går framåt. Ingen verksamhet mår bra av ett vänte-läge.

2. Det är synd att de svenska initiativ som tagits för att köpa Volvo Cars inte uppfattas som tillräckligt attraktiva av Ford.

3. Nu inväntar vi med spänning de vidare förhandlingarna. Geely är, trots att de förekommit i spekulationerna runt Volvo en längre tid, relativt okända för oss. Vi inväntar med stort intresse information om deras affärs- och utvecklingsplaner för Volvo.

Modellauto der polnischen Feuerwehr (Ford Transit)

Bei diesem Modellauto im Massstab 1:87 handelt es sich um ein Einsatzfahrzeug der polnischen Feuerwehr und ist ein Ford Transit. Es ist ein Begleitfahrzeug der Feuerwehr in Polen und wird “Straz Pozarna” genannt. Wie man auf den folgenden Fotos gut erkennen kann, ist das Modellauto auch am Dach originalgetreu bedruckt.

Polnisches Feuerwehr Einsatzauto (Ford Transit)

Das Feuerwehr Automodell von hinten

Zwei Fotos vom Originalmodell, dass nachempfunden wurde

Dieses Modellauto der polnischen Feuerwehr kann man bei Modellshop.cc für 16,90 online bestellen und ist nur in einer stark begrenzten Stückzahl vorhanden. Mehr Informationen zum Feuerwehr Auto sowie andere Modelle finden Sie hier !!

32-Second Escort Engine Swap

The Royal Marines don’t mess around, and this high-speed motor-and-trans swap makes me wish such things were permitted in the pits in NASCAR. But I call a bit of bs: if the car’s front end is anything like the US Escort’s, you have to disconnect the lower ball joints and swing the wheels way out to plug in the half shafts. But despite the shortcuts, it’s worth a view. Via Jalopnik.

FORD & VOLKSWAGEN USE NEW MARKETING TACTICS ... BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS?

The auto industry is now using non-traditional and traditional marketing tactics to introduce and sell brands.  Today, I read two articles on what the brands are up too.  Ford – going social with the Fusion and Volkswagen -launching an iPhone app for the GTI launch.

On a local level, Central Florida dealerships are starting to wonder if they should use social media too.

Do it.  NOW.  I feel like a Nike commercial … DO IT!  And DO IT NOW.

The big auto companies need your help on a local level because as we now the BIG AUTO COMPANIES have a lot to repair with customer confidence.

Local dealerships can shine by being open in your community.  If you don’t know what step to take using social media and traditional marketing … I’ll help you … pick up your phone and call me at            407 921 0892 today!

Here are the articles on Ford and Volkswagon:

Ford Goes Social Again With Fusion 41

Following its Fiesta Movemant, Ford is seeking 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid owners to participate in Fusion 41, an automotive relay race which aims to build awareness and excitement around the new Fusion. The Fusion owner of the winning team will have their vehicle paid off, and team members will win free gas for one year.

Eight participants will be chosen based on “their passion for Fusion and their ability to share compelling information about the vehicle on the internet.” Think hot chicks with tens of thousands of followers.

Four friends will join the chosen ones. Each team will be given a Fusion or a Fusion Hybrid and assigned a task to be completed in 41 hours. Why the number 41? It’s the number of miles per gallon the car gets.
.
The winning team will be chosen based on their ability to complete the activities and provide proof by uploading photos and videos to various social media sites, including Facebook.

Can Chris Brogan and Justine Ezarik please be on the same team? They’re not family members but Chris’s deadpan humor and Justine’s over the top videoliciousness would certainly make for an interesting combination. Then toss in Loren Feldman for a dose of reality and Sarah Austin for, well….just to see how Loren gets along with her. Please, Mr. Monty?

Volkswagen to Rely Solely on IPhone App for GTI Launch

Automaker Says Move is Cost-Efficient Way to Reach Target Demo

By Kunur Patel and Jean Halliday
Published: October 22, 2009

VW's Real Racing GTI game for the iPhone and iPod Touch in the App Store includes a virtual showroom.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Volkswagen of America is launching the newest-generation GTI exclusively on an iPhone app, a cost-efficient approach the automaker said is a first for the industry.

How cost efficient? When the marketer introduced the GTI in 2006, it spent $60 million on a big-budget blitz with lots of network TV. By comparison, an executive familiar with the matter estimates the annual budget for mobile AOR services is $500,000. And while an iPhone-only strategy may seem limiting, consider this: In September, Apple reported there are more than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide. By comparison, CBS’ “NCIS,” the most-watched show for week ending Oct. 18, reached 21 million viewers and commands an average price of $130,000 for a single 30-second spot.

The automaker’s Real Racing GTI game for the iPhone and iPod Touch in the App Store, unveiled at a press event last night in Manhattan, includes a motion-controlled car-racing game play like arcade or console counterparts, as well as a virtual showroom. The brand conceived the mobile strategy, which also includes a six-car giveaway for game players, with independent digital agency AKQA.

Volkswagen licensed the game from Australian developer Firemint, which built a pared-down version with fewer race tracks using only GTI’s, the high-performance variation of VW’s Golf brand.

Not only does choosing a mobile platform over a customary 30-second spot reduce marketing cost, but licensing an existing game also means savings. “It’s a clever idea,” said mobile-marketing consultant Raven Zachary, president of Small Society and founder of iPhoneDevCamp. “Licensing game technology saves VW considerable development cost and time to delivery. And the cost of six cars is not bad considering the cost of doing a print campaign or TV campaign.”

Cost a focus of VW review
Cost appears to be a major factor in Volkswagen’s review for creative agency of record, according to executives familiar with the matter. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco and Deutsch, Los Angeles are still in the running, after DDB and Wieden & Kennedy were eliminated yesterday.

Of course, there is a real danger the automaker will miss many prospects using only one narrowly targeted marketing tool. But Tim Ellis, Volkwagen of America’s VP-marketing, maintains it is a highly targeted strategy to directly reach the GTI customer, a tech-savvy, social-media activist who spends time on mobile devices, most often iPhones. “It’s a homerun in terms of the demo overlap,” said Nihal Mehta, CEO of local-search and networking app Buzzd.

As for driving that demographic to discover and download the app, Volkswagen is banking on PR, viral pass-along and some paid search for consumers looking for iPhone apps and information on the GTI.

Coming at a time when advertisers and agencies are trying to figure out how to get their apps to get noticed — and downloaded — amid the more than 65,000 in the App Store, the question arises: Will viral be enough for the GTI app? The game includes built-in functionality for players to send messages via Twitter and upload game play-videos to YouTube. Digital experts such as Mr. Nihal, who founded text-messaging company Ipsh and sold it to Omnicom Group in 2005, thinks these vehicles will prove more effective than paid media.

“Viral tactics work because media buys aren’t that compelling anymore,” he said. “You can get clicks, but even if an app is free, people don’t want to download it. They really have to be invested or told by a friend.” He especially thinks the competition and incentive to play and beat other players will work to make the app popular.

Small Society’s Mr. Zachary agreed, especially since the game has incentive beyond entertainment: a chance to win a new car. For consumers, more game play means more chances to win one of the six limited-edition 2010 GTI’s that the Herndon, Virginia-based automaker is giving away as part of the launch. Beyond the competition, the fact that the mobile-only car launch is a first is a big draw for press, too.

‘PR value’
“It’s not a gamble in this case,” he said. “VW is the first to do this and that’s PR value. If this had been the third car giveaway through an app, maybe not. Because this is novel, [VW is] going to generate considerably more press and that will drive downloads.”

Press hits aside, pitting app user against app user in competition will also translate to downloads, said Mr. Mehta, citing the popular mobile social networking service FourSquare, where users compete to be the mayor of local bars and restaurants, as a prime example. “I don’t know if a press event is going to do anything, but building in those viral elements of inviting friends having multiplayer games is a good long-term strategy. People like to compete,” Mr. Mehta said.

VW’s launch push for the GTI in 2006 from Crispin, Porter & Bogusky, Miami, featured a dark, gremlin-like character called “Fast” who in TV spots and online urged male GTI drivers to drive faster. The other work, themed “Unpimp Mien Auto,” played on VW’s heritage with “Helga,” a sexy, labcoat-wearing engineer with a German accent aimed at conveying to tuners of Asian cars that the GTI has built-in Deutschland engineering. Online versions with Helga and her sidekick, Wolfgang, were wildly popular and won Crispin Porter the top cyber award at Cannes that year.

But there were insiders at VW who were concerned that the company was spending too heavily on the niche GTI model while ignoring the best-selling Jetta. Auto pundits criticized VW for having too many different messages for different models instead of an umbrella approach.

VW sold 5,558 GTI’s in the first nine months of the year, 57% fewer than the same period a year ago, while its Jetta sales jumped by 7% to 81,161 cars, according to Automotive News.

see this: blurry pink america in an american car.

Part 1: Northfield, MN

Editor’s Note: Pictures blurry on purpose to simulate motion and/or acid trip

When I first stepped off the plane at the Humphrey Terminal at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, I became instantly aware of just how serious Minnesota is about the whole “Twin Cities” thing.  I was at the wrong end of twin terminals.  My rental car was parked over at the Lindberg Terminal – a 15 minute trek, 1 minute wait and 5 minute train ride through damn frigid northern air.

Obviously, I refused to accept anything but an American rental car, and so sped away in a pale blue Ford Focus and headed due south to Northfield.   Don’t ask me why a place called Northfield is in Southern, MN – I don’t know.  All I really know about the place is that Jesse James robbed a bank there once – it’s their claim to fame.  On the way, you can also travel through some really unspectacular scenery.

While in Northfield, I stopped by Carleton College and St. Olaf College – a pair of small private schools who put the Liberal into Liberal Arts.  Carleton seemed to be obsessed with the female orgasm, because there were signs about events and discussions on the topic posted all around their campus, and the main feature in their school newspaper that day read like Consumer Reports for fancy new vibrators.  One that stood out was an electric toothbrush looking one called the “Eroscillator”.

The boys over at Carleton must not be cutting it.

Next, it was off to St. Olaf, which I guess people only know about because they used to mention it fairly regularly on Golden Girls.  They have a big windmill and a surprising cool student center with a legit full-size live music venue inside.  The Hold Steady were scheduled to appear in the following weeks.

Minnesota is also the corporate home of Target stores.  It seems like there is a Target at every exit along the highway.  I also spotted fast food Valhalla in the form of a combination Taco Bell/Long John Silvers.  I resisted the urge to gorge myself on fried fish, tacos, and fish tacos so that I could sample something with more local flavor.

I got into my Ford and headed back north to the Twin Cities, where a certain cheese-filled adventure awaited.

… to be continued.

Ford to give away new car in 'We Race You Win' game

One lucky fan will win a 2010 Ford Fusion in Ford Racing’s “We Race. You Win.” national sweepstakes, announced Thursday as part of the Ford NASCAR Media Day.

Each time a Ford Racing driver wins a Cup Series points race in 2009, one lucky fan and a guest will win an all-expenses paid trip to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the race weekend, one of those fans then will be selected as the grand prizewinner of a 2010 Ford Fusion.

Race fans can register by clicking here anytime from Jan. 22 to Nov. 15, 2009. The  sooner you register, the more opportunities you have to win!

“With our new NASCAR Fusion debuting on track this season, we wanted to do something special for race fans that will reward them every time one of our drivers wins,” said Greg Scott, Ford Fusion marketing manager. “The inspiration for Ford’s NASCAR race car, the 2010 Fusion, is destined to be a hit in the marketplace, not just because of its bold design and the way it drives, but also because of its award-winning reliability and safety features.”

Ford drivers won 11 Sprint Cup races in 2008, including a series-best nine victories from Carl Edwards, who test drove both the 2010 Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Fusion Sport at Homestead last November.

“I’m looking forward to giving our race fans as many chances to win a new Fusion as I possibly can,” said Edwards, who is the driver of the No. 99 Ford. “After my test drive, I personally know how good a car the new Fusion is and I can’t wait for it to get to the dealers so everybody can drive one. I hope the Ford drivers win a lot more than 11 races this year so we can help more fans win that trip to Ford Championship Weekend.”

As a bonus to kick off the new national promotion, after the first Ford victory of 2009 — as soon as the season-opening Daytona 500 — one lucky fan will have the winning driver come to his/her hometown for a 2010 Fusion test drive and dinner.

All of the Homestead winners will receive a trip for two to Ford Championship Weekend, including air, hotel, rental car, tickets to all three races, and a VIP visit with Ford drivers at the race track.

Fans who register will also have a chance to be eligible for one of 10 random monthly drawings of Ford Racing themed prizes, like autographed helmets, apparel packs and more.

Source: icq.nascar.com

Al-Maliki Undergoes Urgent Medical Treatment

by Richard Skylar
Executive Editor

Karzai votes on laws that are strengthened by respected South African jurist Richard Goldstone, saying the longtime leader had said he believed Villepin in January.

Al-Maliki needed urgent medical treatment.

In light of thousands of decisions in Kabul over the continuing attempt of suicides, the group has denounced two leaders who were thrown out. Although she was watching closely for lucrative bond work conditions, the prosecutor has placed a bid on the interests of bravery and Palestinian militants. Instead of committing war crimes during the U.S. withdrawal plans, which would see that all sides agreed on the cessation of law.

In interviews over the jury has reacted coolly to examine itself better work in 2004, while Ford’s European results by Okah was the Afghan president’s side has reacted coolly to hold to complete this election law during the Human Rights Council, which was the parliament to a former Yugoslavia and development center in the weekend by pound and said he said.

The award is reporting that included whether to have to Israel attacked Gaza last week, recommends war crimes allegations against Israel.

But in the company’s latest response to Asia will be next October.

A deeply-in-debt Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford leaves no chances. Tuesday’s decision about a million barrels of a critical nationwide vote will leave the decision to the company’s employees of Vietnam.

richardskylar@gmail.com

Halloween Site Wide Discount at OCDiesel.com

Are you looking for spooky savings this Halloween season?

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Enter Coupon Code: BOO upon check out to receive your 5% discount!

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2010 Ford Taurus Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick; Offers Suite of Standard Safety Technologies.

The all-new 2010 Ford Taurus, with its advanced crash safety structure and a suite of standard restraint and air bag technologies, has earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) based on its performance in testing.

Taurus offers an array of driver aid and safety features, including a radar-enabled advanced collision warning system, Cross Traffic Alert that that warns drivers of hard-to-see parking lot traffic and the MyKeyTM safety system that provides parents with peace of mind.

The 2010 Taurus introduces the latest version of Ford SYNC® with Traffic, Directions & Information; studies show in-vehicle voice-activated communications systems such as SYNC help drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

Read the full article 

Interested in purchasing a 2010 Ford Taurus? Call Allan Vigil Ford Lincoln Mercury at 888.542.3388 and schedule your test drive today!

Fiat, Ford, GM e Volks preveem crescimento de 6% nas vendas

DCI

A expectativa de crescimento das vendas de automóveis no mercado brasileiro para os próximos anos, rumo a um volume de quatro milhões de veículos em 2014, não foi abalada com o retorno do Imposto sobre os Produtos Industrializados (IPI). Mesmo aguardando um primeiro semestre menos aquecido em 2010, tanto por conta da volta integral da alíquota do imposto em janeiro, quanto pela sazonalidade natural no período, as fabricantes apostam que o mercado doméstico irá se expandir em até 6%, na comparação com os números recordes de 2009, dependendo da análise de cada montadora.

A Volkswagen do Brasil, em sua projeção mais otimista, estima crescimento de 6%. A montadora está a poucas semanas de anunciar novos aportes no Brasil para incremento de sua produção. “Como a previsão de crescimento é forte, o investimento será grande”, garantiu o presidente da Volks do Brasil, Thomas Schmall.

Segundo o executivo, o objetivo não será construir uma nova unidade fabril e que, no momento, a montadora estuda questões sobre competitividade para definir o destino do montante, que terá sua maturação em 2014. Nesse ano, a companhia alemã projeta vender um milhão das quatro milhões de unidades estimadas para serem comercializadas no mercado brasileiro. “O investimento será necessário para manter o crescimento”, afirmou.

O desempenho do mercado brasileiro está, ainda, ampliando a participação das operações brasileiras da montadora. O País deverá representar, no fechamento de 2009, 11,7% das vendas mundiais do grupo, contra os 9,3% anotados em 2008. “A América do Sul e Ásia são os mercados do futuro”, disse. Para 2010, a Volkswagen do Brasil planeja, no mínimo, dez lançamentos no mercado nacional.

Preços

O custo do carro vai subir em 2010, tanto pelo retorno integral do IPI, quanto pelo custo de fabricação dos veículos, o que irá impactar as montadoras e consumidores. Segundo o presidente da General Motors do Brasil (GMB), Jaime Ardila, o IPI, mais a antecipação de compras deste ano, somado ao aumento dos preços, levarão a indústria automobilística brasileira a ter resultados em 2010 similares aos que serão registrados no final deste ano. “Apenas o rastreador, que já começa a ser implantado em fevereiro, pode aumentar o preço do veículo em R$ 500″, afirmou Ardila. “Mas se meus concorrentes estão sendo mais otimistas, estou torcendo por eles”, concluiu. A previsão atual da GM para 2009 é que a indústria automobilística brasileira feche o ano com 3,140 milhões de veículos comercializados no País, 140 mil a mais do que a projeção da Anfavea (associação que reúne as montadoras).

Mesmo mais conservadora, a GM irá lançar de três a quatro modelos em 2010, “importado e de produção local”, segundo o presidente da montadora. A GMB iniciará a produção do segundo modelo da família Viva na metade de 2010, em sua unidade em São Caetano (SP).

Mercado aquecido

O mercado interno de quatro milhões de unidades nos próximos cinco anos é considerada “pessimista” pela Ford, afirmou o diretor de Assuntos Corporativos da Ford na América do Sul, Rogelio Golfarb. Já para 2010, a Ford acredita em expansão de 5% do mercado doméstico ante 2009.

Segundo o executivo, o IPI é uma “questão já resolvida” e que a Ford está agora mais preocupada com questões estruturais. “Nos próximos cinco anos nossos investimentos dependem de um plano de negócios. Sabemos que o mercado vai crescer e a questão é de quanto”, afirmou Golfarb. “Não acredito que as coisas, no Brasil e no mundo, serão como antes da crise. Por isso, é preciso repensar o modelo produtivo. Estamos mais preocupados com o cenário de investimento e produtividade”, completou.

Já a italiana Fiat projeta para o próximo ano crescimento que poderá ir de 1% a 5%, segundo o diretor comercial da montadora, Lélio Ramos. “Neste ano o IPI foi responsável pelas vendas de 300 mil unidades”, disse.

Até o final do ano, a Anfavea aguarda vendas aquecidas, mesmo com o retorno gradual do IPI Por outro lado, o presidente da entidade, Jackson Schneider, aguarda “dificuldades no início de 2010″, mas prevê “crescimento de um dígito para o ano”. Questionada sobre as ofertas da indústria e concessionárias para segurarem o IPI, o executivo afirmou que não existe uma posição da indústria. “Esta é uma decisão comercial”, disse.

Fonte : DCI | www.dci.com.br

Philly likes blue: Ford color data reveals quirks

In Philadelphia, they’ve got the blues. In Cincinnati, they’ve got — well — the reds.

Cincinnati is the top market for red cars in the U.S., while Philly buyers prefer blue. That is the picture Ford Motor Co. drew Tuesday based on its internal sales data.

Sometimes, color preferences are logical. Ford says buyers in hot cities, like Phoenix and Dallas, like white cars, while buyers in colder cities, like Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, are partial to red.

But sometimes, the preferences are a puzzle. Ford says Boston is the top market for both brown and green cars, for example, while San Franciscans like silver. In Florida, they like gold.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Involving: Ford ask their customers to tell their stories

When I started this blog, I wrote about how I think good marketing has to be interactive, how you have to get your customers to feel like they are involved in your brand. Well, that’s one of the things the marketers at Ford are doing very well with their The Ford Story site. In particular, they are giving their customers the opportunity to tell their stories.

The gentleman in the photo is Dick F. Now, Dick has covered 619,000 miles in his Ford Mustang and is still going strong. “I’ve owned my 1971 Ford Mustang since it was brand new. I now have 619,484 miles on the car. Every mile and every drop of fuel has been logged. Very close to original” he says “I’ve done all of the maintenance and repairs, including engine rebuilding. I think it might make it another 300,000 or 400,000 miles, which would make it 1,000,000 miles total. We’ve always been a Ford family, and I think Ford makes the best cars.”“I think Ford makes the best cars”! Did you hear that?

What a fantastic example of social media being used exactly as it should: to make people feel involved in the brand. Ford are putting their customers to work for them, pursuading others to join them. Forget user created content, this is user created advertising.

And the comments on the site tell you it’s working:

“respect, i am only 15 and would only hope of buying a car as beautiful as that soon”

“Thats why the Mustang is now and always will be considered a legend.”

You can’t buy advertising like that.

Ford Fusion Hybrid, International Supercar

Ford has been much in the news.  Unlike the other Big 3 automakers, it didn’t take government money and hasn’t been as painfully mismanaged or dismembered as Chrysler or General Motors, which no longer builds excitement.  Ford has retired debt, reached an agreement with the UAW and seen its stock more than quadruple in the past few months.

What’s missing from the equation? Cars.  But Ford’s comeback, to be successful, depends on building cars people want to buy.   Like the Ford Fusion Hybrid.  Which I watched hungrily at its launch at the 2008 LA Auto Show, and which I plunked down my hard earned money to buy six months ago.

I call mine ‘international supercar’ because it’s an American Ford, is a 5-seater based on the Mazda 6, is assembled in Mexico and includes a Japanese gas/electric hybrid system and navigation system.

After six months, I hardly see it, as my wife has decided it’s her favorite car of all time.  She loves the heated leather seats, the Sync Bluetooth handsfree phone system, the hard drive where Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen reside–and most of all, the 36.8 miles per gallon we’ve averaged on gas over the 6500 miles we’ve driven the car.  Doesn’t hurt that a friend says our silver Fusion “looks like a Lexus.”  Or that my wife looks good in it, either.

One of my favorite features is that it goes up to 45 mph on electric power alone, so I can be crusing Ventura Boulevard in stealth mode. It runs on regular gas, too, unlike our Lincoln Aviator, which greedily (13 miles per gallon) drinks only premium.

As a techie I love all the electrical gadgets, from blind spot detection to being able to pick a restaurant or a cheap gas station (as if I needed one) on the screen or command it via Blackberry.  It’s basically a voice-operated computer on wheels–without Microsoft’s ‘blue screen of death’ so far.

I’ve had my disagreements with Pulitzer Prize winner Dan Neil of the LA Times.  But not when he says of the Fusion, “Wait, so somebody invented the car of the future and didn’t tell us?”

 

Ford Fiesta Movement: Meet an Agent

The Ford Fiesta Movement:

Over 4,000 people applied to test drive the Ford Fiesta on the American road long before its launch here. But only 100 were chosen to be the Agents of the Fiesta Movement.

The Ford Fiesta has come to play on the American roads. In the ultimate foreign exchange program, the 100 agents are spending six months behind the wheel of their own Fiesta, sharing their experiences, and completing monthly missions to show you what experiencing the Ford Fiesta is all about, way in advance of the U.S. launch in 2010.

FiestaMovement.com pulls in all of the agents’ content across the web to let you follow the Movement in one convenient place. And each month will highlight different themed Missions, from Travel, Adventure, and Social Activism to Technology, Style & Design, and Entertainment. This month we’re all about social activism.

About the Ford Fiesta:

One of Motor Trend’s “Gotta Have Cars” for 2010, the Ford Fiesta will make a bold statement on the American road.

In Europe, the Fiesta name has been synonymous with outstanding performance, design and value for over 30 years and millions of miles. The new Ford Fiesta takes that three-decade heritage to a new level with eye-catching styling and exemplary driving dynamics for U.S. consumers.

Meet One of The Agents:

Rustin Andrew Moore was born in the small interracial melting pot 30 minutes outside of NYC in Piscataway, NJ on March 12th, 1981. He was brought up in a tightly stitched household of an ever present father, a loving mother and a role model brother. His father taught him the meaning of dedication, his mother the meaning of unconditional love and his brother the meaning of determination. This Trifecta coupled with private and public school molded a street smart, personable, slap-stick, humored young man that embodies the voice of reason in every facet of his life. Educated at Howard University in Washington DC, Rustin ventured out to foreign land after graduating. His blogs surface across the Internet with current social, commentary, gut-busting videos and inspirational motivating run-on blogs. Currently, Rustin is the Operations Manager for the media conglomerate, AlumniRoundup.

Current Mission: Leap of Faith

The sky is truly the limit once you decide to jump out of a plane. Rustin is to go skydiving and give new meaning to the phrase on a wing and a prayer.

Follow Rustin on Twitter

Sound like your kind of car? Call Allan Vigil Ford Lincoln Mercury today at 888.542.3388 and set up your test drive!

Want to learn more about Allan Vigil Ford Lincoln Mercury? Visit us at www.vigilford.com

10th Favorite Thing About the 2009 State Fair of Texas: Keeping the Humans Safe

I certainly was relieved to see this on Opening Day of the 2009 State Fair:

Yes everyone, you can now relax as you wander from attraction to attraction (or fried food to fried food) at this year’s Fair.

After (evidently) trading in his GM branding for some super- shiny new Ford armor, Optimus Prime appears to have parked himself on the west lawn outside the Auto Show and will be protecting all fairgoers in the event of a Decepticon attack.

That is one serious truck-monster folks. I did not speak to the salesman as I passed by, but I could swear I heard him tell someone that this could haul a hippopotamus OR a house.

(Or beat the tar out of Starscream, if circumstances necessitated.)

Wow.

I took this picture, but it does not do justice to the size of the Autobot in question. I honestly remember it being at least three times as large as what you see here.

Greatest Hits: From Junk To Restored to Street Rod

Brian Talbert’s 1929 Model A Sedan was a big inspiration when I was building mine. This is the first version of the car, built in the mid-sixties with a bitchin’ two-tone metallic blue paint job and Radir wheels. The car was cosmetically stock, with engine and drivetrain upgrades, and was a classic example of the style of cars being built by the Early Times car club, of which Talbert was a member. (Coincidentally, Richard Graves, another original Early Times member, did some work on my sedan, running brake lines and tweaking the front end suspension.)

Thanks to Jim Aust’s efforts to chronicle the Early Times club history, I was able to get a few more pictures of the Talbert sedan. The one above is from one of the first Street Rod Nationals. It looks like the ‘29 is wearing Buick wire wheels by now.

I’m not sure who the gorilla is, but that looks like Jim “Jake” Jacobs’ Model A pickup in the foreground.

Sometime afterwards, Talbert did quite a bit more work on the sedan. Not only new paint and Buick wires, but a then-cutting-edge Jaguar rear end in the back.

I love this photo. I tried to replicate the look on my sedan. The original glass fuel filter, white-painted manifolds, and amber fog lights are the shit.

The Dog Update

I have been stuck watching my friend All-in Pete’s dog all weekend. The dog is a Ridgeback and his name is Ford. But for some reason I keep calling him Floyd. I don’t know why. The British Chef maybe? May he rest in peace.

The casualties this weekend has been:

1. My right shoe. Not longer recognizable. The left one looks sad and lonely.

2. A red coaster. Shred to bits.

3. A pop-up toy. A small rubber lizard pops up when you remove the lid of a wooden box. The box is gone. The lizard is okay for some reason. Okay, but presumably shaken from the attack.

Saturn Will "Wind Down"

Forbes
General Motors said Wednesday it would wind down its Saturn brand after Penske Automotive Group abruptly called off negotiations to buy the unit.

Penske pulled the plug because it couldn’t secure future products for Saturn showrooms beyond 2011, when GM is scheduled to stop producing Saturns.

Although it had negotiated a supply agreement with another manufacturer, the deal was rejected by that manufacturer’s board of directors, Penske said in a statement. “Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks and uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction.”

Makes sense I mean Mike T. is the only person to ever own a Saturn.