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Battle of the Blue Badges: Volkswagen overtakes Ford as world's 3rd largest automaker

While Toyota and General Motors continue to duke it out for first place among the world's largest automakers, the lower rungs have been equally hotly contested. It came as a shock to many that Hyundai-Kia had surpassed Honda to take the Number 5 spot, but if you think the battle is being waged purely between the Far East and North America, don't discount Europe for long. The continent's largest auto group, Volkswagen, has claimed its place on the podium as the world's third largest automaker, beating out Ford in the first half of this fiscal year. The numbers, of course, are based on sales worldwide, and they could very well change by the end of the year. Although Ford's own namesake brand surely accounts for the bulk of its sales, the FoMoCo multi-brand conglomerate that once included the Premier Auto Group has dissipated of late, while VW's numerous subsidiaries – including Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti – continue to thrive. All the more impressive, then, that a tiny company like Porsche is on the verge of seizing it all.
posted : 9/13/2008 @6:39:02 AM
Ford to meet with dealers about future products, try to close stores

2008 has been a historically woeful year for the auto market, but Ford dealers have been in the crosshairs of a sales decline for over a decade. That brutal reality, along with financial incentives of up to $700,000 or more from the Blue Oval, has lead to the closure of over 500 dealers since mid-2006, and over 150 so far in 2008. To close still more dealers while giving remaining stores a heads-up of future happenings, Ford is embarking on a series of meetings with Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers. Among the topics of discussion will be future products, product volume and market conditions. Though Ford isn't stating publicly how many dealerships it wishes to close, the Blue Oval is hoping to have enough departures to make the remaining dealerships healthy. Ford would like to see Ford brand dealers with 1,500 sales per month and Lincoln Mercury dealers with 600 sales per month, which is far higher than what Ford's 3,900 stores are averaging now. To help entice dealers to hang up their plaid sport coats, Ford will be offering cash incentives, but Ford Market Representation Director David Kelleher is hinting that those deals won't last long.
posted : 9/13/2008 @6:23:12 AM
Ford seeking directors for Mustang movies

If you want to be the next critically acclaimed filmmaker, the Ford Mustang may be your ticket to an audience of millions. Ford and Filmaka.com are teaming up on a contest to see who can create the best Mustang-themed script. Would-be filmmakers can choose from one of eight Mustang stories or pick a tale of their own, then write a script about it. The people with the top 20 scripts as chosen by Ford and Filmaka.com will get a budget of $5,000 to produce their film, along with contacts at local Mustang clubs for the use of vehicles to shoot. Those 20 winners will have two weeks to submit their finished work, and nine winners and an alternate will receive an additional $5,000 in prize money. The top 10 will also get the chance to create a promo that will appear on network TV. The grand prize winner gets the opportunity to direct a film for promotional materials for the 2010 Mustang. That's a pretty cool contest for aspiring filmmakers everywhere, but there isn't much time at all to get in on the fun. The contest ends on August 26 (today!), and the top 20 winners will need to have their initial work completed by September 16.
posted : 9/13/2008 @5:29:37 AM

Ford moving to three-year redesigns to keep things fresh

Back when it was virtually guaranteed 20% US market share, Ford would redesign its vehicles every five or more years. The Ford Ranger, Focus, and Crown Victoria changed even slower, with mostly only new lights and grilles. When competitive pressures started to put the Blue Oval into an anaconda death grip, that once guaranteed share began to shrink. To battle those competitive forces, Ford is looking to do a major redesign on its vehicles every three years from now on. Ford design director Peter Horbury told Automotive News that minor styling changes just aren't effective, and that future redesigns will include changes to everything but the doors, roof, and glass. That leaves bumpers, hoods, trunks, lights, quarter panels and front and rear facias as some of the items that can be refreshed in a much more timely fashion.

Horbury claims the Dearborn, MI automaker listened to the press with regard to styling changes, which emboldens us to ask for more. We'd like a twin-turbo four-pot Mustang, a plug-in euro Focus, a 40 mpg F-150, a seat on the board, and free Mondeos for all.

posted : 7/15/2008 @1:38:04 AM

Ford's new active safety initiative hits the street

Newer technology like GPS and Wi-Fi have given us easy access to directions, and soon, in-car Internet. Ford is working with the federal government and other automakers to use that same technology to improve safety on our roadways as well. Since 40% of all accidents and 20% of automotive fatalities occur at intersections, stop signs and stop lights were the smart place to start.

The new "Smart Intersection" uses Wi-Fi and GPS to find the exact location of your vehicle and determine if a warning is needed to help you stop. When driving through an intersection, an on-site black box and two wireless antennae communicate with your vehicle. If the light is red and it's determined that your vehicle isn't stopping, a wireless signal will be sent to your car, alerting you with a visual and audible warning signal in a fraction of a second. A series of red LEDs will flash, a noise will sound, and a voice will say "stop sign" or "stop light". With drivers preoccupied with cell phones, in-car eating and sipping on java, the warning quickly refocuses his or her attention back to the road. We tried it ourselves, and we can tell you firsthand that the warnings quickly got us to stop the car.

The move towards active safety comes as most automakers are getting four or five stars in NHTSA crash testing, making the next focus of their efforts the avoidance od accidents altogether. The Smart Intersection could help save thousands of lives per year, while also cutting back the three billion gallons of fuel wasted each year in accident-related traffic jams. Honda, Toyota, GM, and Daimler are also working on smart intersections, and Ford collaborated with Michigan's Oakland County to set up a couple of real-world techno-intersections for testing. Unfortunately, it could take 20 years to get smart intersection technology in every traffic stop and vehicle, but at least much of the technology needed to accomplish this goal is already here. Follow the jump to see a video of the Smart Intersection in action.
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posted : 7/15/2008 @1:06:38 AM
FoMoCo sues feds for $445m in overpaid taxesThe idea of having Uncle Sam come after you for back taxes is an unpleasant thought for any American. It's another story altogether when the feds are the ones doling out the Benjamins, though, as Ford is learning. The Blue Oval is officially suing the government for $445 million in overpaid taxes between 1983 and 1989 and again from 1992 to 1994. Ford wasn't overly excited about filing a lawsuit against the IRS, but due to the overwhelming amount of money involved and the fact that Ford can use all the cash it can get its hands on, the company felt it had little choice. The government actually claims to have paid the money in full, but Ford contends that the interest was not fully repaid. Considering that the additional interest was nearly half a billion dollars, we're guessing Ford really overpaid back in the day.
posted : 7/15/2008 @12:52:24 AM

2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Ford took pride in being the first automaker on the planet to offer a hybrid utility vehicle when it introduced the first battery-assisted Ford Escape in mid-2004. The Escape hybrid has had mixed success over the past few years, but with gas prices hitting $4 per gallon, the Blue Oval is selling every unit it can produce. For the 2008 model year, one in eight Escape sales are hybrids, which is impressive when you consider that it averages $30,000 per vehicle. In 2006, the Escape was joined by the lower volume Mariner Hybrid, giving Ford two entries in the hybrid soft-roader market, and a green model to sell at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships.

The Escape got a thorough makeover on the outside for 2008, but most of the mechanicals remain a carryover from the previous generation. For 2009, Ford finished the job on the Escape and its sheet metal sibling from Mercury and the hybrid models followed suit. The changes include a new engine that provides more power and improved efficiency, some cosmetic tweaks, and several technological upgrades. Ford is betting that the changes will improve their footing in the green scene, so we took a loaded Mercury Mariner hybrid into the Autoblog Garage to see if the fuel-sipping CUV could win us over.

posted : 6/30/2008 @5:56:42 PM

Ford to market F-150 as a work truck

The reality of $4 per gallon gasoline coupled with a major slowdown in construction work has conspired to put the US truck market in a world of hurt. Ford has already postponed the launch of the all-new F-150 by two months, and when the truck goes on sale, the Blue Oval will be focusing its marketing efforts on the people that use their trucks for what they were designed for: work. Ford is betting that customers that buy trucks for looks are all but gone, but like Ford Marketing Manager Mike Crowley says, you can't build America with a fleet of Priuses. Past F-150 launches arrived with mostly high-end crew cab models were geared towards recreational truck owners, but the 2009 model will arrive mainly in two door and extended cab configurations. Those less expensive models are a big hit with fleets and construction companies.

The truck market may be down 21% in 2008, but by focusing on core buyers Ford is hoping to gain ground on the competition. Since roughly one-quarter of Ford's sales come courtesy of its F-Series lineup, lets hope the 105 year old company is right.

posted : 6/30/2008 @5:44:32 PM


Ford has seen its ups and downs when it comes to vehicle styling, but with immense competition around the world and in North America specifically, design disasters will hurt an automaker now more than ever before. Ford design director Peter Horbury leads Ford's North American design, so responsibility for both beauties and beasts will rest firmly on his English shoulders. We had the opportunity to spend some time with Horbury and learn more about his plans for both Ford and Lincoln, and as usual the eloquent designer didn't disappoint. Hit play on the video above to hear what Horbury had to say about future European Fords in the U.S., global design, and the future of Ford interiors.
posted : 6/4/2008 @8:05:33 PM
Ford delays car payments for victims of Iowa tornado

Car payments are way down on the list of concerns for victims of the recent tornados in Iowa. Thus, Ford Motor Credit has introduced a Disaster Relief Program that will offer grace from one or two monthly payments to qualified customers. Lease customers, or buyers who financed purchases through Ford Credit or other brand-specific financing arms (Jaguar Credit, Land Rover Capital, Mazda American Credit, Primus, or Volvo Car Fiance) will be notified by mail about how to register. Once registered, customers can postpone one or two months worth of payments, allowing them to focus on putting their lives back together again before worrying about the next check to Ford. We expect other automakers to follow Ford's lead this week as the extent of damage caused by Iowa's strongest tornadoes in 32 years is fully revealed.
posted : 6/2/2008 @7:45:02 PM
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