Ford
Ford's historic Thunderbird nameplate returns to the future-product vault
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March 15, 2005 Ford Motor Company will put the legendary Thunderbird nameplate back into the company's future-product vault after production for this model year ends in July. The Ford Thunderbird first went on sale October 22, 1954, marking the birth of a new legend that would grow with each generation. During five decades, Thunderbird went through several design changes with coupes, sedans, convertibles, hardtops, mid-size and large-size configurations. It went on hiatus after the 1997 model year. Thunderbird returned in 2001 as a retro-styled roadster to serve a similar role to its 1955 forebear - create excitement for the Ford brand. His article traces the history of the legend. Read More
Ford Performance Vehicles Super Pursuit luxury high-performance Pick Up Utility
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March 3, 2005, Ford Performance Vehicles showed a new addition to its range today at the Melbourne International Motor Show – a Super Pursuit luxury high-performance utility. Due for production in June, the FPV Super Pursuit will continue to push the boundaries of the Australian sports utility segment with its blend of luxurious appointments and outstanding performance. It will join the iconic GT and GT-P sedan and Pursuit Ute as part of FPV’s Boss 290 family, all powered by the quad cam Boss 290 V8, with 290kW of power and 520Nm of torque. Read More
Ford Focus Vignale Concept
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March 3, 2005 A surprise star headlined the Focus collection at the Ford Australia 2005 Melbourne International Motor Show stand today - a concept car inspired by the all-new Ford Focus. Sitting alongside the all-new Ford Focus production range making its Australian debut in Melbourne, the Focus Vignale Concept explores the potential for future Focus derivatives. The overwhelming positive response to the Vignale Concept at the Paris Motor Show led to the early confirmation of a production model, due in late 2006. "We'll be watching closely to see if it receives a similar reaction here in Melbourne." ," said Ford Australia President Tom Gorman. Read More
Ford SAV Concept Targets New Market Niche
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March 3, 2005 Ford Europe's SAV Concept demonstrates a fresh approach in two ways. Firstly it defines a new breed of car, the Sports Activity Vehicle: a three-row mono-space that is athletic both in its appearance and the way it drives. Secondly, the Ford SAV Concept provides a suitably dynamic form to reveal the emergence of a new design direction for Ford of Europe. Sleek and purposeful, the Ford SAV Concept demonstrates new ideas for people- and load-carrying flexibility. For Martin Smith, Ford of Europe’s recently appointed Executive Director of Design, it marks the first indication of a new form language for the Blue Oval brand. Read More
Diesel/Electric Ford Transit Hytrans
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February 17, 2005 - Visitors to the opening of the Green by Design exhibition at Gaydon Heritage Centre in Warwickshire UK got more than they expected on the weekend when they were among some of the first to see Ford's latest low carbon technology on display. The Ford Transit HyTrans is the first medium commercial vehicle in Europe featuring stop/start technology for greater fuel economy and reduced emissions. Read More
Ford's new performance RS model
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Ford didn't need any persuading to announce the next generation Ford Focus ST performance model on Tuesday when Toni Gardemeister drove the Focus RS WRC into the lead of the World Rally Championships in Sweden over the weekend. Ford will show the car to the public at the 75 th Salon International de L'Automobile in Geneva. God was smiling on Ford when the short-priced Citroen of Sebastien Loeb didn't make the finish and Gardmeister's third place snared both the driver and manufacturer leads in the title chase. The WRC Team has been contributing to the Ford 'shared technologies' global engineering strategy which is designed to bring technologies to market quicker than ever before. Read More
Ford and Gardemeister Lead World Rally Championship
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February 14, 2005 The World Rally Championship took an interesting turn at the Rally of Sweden this weekend with WRC favourite Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) and Swedish event favourite Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) were both forced into retirement while battling for podium positions. Subaru's Petter Solberg sealed his first victory in the event by 2min 11.1sec but the big news was that Ford's Toni Gardemeister took the World Rally Championship lead with a third place finish and Ford now leads both the drivers' and manufacturers' standings in the World Rally Championship. Read More
2006 FORD HARLEY F-150
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January 4, 2005 As we've seen before, automotive marketing often sees strange bedfellows seeking to leverage each other's brand values. Ford used the Detroit (North American International Auto Show aka NAIAS) auto show next week to launch another "king of the road" by joining with another motoring giant with a view to giving performance enthusiasts a new definition of custom cool - the 2006 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150. Read More
Ford's Mercury Meta One concept
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November 20, 2004 Details of Ford’s Mercury Meta One concept have emerged in the lead-up to the 2005 North American International Auto Show. With an emphasis on high-tech, pro-active new safety features such as "Lane Departure Warning" and "Collision Mitigation by Braking", the Meta One also promises a world-first advanced powertrain, and enhanced electronics in a design that explores the adaptation of the Mercury DNA to a crossover vehicle. Read More
Formula Ford revamped after 40 years
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The world's most successful racing car category will undergo its most radical upgrade since its launch in the late '60s, with the introduction of a new 1.6 litre Ford Fiesta road-car engine and front and rear aerodynamic aids. Ford has announced a new engine and aero package for Formula Ford in 2006 to complement its five-year financial commitment to Formula Ford. Read More
New hydraulic hybrid technology developed by EPA and Ford.
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A new hybrid technology known as hydraulic launch assist system (HLA) promises dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency, performance, and cost-effectiveness. Initially developed by the Environment Protection Authority in the US, initial tests on the proof-of-concept chassis has since led to remarkable progress with the release of a Ford F-550 commercial demonstration vehicle earlier this year. The HLA has a regenerative braking system that can reportedly improve fuel efficiency by 25 to 40 percent. It works by recovering some of the energy wasted as heat by the vehicle's brakes when slowing. This energy is harnessed and used to propel the vehicle the next time it needs to accelerate. The hydraulic system offers great advantages for vehicles operating in stop and go conditions because the system can capture a large proportion of the energy lost to the automobile when the brakes are applied. Read More
Ford Seattle-ite: one of history's most significant concept cars
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Concept cars attempt to predict the future, demonstrating new technologies to make our lives safer, more comfortable and anjoyable. With the 20-20 vision afforded by hindsight, Ford's 1963 World Fair Showpeice stands out as one of the most visionary concept cars in history. Many concept cars have forecast technologies that have become standard equippe but few have forecast as many technologies so far before their time as the Ford Seattle-ite XXI. Built to symbolise the future of American technological knowhow for the 1963 World’s Fair, it encompassed some remarkable concepts – interchangeable fuel cell power units, interchangeable bodies, interactive computer navigation, mapping and auto information systems, and four driving and steering wheels. Read More
Henry Ford's Historic Race Car to Tour Australia
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Friday September 19, 2003: One of the most celebrated cars in automotive history is coming to Australia - the car which Henry Ford drove to victory in an important motor race in 1901 which reversed his flagging fortunes of the time and enabled him to go on and build Ford Motor Company. Read More
Ford Visos concept transforms at 90kmh
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Saturday September 13, 2003: The Ford Visos Concept adds a futuristic element to previous European model designs with its blue oval shape and innovative use of technology such as door-mounted cameras that supplement rear-view mirrors, and "active surfacing" that hides the car's aerodynamic features until it reaches "sport" mode at 90 kmh. Read More
Be seen: the Ford GloCar Concept
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Sunday July 13, 2003: Ford is taking automotive illumination to a new level with a translucent concept car that uses LED lights to change body panel colours, intensity and frequency. Read More
Supercharged Ford Thunderbird concept
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Ford introduced a Supercharged Thunderbird concept car as a possible future addition to its Living Legends line of automobiles at the 2003 Los Angeles Auto Show. Read More
Ford Model U Concept
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Designed to emulate the Model T in the 21st century, Ford's Model U concept is powered by a supercharged hydrogen internal combustion engine, equipped with a hybrid electric transmission and applies eco-friendly materials and processes. Read More
Ford GT40 Race History
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The GT40 history began in the early sixties, and extended for almost a decade. During this time, it developed from an initially unreliable vehicle to one which swept all before it in endurance races across the world. Along the way, it was associated with some of the biggest names of motorsport on both sides of the Atlantic: Carroll Shelby, AJ Foyt, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Ickx, Phil Hill, and Mike Hailwood. The win in 1966 was one of Ford Motor Company's greatest moments. Read More
Ford Tonka Truck
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No, this is not an enlarged pic of a scale model - this is a real truck with all the brand values developed from spending millions of dollars marketing to toddlers around the world...by Tonka. This is a real truck which Ford will sell later this year in the US based on the famous childrens' toy Tonka toughness theme. Read More
