Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Top 10 Cars You Should Drive on a First Date]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/top-10-cars-you-should-drive-on-a-first-date/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/top-10-cars-you-should-drive-on-a-first-date/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/top-10-cars-you-should-drive-on-a-first-date/#commentsFiled under:


Click above to view Top 10 Cars You Should Drive on a First Date

Back in November, we did a post titled Top 10 Cars You Should Never Drive on a First Date. Many readers told us that we needed a Top 10 list of the cars you should drive on a first date. The only problem is that we're less qualified to write this list than the last one, but we decided to give it a go anyway. Click above to check out our Top 10 Cars You Should Drive on a First Date, and once you've seen all our Don Juan specials, feel free to offer up your first date motoring suggestions in the comments.

Top 10 Cars You Should Drive on a First Date originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cadillacfeaturedhondalincoln town carLincolnTownCarmazda rx-8MazdaRx-8smart fortwoSmartFortwotop 10top 10 date carsTop10Top10DateCarstoyotavolkswagenTue, 27 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford's RWD offerings are focused on fleets]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/fords-rwd-offerings-are-focused-on-fleets/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/fords-rwd-offerings-are-focused-on-fleets/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/fords-rwd-offerings-are-focused-on-fleets/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



While most of us haven't even thought about the big rear-drive Ford sedans much lately (unless one was wearing taxi or limo livery), those cars have received a lot of attention internally at Ford. The Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria have moved from active duty to scheduled for deletion to back into semi-production over the past year or so. The antiquated Panther platform was actually in production throughout 2007, but most people probably hadn't noticed. For 2008, that trend will continue.

Fleet sales will continue to take up a bigger portion of production, with dealers no longer ordering Crown Vics for customers. Town Car production was shifted from Ford's Wixom, Mich. assembly plant to its St. Thomas, Ontario, plant, but dealers will have a very limited set of option packages available, with the vast majority of production going to limo duty. The Mercury Grand Marquis, on the other hand, will continue to sell 45/55 private/fleet. Although Ford moved nearly 160,000 of these vehicles in 2006, production should be down to about 100,000 by '09.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]

Ford's RWD offerings are focused on fleets originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Ford Crown VictoriaFordCrownVictoriaLincoln Town CarLincolnTownCarMercury Grand MarquisMercuryGrandMarquisMon, 27 Aug 2007 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy Shots: 2009 Lincoln MKS]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/22/spy-shots-2009-lincoln-mks/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/22/spy-shots-2009-lincoln-mks/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/22/spy-shots-2009-lincoln-mks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jim Dunne has dunne it again... one of the world's most famous (and most irritating, if you're an OEM engineer) spy photographers has caught the 2009 Lincoln MKS as it ran out for a little test jaunt around Dearborn.

While Dunne admits that the presence of an early-prototype MKS is no big whoop after Ford just showed off the concept version last January at Detroit's North American International Auto Show, it's nice to know that with all the shuffling going on at Ford they're still on track with product development.

The MKS will be a Lincoln flagship, boasting a V6 engine mated to a six-speed transmission putting power to the ground via the front wheels. No official word on when the car will launch, but Popular Mechanics says we should expect to see it launch in 2008 as a 2009 model.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Spy Shots: 2009 Lincoln MKS originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 May 2007 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OK, Bonhams and Goodman in Australia is now near the top of our list of favorite auction companies. They just posted a catalogue of 150 cars from a private collection that will be up for sale next week. The best part about this offering is that these are all one man's cars and many of them aren't particularly well known. There are lots of fun and odd lots in this collection, and many enthusiasts will recognize the names or shapes, but they are generally unheralded cars from the craptacular '70s and '80s.

AMC Matadors, Chrysler Cordobas, Opel Monzas, and Lincoln Town Cars sit alongside Maseratis, Jaguars and Mercedes. Nothing too spectacular. Certainly nothing that would challenge the top bids at the recent Otis Chandler liquidation. Expected bids range from sub-$1,000 beaters to a Jag XK150, Bentley Mk. IV and DeTomaso Pantera which are expected to fetch $70,000-$80,000. Most of the cars have low mileage and have been sitting for some time, so winning bidders should expect to do some freshening before the cars are roadworthy again, but once they are, it should be a lot of fun. Looking through the listings is like reading the classifieds from 1978. We highly recommend checking it out for yourself.

[Source: Hemmings]

Australian Auction Action: Craptacular collection from the 70s and 80s originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AMC MatadorAmcMatadorAustraliaBentley Mk. IVBentleyMk.IvBonhams and GoodmanBonhamsAndGoodmanChrysler CordobaChryslerCordobaDeTomaso LongchampsDeTomaso PanteraDetomasoLongchampsDetomasoPanteraLincoln Town CarLincolnTownCarOpel MonzaOpelMonzaXK150Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:09:00 EST<![CDATA[What will Wall Street do with no Town Car?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/14/what-will-wall-street-do-with-no-town-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/14/what-will-wall-street-do-with-no-town-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/14/what-will-wall-street-do-with-no-town-car/#commentsFiled under: ,



UPDATE 1 - Ford announced this morning (9/15) that it will continue to offer the Town Car beyond 2007. More after the jump.

In New York City, black Lincoln Town Cars are almost as common as yellow cabs. Workers who stay late at their offices often pick up the phone, dial a livery service, and collapse into the back seats of the ubiquitous Lincs for the ride home. This sequence is replayed in urban centers across the country. The Detroit News knows this, and wonders what's going to happen if the big Linc goes to automotive heaven after 2007 as has been rumored.

The article mentions the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Chrysler 300C as potential replacements. While this could be a golden opportunity for the Chrysler 300 (and its long-wheelbase variant) to move in, and maybe the Cadillac DTS as well, we'll bet on the Merc and its Ford Crown Vic twin.

Why? They're built on the same platform, have the same powertrain, and equally substantial trunk space. Fleet versions are available with a 6" wheelbase stretch, which takes care of the discrepancy in rear-seat room. Fully-loaded examples are almost as plush, and importantly, servicing them should be no different than servicing the Town Car. We don't see why livery services would want to move away from the Panther platform cars, which have more than proven themselves in America's urban jungles as taxis, police cars, and upscale chauffered rides like the Town Car.

(Continues after the jump)

[Source: The Detroit News]

Continue reading What will Wall Street do with no Town Car?

What will Wall Street do with no Town Car? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cadillac dtsCadillacDtschrysler 300chrysler 300 long-wheelbasechrysler 300 lwbchrysler 300cchrysler 300c long wheelbasechrysler 300c lwbChrysler300Chrysler300cChrysler300cLongWheelbaseChrysler300cLwbChrysler300Long-wheelbaseChrysler300Lwblincoln reach higherlincoln town carLincolnReachHigherLincolnTownCarreach higherReachHighertown carTownCarThu, 14 Sep 2006 16:58:00 EST<![CDATA[American Idle: Ford halts production lines at seven plants due to defective part]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/american-idle-ford-halts-production-lines-at-seven-plants-due-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/american-idle-ford-halts-production-lines-at-seven-plants-due-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/american-idle-ford-halts-production-lines-at-seven-plants-due-t/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The importance of quality parts and strong supplier relations was laid bare for the Ford Motor Company Thursday, as it was forced to hit the red button on five assembly plants (and partially close a sixth) after it learned that of a defective clutch mechanism employed in certain 4-speed automatic transmissions. The costly shutdown idles plants producing F-Series pickups, E-Series vans, Expeditions, and the Lincoln Town Car. 15,000 workers are affected.

No word yet on how many units are affected, or how soon production will resume on these profit-rich vehicles, but an analyst has pegged the shutdown as costing some $34.4 million per day, before taxes.

[Source: Associate Press via Yahoo News; BBC News]
   

American Idle: Ford halts production lines at seven plants due to defective part originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4-speed automatic4-speedAutomaticauto assemblyAutoAssemblyautomatic transmissionAutomaticTransmissioncar productionCarProductiondefective partDefectivePartE-SeriesEconolineF-150F-SeriesFord BusFord ExpeditionFord F-150FordBusFordExpeditionFordF-150Lincoln Town CarLincolnTownCarsupplierTier 1Tier1Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:17:00 EST