Autoblog

Episode 30 of the Ford Bold Moves documentary has just been released. It's the final episode in this long series of short videos that has chronicled Ford and its journey down the Way Forward path since the middle of last year. No doubt by this time the producers had hoped to show a triumphant Mark Fields, mullet blowing in the wind, declaring directly into the camera that he had, indeed, shown this company the way forward. Looks like they ran out of tape before that could happen, so episode 30 turns its lens towards the Showroom of the Future event that Ford held for its own employees and the media last month. You'll see what we saw inside of Cobo Arena where about two dozen future Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products are shown hanging out under white sheets. We think Ford should just yank the sheets off for everyone to see and get an honest thumbs up or down reaction from the public. That way they can judge if they are heading down the wrong path and still have time to turn around if needs be. Regardless, episode 30 is meant as a morale booster for any Blue Oval fan. There's just something about Fields staring into the camera and passionately exclaiming "We can do this" that makes me want to run out and score a touchdown.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

None of you probably noticed the we skipped reporting on the release of Ford Bold Moves - Episodes 26. Yeah, we watched it, but its subject matter didn't even register on our Interesting Meter, so we passed. Episode 27, however, entitled Proving our Metal, hits the company pretty hard with the recognition right up front that a large portion of the population still thinks "FORD" is an acronym for "Fix or Repair Daily."

This episode of the Bold Moves web documentary tackles quality issues at Ford, which have admittedly improved by a factor of ten in the past few years. Nevertheless, a bad quality rep sticks like white on rice, and Ford, along with the other domestics, have yet to change many minds. Episode 27, however, just might help. We get to see the beating Ford vehicles take at the company's Arizona Proving Grounds where their durability is tested to the breaking point and beyond. Also on screen is a new way to test a vehicle's durability that can achieve results in the lab after only two weeks versus seven months out in the field.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

Ford's Rouge plant is an icon in automotive manufacturing, having at one time built the Model A, military warcraft after WWI and during WWII, 40 years of the Mustang and currently the F-150. It's over 100 years old, but you wouldn't know it while on a tour of the facility. Ford has revamped Rouge to be a cutting edge manufacturing plant, not only with all the latest high-tech production processes, but also with a lot of green technology to lower the plant's impact on the environment. The best example of this is the plant's living roof, the largest of its kind in the world, that filters storm water running into the Rouge River, keeps the plant cool and protects the roof. We haven't taken a tour of the facility yet ourselves, but Episode 25 of the Ford Bold Moves web documentary is the next best thing to actually getting of our duffs and driving to Detroit.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

Bam, just when you think you're safe, another episode of the Ford Bold Moves documentary hits the web waves. Episode 24, titled Driving the Future, is all about Ford's focus on alternative fuels, including clean diesel technology and hydrogen fuel cells, among others. The documentary begins at the AltWheels Festival where some manufacturers actually showed up to show off their green stripes. Ford had its hydrogen fuel-cell powered Focus on hand, along with its hydrogen-powered bus (on sale now), its gaggle of hybrid Escapes and Mariners, and some E85 capable vehicles. Episode 24 is a chest thumper in which the Blue Oval pats itself on the back for all the investment dollars it's spent on green R&D. The producers also got a couple alternative fuel boosters to testify on the company's behalf.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

Ford's marketing push behind the "Bold Moves" taglines is one step away from becoming part of modern pop culture. We've been inundated with TV, print and web ads since the campaign began, and you've no doubt noticed the web-based documentary of the same name. FoMoCo executives can't even make it through a single speech without evoking the "Bold Moves" god before which they bow. Ford dealers, however, are reportedly not impressed by the campaign that from the beginning has focused itself on lifestyle messages. The best example of this is the Bold Moves television commercial that shows a young lady in a Fusion paying for her dry cleaning and "boldly" paying the bill for the guy in the Mustang behind her. Yes, Ford would have us believe that a bold move is paying for someone else's dry cleaning, and oh yeah, buy a Fusion and a Mustang while you're at it. Dealers have voiced their concern to Ford and the company is responding with a new round of ads that drops the lifestyle angle in favor of some hard facts about Ford's new vehicles, particularly its lineup for 2007. New ads will focus on the availability of all-wheel drive in the 2007 Fusion and new Ford Edge commercials are already in circulation that offer specific talking points on the product. Ford did, however, pay a lot of money for that dry cleaning ad and others like it and said it will continue running them, although you'll begin to see them less frequently as these new product-driven ads began to appear on the boob tube.

[Source: Amy Wilson / Automotive News - sub. required]

Episode 23 of the Ford Bold Moves web-based documentary is here, and at this point we're just letting you know out of habit. After the very enjoyable Episode 22 in which a GT500 was beaten on by pro drivers, we return to a slightly more promotional format that stars Ford's newest sedan, the Fusion. In this episode, however, it's all about introducing the Fusion to the ladies and hoping the two hit it off. The documentary spends some time in the field at a promotional event held where Ford believes the most females will be found: the mall! Mid-day shoppers are offered the opportunity to drive the Fusion, to which one nice woman responds, "Never heard of it." Hehehe. We poke fun, but the Fusion's doing well and it deserves its day in the sun. Hopefully some upcoming products from Ford will be able to join it.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

Dang, we're already at episode 22 of the Ford Bold Moves web-based documentary that has been chronicling the ins and outs of FoMoCo as it tries to resurrect respect for itself among the motoring public. There's been some good episodes in the past 22, and we've also suffered through some infommercials for current and upcoming Ford products. Episode 22, however, takes us to the company's new Dearborn test facility where Ford Racing Team drivers get their first crack at the GT500. It's entertaining enough to watch Ford personnel tell the likes of Jack Roush, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth to "use common sense out there" on the track, but this episode is made by the excellent videography that ensues from suction-cupping cameras to a GT500 that's being absolutely punished by some of the best drivers in the world. Our heart goes out to Ford Marketing Manager Jim Owens who sat shotgun in the GT500 lap after lap while each pro driver tried his best to impress his buddies back in the paddock.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

The 17th episode of the Ford Bold Moves web-based documentary has hit the series of tubes we call the internet, and it's a sequel to Episode 11: King of the Hill that focused on the half-ton F-series trucks. Part II stars the new 2008 Ford Superduty, as the video spends most of its time at the Texas State Fair where the truck was debuted in its new F-450 form. The entire episode is mainly chest thumping on Ford's part, as the F-Series truck in all its iterations is the only product with a Blue Oval badge that unquestionably dominates its segment and has for so long. They do mention the impending competition from Toyota and new full-size truck models from General Motors, but when those new models are mentioned a crafty editor throws up some footage of the Tacoma instead of the Tundra and an unflattering shot of the previous generation "angry-eyes" Silverado. If you're hankering to see some of the new Superduty's exclusive features, like power telescoping mirrors, the hide-away tailgate step and collapsible bed extender, they're in there, too.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

The Ford Bold Moves web-based documentary series has released its 16th episode, which focuses on Ford's Warriors in Pink program that supports the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. We're glad the series switched off the topic of product, as we were becoming increasingly frustrated with its back-against-the-wall, underdog-pulls-it-out attitude towards Ford's current situation. This episode, however, highlights Ford's giving nature, and give it has. The company is about to reach $100 million in total contributions made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. We meet the Warriors in Pink in this episode, who are foot soldiers funded by Ford and charged with the mission of eradicating breast cancer. We also spend the day at the track with Champ Car driver Katherine Legge during her recent race at Road America where she slid behind the wheel of a special car wearing Warriors in Pink livery, i.e. a baby pink paint job. Unfortunately Katherine scratched up that pretty paint job pretty good when she lost control of the car, hit the wall and virtually disintegrated the ride. The crash looked worse than it was and the safety measures did their job, as Katherine was fine and returned to racing five days later.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]

Ding, ding... Round 14 for the Ford Bold Moves web-based documentary has begun, and it's all about the Fusion's quality record, which at this point is perfect. That's right, no recalls during its launch year of 2006 and none reported yet so far for the 2007 model. "Fix or Repair Daily" may not apply to the Fusion, but consumers are still more likely to trust a Camry over the competition when it comes to quality, but them's the breaks, kid. What can Ford expect after launching the Focus in 1999 with wheels that fell off and engines that combusted externally? Frankly, the Fusion had to be hit on the quality front, and so far the Hermosillo plant deserves credit for cranking out some solid vehicles. But now that we know what Ford will be offering Europeans in the form a mid-size sedan, i.e. the next-gen Mondeo, can we, you and the remaining cognoscente of cars in North America, continue to recommend the Fusion? C'mon Ford, make a real bold move and bring over your Euro lineup from the Mondeo on down.

[Source: Ford Bold Moves]