Autoblog

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.

[Source: Auto News (subs req'd)]

Well look at that, the quarter panel vent from the new Focus can look good! No need to complain yet that this is but another Ford we'll never see, as it may not happen on any continent. Auto Bild has gone to press with shots of a new Mercury Capri concept that is rumored to be the work of an extremely skilled PhotoChopper. We're also unsure if the details they cite about the car being a sub-3,000 pound 2+2 with 140-250 horsepower and a production date of 2012 are fanciful or rooted in truth, but none of that matters. This thing is off the hook to our puppy-dog enthusiastic eyes. Mercury has nothing badass in its lineup, and while it'd be weird to be proffering this car with KISS makeup next to an entire lineup of handsomized Fords, we think it might be a way for Ford to reel in some new blood to the brand. Just don't call it Cougar. Cougars drive Mercurys - though probably while smoking Capris. Call it whatever, just put it on sale.

[Source: carspyshots.net]

While he's shown a certain flair for historical pieces, we sincerely doubt that Clint Eastwood would forego his formidable film-crafting talent to make a documentary about a mid 1970's Ford that can be had for a dollar per pound. Details are scant, but Warner Brothers has targeted December 2008 as a release date for Gran Torino, which Eastwood both stars in and directs. Eastwood is no stranger to the big Ford - he drove a '72 in Magnum Force, the sequel to Dirty Harry, in which he wheeled a '68 Ford Custom. Despite the title we tend to doubt the movie will be terribly car-centric - who'd want to watch that?

[Source: Variety via Inside Line]

Tragedy struck the Ford Motor Company on Saturday when a man jumped to his death from the 10th floor of the automaker's Regent Court Building in Dearborn. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, company spokeswoman Sara Tatchio confirmed that an employee committed suicide and stated, "It was not work-related and he was not an executive of any kind." Police didn't release any information regarding to the identity of the individual, nor did they specify whether a suicide note was found.

Over at Renault there have been three suicides since last October due in part to high stress at work. Hopefully we're not seeing a new trend in the highly competitive automotive landscape.

[Source: Freep]

Ford Motor Company’s Research and Innovation Center in Detroit was rocked by a chemical incident early Thursday afternoon that sent a number of workers to the hospital. We’re hearing conflicting reports of exactly what went down and how many workers were injured, but that number appears to be between 3 and 5.

Early reports had an explosion at the facility, while other stories now say that a worker dropped a glass container full of ethanol, causing chemical burns to several employees.

The building was evacuated after the incident, but the facility has since been declared safe, and injuries to the workers have been declared non-life threatening.

[Sources: The Detroit News; ClickOnDetroit.com]

Could the Lincoln Zephyr, soon to be known as the MKZ, be bringing the average age of Lincoln drivers down a notch or two? Automotive News reports that while the average age of a Lincoln owner is 60 (and the Town Car's drivers are 70 ), the Zephyr's average buyer during the first three weeks of March was 56.

Arguably even more important is the fact that 40 percent of new Zephyr buyers are trading in cars other than Fords, Mercurys or Lincolns (better known in the auto industry as "conquest sales"). Automotive News identifies the Honda Accord, Acura TL, BMW 3 Series, Buick Lucerne, Toyota Avalon and Infiniti G35 as the cars buyers are passing over for the Zephyr.

Sales are coming at a price, however -- the average incentives package for the vehicle in February was $4,293, compared to an average of about $1,700 in the segment.

[Source: Automotive News]

Ford Motor Company is cutting the cord at its Oakville assembly plant. No, the site isn't the latest casualty of The Way Forward-- quite the opposite. As part of a $1 billion dollar investment, the automaker is taking the 486,000 square-meter site wireless.

The facility will feature a transponder lane for trucks called 'Fast Gate,' that will automatically open the main gate and record the time/location/cargo of vehicles entering the site. The entire factory, which is set to produce the new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers will have wireless internet access, thanks to 65 antennas placed throughout the complex. 

The technology infusion will reportedly help the plant's 'just in time' production methods, as well as increase flexibility and efficiency.

 [Source: The Canadian Press via CanadianBusiness.com]

Lincoln has opened the virtual book on its MKX crossover utility. The automaker is offering the chance to 'pre-design' their latest offering via their website, Lincoln.com. For Autoblog regulars, you know the drill: All prices, packages and options are survey-only estimates. In fact, savvy Windows shoppers who refresh the site will notice that the pricing actually changes visit-to-visit, but that doesn't mean that the prices and specifications don't provide a reasonable ballpark.

If the 'configurator' is to be believed, MKX will base at around $34,000-$35,000, with AWD variants coming in around $1,500-$2,000 higher. From the looks of it, roll-stability control, 18" wheels and leather seating surfaces will be standard issue. Options include heated/cooled front seats, rear seat entertainment, THX II surround sound and a panoramic sunroof.

Refresh your MKX impressions with a look back at its NAIAS introduction here.

[Source: Lincoln]

(Top tip, R R)

Strangely, it was hard to get Jim Press to talk about cars.

That sentence opens Richard Ducote’s opinion piece on Toyota's head honcho for the Arizona Daily Star. Press, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, was speaking at the University of Arizona, where he had been named 2006 Executive of the Year.

Press didn’t pitch Toyota and its products to the crowd. Instead, he discussed how a company that understands and respects its employees and customers will bring its own success. His own story illustrated this view: Press joined Toyota from Ford Motor Co. back in 1970 when his boss (who also joined the then-fledging Japanese automaker) said it was a good place to work. Press was admittedly keen to point out how development on Toyota’s hybrid technology systems began in the 1990s (when gasoline prices were relatively low), a program at least partially motivated by figuring out ways to make society a better place.

"I immediately saw that it (hybrids) was the right thing for our company to do for the future," said Press.

Perhaps a bit of a puff p.r. piece, Ducote's Press story nevertheless provides an interesting bit of background on the Toyota bigwig.

[Source: Arizona Daily Star]