Autoblog

How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Ford, Police/Emergency, Specialty

In a commercial market where "change" is a four-letter word, Ford has a lot of explaining to do.

It is not often that an automaker decides to dump a best-selling vehicle line, one that's dominated its segment for decades. But Ford's commercial vehicle team is doing it not once, but twice. Ford had been phasing out its Panther platform for a good five years before it finally ceased production of its Crown Victoria taxi, Police Interceptor and Lincoln Town Car livery offerings in September. Now the company is set to do similarly with its E-Series van, which will eventually be replaced by Ford's Transit, the venerable European equivalent. Ford divulged a few more details about its commercial vehicle plans at a press event in Dearborn yesterday.

When the final Panthers rolled off the assembly line in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Ford was left with no direct replacement. Instead, the company plans to sell the compact Transit Connect van in the taxi market, upgraded Tauruses and Explorers as police cars, and a "Town Car" version of the Lincoln MKT crossover to livery operators. All things being equal, these are significantly better products than their Panther-based predecessors, yet in a commercial market where "change" is a four-letter word, Ford has a lot of explaining to do.

Continue reading How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series

How Ford plans to phase out the best-selling E-Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DetNews: New Ford Police Interceptor to be Taurus-based

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Work, Ford, Specialty

Will the new Police Interceptor be a toughened Taurus SHO? - click above for high-res image gallery

Just a quick note: The Detroit News is reporting that the next Ford Police Interceptor will be based on the same platform as the Taurus. For you platform geeks out there, that's the Ford D3 chassis that underpins everything from the the Lincoln MKS to the Volvo XC90 to the Ford Flex (though the Flex and the Lincoln MKT ride on a lengthened version called D4). Yesterday, we explained that a new Police Interceptor is showing up tomorrow (Friday, March 12) in Las Vegas and that it probably won't be riding on the Panther platform. Regardless, the concept will be unveiled at the Vegas Motor Speedway.

There's still no official word from Ford on the matter, however. However, if the new Interceptor is in fact Taurus-based, that means no rear-wheel drive Falcon in the United States. Which is a definite bummer. Also, while there are all-wheel drive variants of the D3 platform - and we think it's safe to assume that if the new Police Interceptor is D3-based it will be AWD - it lacks frame rails. Has Ford figured out a way to make a unibody car tough enough for police work? We shall see. And if the new PI is a Taurus, will it be based on a modified 365-horsepower SHO? We'd wager yes. Let's just hope they fit some bigger brakes for cop duty, eh?

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO

[Source: The Detroit News]

DetNews: New Ford Police Interceptor to be Taurus-based originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: Next-gen Ford Police Interceptor will debut this Friday in Las Vegas

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Government/Legal, Work, Ford, Specialty

Hold on to your sap gloves and night sticks - it's that time of the decade! An Autoblog source reveals that Ford is about to release a brand spankin' new Police Interceptor. Not only is this humongous news for our pals in the law enforcement community, but this is 120-point headline font for taxi companies around the country, as they typically buy old Police Interceptors with 90,000 miles on 'em and repurpose them as the cabs we all know and love passing out in. Why? Because Police Interceptors are the toughest passenger cars money can buy.

Few of us have the need to drive over curbs at 50+ mph, but if that need arises, you're going to want to do so in an Interceptor. Aside from the "severe duty" shocks, you get a beefed up frame and body mounts. Yes, that is correct. The Crown Victoria-based Police Interceptor is body-on-frame. Listen, when you're PIT maneuvering a perp during a high speed chase, the last thing you want to worry about is bending the chassis. Plus you got them heavy duty brakes, suspension components and oil coolers. A sweet package, no doubt.

Here's the thing though. If this new Police Interceptor is more than a package, what platform will it ride on? Ford has stated publicly that it's ending the geriatric Panther Platform Crown Victoria's life in 2011. We'll go ahead and interpret that to mean that this new Police Interceptor won't be Crown Victoria-based. Do we know that for sure? No, but it's a logical bit of speculation. Could the new Interceptor be Taurus-based, maybe something with a SHO motor and stouter brakes? Again, yes, but for all we know the upcoming car's a Fiesta with the Mustang GT's new 5.0-liter V8 crammed in the rear seat. Or one of them apocryphal Australia-only rear-drive Falcons. All we know for sure is that Ford's introducing a new Police Interceptor to a select group of folks in Las Vegas this Friday. Production? Concept? We're not entirely sure yet. More details when we get them.

[Image: davidsonscott15 | CC2.0]

Source: Next-gen Ford Police Interceptor will debut this Friday in Las Vegas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011

Chris Paukert — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Work, Ford, Australia, Specialty

In a surprise move, Ford has announced that it will pursue the development of an all-new Police Interceptor model. The move comes on the heels of General Motors' announcement that it plans to challenge the Crown Victoria's law enforcement dominance with its own heavy-duty Chevrolet Caprice sedan.

Details are slim, but Ford says the forthcoming PI will arrive in 2011 and it will sport durability, safety, and performance parameters that are superior to that of the Jurassic Panther-platform Crown Vic. Given the relatively tight timeframe and durability targets, we have to assume that the replacement cop car could be based on the rear-drive Australian-market Ford Falcon shown above. The Blue Oval promises that the car will be engineered and built in America, so it could also be an Ecoboost version of the Ford Taurus (as seen in the SHO), but front-drive cars have had trouble meeting the durability and cost requirements of police duty in the past, making this something of an open question. In an official release posted after the jump, Ford says it will disclose full vehicle specs in the first quarter of 2010, which should give enough time for both law enforcement and police vehicle equipment manufacturers to prepare for the changeover.

Ford says it presently shifts about 45,000 of the 60,000 police cars sold in the States each year, so it makes sense that Dearborn would not be willing to cede this market to Chevy's Caprice and the already established Dodge Charger.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011

BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford and Canadian Auto Workers reportedly reach a deal

Dan Roth — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:09:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, UAW/Unions, Canada

Ford Motor Company and the leadership of the Canadian Auto Workers union have reached a tentative agreement after a marathon four-day wrap-up to negotiations. Union membership needs to approve the deal, which will guarantee a Great White North presence for Ford until at least 2012. Voting is underway this weekend, and if approved, the CAW will be responsible for building 10 percent of Ford's North American production, down from the current 13 percent, which the union had been trying to hold on to.

Workers did agree to time off reductions, and pledged that new employees will have to pay into their pensions. Ford's given its word that the company will build as many vehicles in Canada as it sells there, and the union deemed the pledge good enough to grant GM- and Chrysler-style concessions to Ford.

The Panther platform has been given its last rites; the St. Thomas Assembly plant is the only Ford location currently building the body-on-frame biggies, and that plant will close in September 2011. The 1,600 people in Ontario who build Town Cars and Grand Marquis are understandably unhappy about word that Ford intends to shutter the plant, but the Panther has cheated death more than once. This time, it may stick.

Better news for CAW members is that Ford's Oakville assembly complex, also in Ontario, has the go-ahead to add a third shift when needed. Ford also says it will manufacture a new vehicle at Oakville, which currently builds the Edge, Flex, MKX, and MKT crossovers, but that will likely come after the current labor agreement expires.

[Source: CBC News, Photo: Ford/CC]

Ford and Canadian Auto Workers reportedly reach a deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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