Autoblog

GM gives $100k to Red Cross for Texas-like emergencies

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., GM

The General Motors Foundation has provided a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts in West, Texas. Last Wednesday, the fertilizer plant in the town of 2,800 people caught fire and then exploded, the blowup registering as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake and felt up to 45 miles away. Fourteen people died, ten of them the firefighters and first responders who were there to put out the fire and get people to safety, 200 people were injured and entire blocks of the town were destroyed.

The GM Foundation grant will keep the Red Cross able to respond quickly to disasters in The Lone Star State, the incident in West being just one of the 6,000 annual efforts that the Red Cross makes in Texas alone.

A press release below has more information on the grant and the history of the foundation.

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GM gives $100k to Red Cross for Texas-like emergencies originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta auction raises $1.5M for Hurricane Sandy relief

Zach Bowman — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ferrari, Luxury

Ferrari has managed to raise $1.5 million for victims of Hurricane Sandy during an auction in Austin, Texas for the very first F12 Berlinetta in the US. The funds will go to the American Red Cross and be earmarked for Hurricane Sandy relief. Ferrari started bidding on the F12 at $315,888, but the most powerful production model from the company fetched $1.125 million by the time the gavel fell through bids sourced both in person and over the phone. The company also managed to raise a further $345,000 in in-kind donations before the auction began, and donors gave an additional $50,000 during the event itself.

Ferrari debuted the F12 Berlinetta at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the company is set to deliver its first model to a US customer in the second quarter of 2013. The automaker reminds its fans that it is still possible to donate to the Hurricane Sandy relief fund by visiting a special Ferrari section of the American Red Cross page. You can take a closer look at the full press release below for more information.

Continue reading Ferrari F12 Berlinetta auction raises $1.5M for Hurricane Sandy relief

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta auction raises $1.5M for Hurricane Sandy relief originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari auctioning first F12 Berlinetta in North America for Sandy relief

Michael Harley — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ferrari

Stop lurking around your local Ferrari retailer, as the first F12 Berlinetta set to arrive on North American soil won't be sold through traditional channels. Instead, the Italian automaker will auction off its all-new flagship in Texas next weekend in an effort to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. According to Ferrari, proceeds from the special event will be donated directly to the American Red Cross (the money will be earmarked specifically to support the relief efforts).

The special Ferrari will be painted in Rosso Berlinetta with choice of black or cuoio (read: camel) upholstery. Special options will be available (e.g., the buyer may ask for its hood to be signed by F1 drivers) and the coupe will be delivered with an official letter recognizing its status as the first in North America. As an added benefit, the new owner may attend the Ferrari Corso Pilota driving course at a location of their choice (Fiorano, Italy or Mont-Tremblant, Canada).

Those looking to get in on the action should contact their local Ferrari dealership to bid in person, absentee or over the telephone. For those who can't swing the $300,000-plus price tag, Ferrari has also set up a special Ferrari-American Red Cross contribution page.

Ferrari auctioning first F12 Berlinetta in North America for Sandy relief originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How the automakers are helping with Hurricane Sandy relief [UPDATE]

George Kennedy — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:46:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Ford, GM, Nissan, Toyota, Police/Emergency, Specialty, Fisker

To help those effected by Hurricane Sandy cope with the natural disaster, automakers are stepping up in various ways. Known to us right now are contributions of aid or assistance by Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Fisker and Nissan. Toyota and Ford have opted to give in the most straightforward fashion: donations of money. Ford has announced that its own employees have collected $50,000 to donate, and Toyota has stated that it will contribute $1 million in support of relief efforts. Both companies have made these contributions to the American Red Cross.

Other automakers have opted to offer tangible, on-the-ground resources to the relief effort. GM has pledged 50 utility vehicles, including Express cargo vans, Traverse crossovers and Tahoe SUVs, to the Red Cross. The vehicles will be fitted with 200 OnStar Hands-Free calling minutes and a month of turn-by-turn navigation. GM has also donated $250,000 to the Red Cross.

Fisker Automotive has offered up its 3.2-million-square-foot Wilmington, DE facility as a staging area for rescue crews and power trucks.

For many, part the rebuilding process will be replacing their flooded vehicle(s). To that end, Nissan North America has announced that it will offer discounted pricing and financing on new cars through January 2 to help victims replace the transportation they may have lost from flood or storm damage. For current customers, Nissan is also offering payment extensions for the next three payments without fees. Ford has also just announced a similar program, offering a $500 discount on new vehicles and allowing current owners to skip a payment or two.

We are certain more automakers have/will come forward with aid similar to those efforts mentioned here. If you know of more automakers or companies in general who are helping with the relief effort, let us know in the comments.

UPDATE: BMW of North America has pledged $1 million to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.

UPDATE 2: Mazda North America Operations has made a pledge of $100,000 to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.

UPDATE 3: Chrysler's Ram brand of trucks is donating 20 Ram 1500 Tradesman trucks and $100,000 to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.

How the automakers are helping with Hurricane Sandy relief [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land Rover sends millionth Discovery on transcontinental fundraising expedition

Noah Joseph — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, China, Plants/Manufacturing, Land Rover, UK, Off-Road

Land Rover is no stranger to achieving lofty goals, whether it's summiting one of the world's tallest mountains or traversing expanses of its most barren wilderness. But this time, it has reached another milestone altogether as the millionth Discovery (sold in the States as the LR4) has rolled off the marque's West Midlands production line.

The achievement was reached just the other day at the JLR assembly plant at Solihull near Birmingham, England, expedited as it was by a 20 percent workforce expansion over the last six months to keep up with demand for the 45,000 units sold across 170 markets in the last year alone. But rather than consigning the capable luxury SUV straight to the museum or selling it to an waiting customer, Land Rover has more philanthropic plans in mind for the landmark vehicle.

To mark the occasion, Land Rover is embarking on an 8,000-mile expedition across thirteen countries over 50 days, starting in Birmingham and ending in Beijing. The epic transcontinental road trip - being undertaken in the very same millionth Discovery built - is earmarked to raise £1 million ($1.95M) for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the most ambitious fundraising project the British automaker has ever undertaken. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Land Rover sends millionth Discovery on transcontinental fundraising expedition

Land Rover sends millionth Discovery on transcontinental fundraising expedition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For A Good Cause: 300 celebs sign Chrysler 300C for Haiti disaster relief [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Auctions, Chrysler, Celebrities

Autographed Chrysler 300C for Haiti - Click above for high-res image gallery

The countless victims trapped under the rubble in Haiti need a lot of things: rescue, medical attention, food and water. A luxury sedan, you might think, wouldn't count among them, but Chrysler says otherwise. The brand's new CEO, Olivier Francois, brought a 300C to the red carpet at the Golden Globe awards this past Sunday and invited some 300 celebrities to sign it.

Specially branded and trimmed to "eco" specifications with cork, bamboo and recycled materials on the interior, the car was donated personally by Francois and is earmarked for a charity auction to benefit the American Red Cross in its relief efforts on the disaster-struck Caribbean island. General Motors is performing a similar act by auctioning off a rare 2008 Corvette Z06 Special Edition at the Barret-Jackson event in Scottsdale, AZ.

Details of the auction will follow, so stay tuned. In the meantime, there's video footage - showing such A-listers as Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Morgan Freeman, Sigourney Weaver and Neil Patrick Harris signing the car - after the jump, along with the press release, and images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Autographed Chrysler 300C for Haiti

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading For A Good Cause: 300 celebs sign Chrysler 300C for Haiti disaster relief [w/video]

For A Good Cause: 300 celebs sign Chrysler 300C for Haiti disaster relief [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford extends A-plan to California families affected by wildfires

Chris Shunk — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Truck, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ford

With the terrible fires ravaging California, many companies are stepping up efforts to aid in the relief fund, and Ford is doing its part by extending its A-plan vehicle discount to any family that lost a vehicle in the fires. To claim Ford's coveted employee discount, victims from the disaster need to show an insurance report, police report, or a note from FEMA. To sweeten the pot, Ford is also keeping any rebates on its products, which makes for some very hefty discounts indeed.

Ford also felt firefighters should get some love too since they're the ones battling the unpredictable blazes. Any firefighter in the state of California also gets the A-plan option, and all they need to show is their ID card. Ford also pitched in 11 Super Duty trucks and nine Expeditions plus $100,000 to the Red Cross. As we mentioned in our previous post that details what each automaker has donated, it's nice to see our favorite industry doing its part to aid in California's relief. If Ford can help someone buy a Fusion (with a great discount) who just had his Camry burn to a crisp, there's no harm in the Blue Oval gaining a little market share while giving a victim or firefighter a break.

[Source: Ford, Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Continue reading Ford extends A-plan to California families affected by wildfires

Ford extends A-plan to California families affected by wildfires originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford aids California wildfire recovery effort (GM, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler too)

Merritt Johnson — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Ford

Ford maintains a large operation in Irvine, California, which happens to be an area greatly affected by the recent Southern California wildfires. While Ford's facilities are out of danger, many Southern Californians have lost their homes and are in need of assistance. Ford has sprung into action with a relief effort, much like automakers did immediately following the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina. The Blue Oval is donating 11 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks and nine Expeditions to the fire and rescue departments within the ravaged areas. In addition, the automaker is also contributing $100,000 to the San Diego Red Cross. Employees of the company are being encouraged to volunteer their time to the relief cause, as many of them no doubt have friends and family whose lives are now permanently affected by the wildfires. Finally, those Ford owners who need time to recover from the disaster can also defer up to two vehicle payments. Follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Ford]

UPDATE: General Motors has also pitched in to help the relief effort. Here's what GM has offered.

$100,000 donation to the American Red Cross (ARC)
The ARC already operates a fleet of donated HUMMER H3s
Matching employee donations to the ARC through Nov. 30
Free Crisis Assist service for OnStar subscribers in designated areas
GM Goodwrench will replace air filters free of charge in designated areas
Work with customers on case-by-case basis concerning vehicle payments

UPDATE 2: Toyota has announced that it's donating $2 million to the American Red Cross, one of the largest donations the ARC has received thus far for the wildfire relief effort.

UPDATE 3: Honda has announced that it's donating $250,000 to the American Red Cross, as well as assessing the need for donating additional vehicles, Honda generators and other supplies.

UPDATE 4: Chrysler LLC and Chrysler Financial have announced that they're donating $100,000 each to the wildfire relief effort for supplies that will be distributed by the Rescue Task Force.

Continue reading Ford aids California wildfire recovery effort (GM, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler too)

Ford aids California wildfire recovery effort (GM, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler too) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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