Ford increasing third-quarter production | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- Ford Motor Co. announced Thursday that it is boosting third-quarter production in North America by another 10,000 units to meet increased demand for its vehicles. Ford's third-quarter production goal is now 495,000 units -- 18 percent higher than a year ago. Ford also increased its production targets for the fourth quarter to 570,000 vehicles -- a 33 percent increase over the same period last year and 15 percent higher than planned third-quarter levels. The company has been one of the biggest...

Sneak Peek: 2011 Ford C-Max MPV | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Several industry sources report that Ford's C-Max will be sold in the United States. From these photos we can see the sliding doors will make it into production, though we reckon its center support will be somewhat less radical compared to that of the Iosis Max. Despite its disguise, the location of the rail of the sliding door is clearly visible above the fuel filler cap. All in all, the production model will be a lot bigger than the show car -- but also a lot less exciting. We're sure to see similar...

'Clunkers' program gives Ford a boost | detnews.com | The Detroit News
As the federal government looks to add billions more to the "cash for clunkers" program, at least one Detroit automaker is attributing a boost in July sales to the popular effort. Ford Motor Co. will report its first monthly year-over-year sales gain in nearly two years today, thanks to a much-needed push from the program, company officials said Sunday. The Dearborn automaker would not provide specific figures until today. The $1 billion federal program to retire less efficient vehicles is all but out...

Henry Ford puts rock center stage | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Long before Planet Hollywood, E!, Graceland, or myspace.com, there were few opportunities to explore the personal side of musicians other than song lyrics. And musicians had few outlets other than radio, the stage and album covers to burnish their brand. For many fans, it was rare to see an actor or musician personalized -- at home or behind the wheel. In 1968, Janis Joplin bought a late model Porsche 356c Cabriolet and ordered a dramatic psychedelic custom paint job with moons, Capricorns, butterflies...

Ford Does not Plan to Assemble Fiesta in China
A few days ago a Chinese website Auto163 has written that Ford Fiesta would be made in China by the Ford’s partner Chang’an Auto. From there the cars would be exported to the North American auto market. It sounds weird that the American autos will be made in China for American customers. Ford said that there is no truth in this information. The company’s representative confirmed again the facts which have been announced before: the 2011 Fiesta for North America will be assembled at the plant in...

Ford and United Auto Workers agree on stock deal for union trust | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. today announced that it has reached a new agreement with the United Auto Workers that will allow the company to cover half its obligations to a union-run trust fund with company stock at current market values. The Dearborn automaker had reached an agreement earlier this year that allowed it to make half of its payments to the voluntary employees' beneficiary association, or VEBA, in stock, but that deal set the price at around $2 a share. Since then, Ford shares have more than tripled in...

$2.3B profit boosts outlook for Ford | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co.'s unexpected $2.3 billion second-quarter profit could signal the end of the worst downturn in recent automotive history for at least one of Detroit's automakers, but Ford's recovery still depends on the broader economy. Though Ford's profit was due largely to one-time gains, consistent improvements in its underlying financials are sparking optimism among investors, analysts and union leaders that has not been seen for some time. Ford shares gained 60 cents Thursday on the results, closing...

Ford Taurus grows up strong | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Nothing lasts forever. Whether by bad luck, bad design or the stars just stop aligning; every good and bad thing passes. But that doesn't mean it can't come back: Cinderella may have cleaned a lot of fireplaces, but even she got hitched. The Ford Taurus arrived three decades ago with a youthful vigor that would propel it to become the No. 1 sedan in America. It was a winner, a juggernaut, the San Francisco 49ers of the '80s with Joe Montana in the driver's seat. But Montana split for the Kansas City...

Ford Plans to Survive
Good news from Ford: the manufacturer has announced to the shareholders that everything is under control and the company is going to come out of hard economic position by 2011 without any government help. The company meeting was held yesterday, on May 14. Ford officials sounded confident about their actions. According to Bill Ford, company Executive Chairman, there have been many changes, but in the light of the latest crisis events they have been “overshadowed”. Chief Executive, Alan Mulally...

2009 Ford Focus SES Coupe
Remember the SVT Focus, Ford's affordable, 170-horse pocket rocket of 2002-04? We do. There's a large cadre of performance enthusiasts out there who still haven't forgiven Ford for making that car go away. We wish we could tell you it's coming back, but not so -- at least on the current, revised-for-2008 Focus platform. In the meantime, the Blue Oval types are serving up a semi-sportier version that makes a fine base for your own SVT-inspired concoction.Save for a few badges, the 2009 Focus SES Coupe is...