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Ford Australia says it will close its Australian manufacturing plants in October 2016, with the loss of hundreds of jobs. Ford president Bob Graziano said approximately 1,200 workers would lose their jobs when the Broadmeadows and Geelong plants were shut down. He made the announcement in Melbourne this morning after announcing that the company had lost $141 million over the last financial year - taking losses over the past five years to more than $600 million. Key points Ford to close plants in 2016 More than 1,000 jobs to go, more at risk Government promises support for sacked staff "Our...

Is Motor City getting its mojo back? After years of losing loyal customers frustrated by quality and reliability problems, domestic automakers are showing a new-found focus on customer service that is winning back skeptics – boosting sales, market share and profits.

Yesterday was filled with big doin’s around here. MO did a movie review while, down the hall, BO addressed the importance of having a brain. Lady M, as part of her continuing series of culturally sensitive movie reviews, held a film workshop on the movie “42.” “42” is a biopic about Jackie Robinson, the baseball player who broke the Major League’s color barrier in 1947 (he also was a successful business man after his baseball career butt he didn’t do that on his own). Jackie’s wife, Rachael Robinson, was in attendance along with the film’s stars Harrison Ford, and other...

Never mind that they were never supposed to see the light of day, Ford is quickly backing away from and apologizing for a pair of less-than-tasteful ads featuring bound and gagged women in the trunk of its Ford Figo. In one, Silvio Berlusconi sits at the wheel with three women who are presumably supposed to be his Bunga Bunga party girls in the trunk; in the other, Paris Hilton winks from the front seat with her reality nemeses the Kardashians stuffed in the back. As Radar reports, the ads were put together by the automaker's India ad team, JWT India,...

Former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford have recently downplayed an Ashley Judd run for U.S. Senate seemingly opening national discussion for Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes to potentially run. Ford, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1974-1998, said last week there may be a better Democratic candidate than Judd to face Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2014. “I think there’s maybe some other candidate out there that might be better — with political experience, and with some background. She’s a smart woman apparently,” Ford told Brandon Bartlett of 14-WFIE TV last week. Clinton would likely...

Good morning cool kids! What’s poppin’? Star Wars, man! I still can’t believe there is going to be another another trilogy. I’m not going to lie, I was one of those who were of the opinion that all the recent Star Wars news was a tad overkill. I wanted to disconnect my internet until 2015. I thought lots of folks felt the same way I did. Boy was I wrong. I took an informal twitter poll and asked my followers if they wanted Star Wars scoops. The response was overwhelming. Even my inbox got bombed like never before. Man, y’all...

In a court settlement with the EPA, Edge Products, a manufacturer of electronic power modules for diesel engines, has agreed to pay a $500,000 fine for manufacturing and selling electronic devices that allowed owners of Chevy, GMC, Ford and Dodge/Ram diesel pickup trucks (2007 and later) to remove the programming for diesel particulate filters from their vehicles. The Ogden, Utah, company is reported to have sold more than 9,000 units from January 2009 through April 2011. This is said to have resulted in an estimated 158 tons of excess particulate matter emissions — the equivalent of 422 new long-haul semitrailers...

The Ford Motor Company has been forced to recall over 70,000 Ford Escapes and nearly 16,000 2013 Ford Fusions due to an issue with overheating that may cause the cars’ engines to catch on fire. The recall is only for select models that were sold in Canada and the United States. This comes after several other recalls Ford has had in the recent past. The recall is for Fusion SEL and SE models with the 1.6 liter engine, and the Escape SEL and SE models. Other Fusions and Escapes aren’t included. This is due to drivers reporting that their engines...

Rush is right! And the GOP-e along with the Morrises, the George Wills, etc, failed in their predictions. Morris admitted he had egg on his face, but I did not see George Will admit this. Maybe he did, but I didn't see it. Are the now obsolete? Are the Krauthammers, the O'Reillys, the Vannitys, Rollins, etc also obsolete? Is Vannity still going to continue having the same ol same ol on his show? And what about the other shows on FOX News? Are they going to continue having RINOS/CINO guests/hosts on their shows? Mitt Romney got fewer votes than McCain...

According to the Washington Post, the Ford Foundation has given the newspaper some $500,000 to hire four new staff – a lucrative $125,000 per job deal. The goal: to try “new approaches to preserve and advance high-quality journalism.” The four new positions will “work on special projects related to money, politics and government … The one-year-grant – with an agreement in principal for two additional years – is part of the Foundation’s Freedom of Expression program, an initiative aimed at promoting journalism in the public interest.” The Ford Foundation recently handed $1 million to the Los Angeles Times to cover...

The shutdown of the Genk plant announced by the American manufacturer has sent shock waves through Belgium. But in Valencia, Spain, where the production is moving to, Ford is looking forward to the competitive advantage the region offers. Ford employees blocking the entrance to the US car manufacturer’s Genk plant, October 24, 2012 The October 24 announcement that Ford’s plant in Genk will down tools in 2014 has provoked a wave of anger in the Flemish press. More than 10,000 jobs in the plant itself and in its sub-contractors will disappear. In Gazet van Antwerpen, columnist Paul Geudens rails against...

Ford’s vehicle manufacturing in Britain is at risk of coming to an end after more than a century following the US car maker’s decision to shrink its European production operations. Ford’s vehicle manufacturing in Britain is at risk of coming to an end after more than a century following the US car maker’s decision to shrink its European production operations. It is understood that Ford’s Southampton plant has been earmarked for closure risking 500 jobs as part of a broader consolidation process prompted by the negative impact of the eurozone debt crisis on the industry. In a statement Stephen Odell,...

Ford is doing well. Ford didnt close dealerships that cost 65,000 jobs If GM had followed Fords example they wouldnt have closed up. if we know this why doesnt the GOP counter the. "GM is alive and Osama is dead" with Ford is alive? Why?

TORONTO - The Canadian Auto Workers union said negotiating with the big three automakers - General Motors, Chrysler and Ford - before Monday's midnight strike deadline is like juggling "a lot of balls up in the air." If the CAW, which represents 21,500 members in the three companies, doesn't reach a settlement with the big three, it could mean a walkout could start at 12:01 a.m. Monday. "It's a little tough to tell at this point in time what the impact will be because it depends upon status of bargaining with each of the three companies," CAW secretary treasurer Peter Kennedy said...

The Canadian Auto Workers union is turning up the pressure in contract talks with the Detroit Three auto makers, saying it is prepared to go on strike against all of them at the same time if no deal is reached by the Sept. 17 deadline. “The corporations are refusing to add any costs whatsoever – instead they insist on cutting costs from our existing agreements,” the CAW said in a leaflet distributed Wednesday at Canadian plants operated by Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. “None of the three companies have demonstrated that they are serious about...

In the episode of the Conscience of Kansas radio program on KRMR The Patriot 105.7FM Dr. Paul A. Ibbetson talks about Obama's "You didn't build it" statement by focusing on several American heroes of capitalism such as Henry Ford, Col.Sanders, Walt Disney, and Marvel Comic legend Stan Lee.

I always said small diesel automobiles are the future...not hybrids, not electric cars. I used to be a Chevy guy, but no more; Ford is the American automobile company to watch. With his new 58 mpg turbo-diesel B-Max model (sold in Europe), Ford demonstrates clean diesel technology is the future. Not hybrid, not electric, not pixie-dust powered.

The Monterey Peninsula is celebrating all things Shelby this week as part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration. The Cobra in particular will be a part of many events including the Pebble Beach Concours and the Monterey Motorsports Reunion happening at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Shelby celebration is also especially meaningful since founder Carroll Shelby passed away back in May. As a tribute to the legendary racer and car builder, Shelby American, Ford Motor Company and Ford Racing have teamed up to build a very special tribute Mustang. Called the 2013 Shelby GT500 Cobra, the car features a custom...

<p>ALLEN PARK, Mich.—In this suburb just west of Detroit, Ford Motor Co. is working on one of the biggest gambles in its 108-year history: a pickup truck with a largely aluminum body.</p> <p>The radical redesign will help meet tougher federal fuel-economy targets now starting to have wide-ranging effects on Detroit's auto makers. But Ford will have to overcome a host of manufacturing obstacles, plus convince die-hard pickup buyers that aluminum is as tough as steel.</p>

DEARBORN, Mich., July 25, 2012 – Near-record profits in North America and continued strong performance from Ford Credit helped the Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] deliver its 12th consecutive quarterly pre-tax operating profit as it reports second quarter 2012 results today. The company reported a pre-tax operating profit of $1.8 billion, or 30 cents per share, and net income of $1 billion, or 26 cents per share. The company also continued to generate positive Automotive operating-related cash flow, and ended the period with a strong liquidity position of $33.9 billion, an increase of $1 billion during the quarter. “The Ford...

"The New Leviathan:""How the Left-Wing Money-Machine Shapes American Politics""and Threatens America's Future" By David Horowitz and Jacob Laksin David Horowitz contends that tax-exempt organizations of the political left,who present themselves are more aligned with the concerns of the poor and working class than conservative groups and the Republican Party, have assets over 100 hundred billion dollars and outspend conservatives seven to one. The author argues that the Left has used their finances to promote a progressive agenda that has transformed the political landscape. David Horowitz speaks at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, a huge new aircraft carrier, reached a milestone in its pricey and extensive construction Thursday when its final keel section was lowered into place at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The 680-metric-ton lower bow unit is one of the largest of the 500 modules that will make up the completed ship and is over 60-feet-tall. The bulbous bow seen in the picture shifts water flow around the hull, reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability. Carriers with bulbous bows have achieve about 12 to 15 percent increased fuel efficiency than vessels...

Ford Motor Co. got its logo out of hock Tuesday after Moody's upgraded the automaker's credit rating to investment grade. The decision by Moody's to raise the credit rating means that Ford can now take back control of assets -- including the Blue Oval logo and trademarks like Mustang and F-150 -- that Ford put up as collateral in 2006 when it used virtually all its North American assets to open a $23.5 billion line of credit. "The Ford Blue Oval is back where it belongs with the Ford family of 166,000 employees around the world," said Ford Motor Co....

Ford Motor has regained its investment grade rating from Moody’s, triggering the release of all the assets the US carmaker put up to secure its loans, including its iconic blue oval logo. Alan Mulally, Ford chief executive, called the upgrade “an important milestone” for the carmaker, which emerged less scathed than rivals from the 2008 crisis that led to bankruptcy and government bailouts for General Motors and Chrysler.

PLYMOUTH, MI, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Westport Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT / NASDAQ:WPRT), the global leader in natural gas engines, is taking its first natural gas pick-up truck on a road trip across the Eastern USA this week, from May 21 to 24. Driving entirely on compressed natural gas (CNG), a team from Westport Innovations will make the 700 mile drive in the brand new Westport™ WiNG powered bi-fuel Ford F-250 Super Duty truck. During stops in Cleveland, OH; Canton, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; and Pottstown, PA; the public will have the chance to view and drive this low carbon fuel...

The greening of a classic car makes it unrecognizable to drivers. The Ford Motor Company is giving its Mustang a unique 50th birthday present: death. Detroit will still market an automobile called the Mustang. It just won't bear much of a resemblance to the iconic roadster driven by the likes of Lt. Frank Bullitt and James Bond. Ford's new "Evos" concept features gull-wing doors, a rounded, aerodynamic body, and a smaller design clearly inspired by Europe. When Ford officially unveils its new Mustang in 2014, company insiders insist it will embrace this visual transformation. More pertinent than its changing look...

These days, most people consider themselves lucky if a new car lasts 5 to 10 years. Make it to 100,000 miles in your vehicle, and the car company might make a commercial about you...

Calling for higher taxes may bring applause at partisan political events, but it won't lower energy prices." I think all of the above energy strategy that Tom laid out and that the president articulates at times is not altogether pursued. Take for example the vote in the Senate last week. The deductions enjoyed by the oil companies are enjoyed by all U.S. manufacturers. So to single out oil companies at a time in which gas prices are high, in which our U.S. domestic industry, or to say domestic oil industry... MS. BRZEZINSKI: Eighty billion in profits. FMR. REP. FORD JR.:...

President Obama kicked his PR campaign on gas prices into a higher gear Wednesday, giving what is believed to be the first ever presidential interview to AAA. “I understand what folks are going through because it wasn’t that long ago that I was having to fill up my gas tank and drive to work, shuttle the kids back and forth to school or events, and it takes a big bite out of folks paychecks,” Obama told the motorist group, which has 53 million members. The interview, which appears online and in AAA publications today, is the latest indication that...

(WXYZ) - Ford Motor is stepping up to help the victims of the recent wave of tornadoes. The Ford Motor Company Fund is donating $75,000 to the American Red Cross and the Dare to Care food bank in Louisville. Ford employees are expecting to raise another $25,000 through donations to help their neighbors. The money will be used to help victims of the tornadoes in southern Indiana and Kentucky. Other employees are volunteering their time to help victims rebuild in southern Ohio.

Allegations of faulty car design are at the center of a lawsuit by an injured Fresno teen against Ford Motor Co. Shaela Warkentin, 16, suffered serious head and facial injuries a year ago when the 2000 Ford Mustang she was riding in was rear-ended by a pickup. Shaela's head was pinned against the rear edge of the car's roof, and rescuers had to cut the roof from the car to free her. The injuries cost the girl her eyesight and left her hospitalized for weeks. Fresno attorney Warren Paboojian filed the suit Friday on behalf of Shaela and her sister,...

Chicago Bound: City of Chicago Places Order for 500 Ford Police Interceptors Written by: Jake Holmes on February 24 2012 1:30 PM Ford has long cornered the cop-car market with the old Crown Victoria, but now that the aging sedan has been put out to pasture, police departments must find new cruisers. The City of Chicago will continue to use Ford vehicles, and mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that Chicago plans to buy 500 new examples of the Ford Police Interceptor police cars. It’s a fitting choice, given that the vehicles are built just south of the City at Ford’s...

Ford (and other automakers) envision future cars with high tech infotainment systems galore where car dashboards could have downloadable app's just like todays smart phones and tablets. With the OpenXC platform Ford is creating a channel for open collaboration with 3rd party application developers, allowing them to use cars like the Ford Focus to prototype their gizmos. Ford, like most other automakers, is heading towards a vision of the car as a platform for high tech wizardry and gizmos. Consumer electronics need not be limited to our living rooms or mobile computing devices, but can also be on-board the car....

GM, Ford feud over Super Bowl ad (Reuters) - A simmering feud between General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co heated up on Sunday as Ford objected to GM's Super Bowl advertisement for its Chevy Silverado pickup truck. The ad, which will run on NBC's television broadcast of the Super Bowl on Sunday, depicts an apocalyptic scene in which Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks and their owners escape death and make it to a pre-arranged meeting point. But, one of their friends, identified as "Dave," who drives a Ford, doesn't make it to the meeting site, in the video that plays...

The National Center for Public Policy Research is claiming a scalp today after Ford Motor Co. formally withdrew from the liberal U.S. Climate Action Partnership. The conservative non-profit announces today that Ford has withdrawn from the organization, which uses corporate support form management to work against shareholders' interests by promoting a cap-and-trade framework for carbon emissions.

The government's pending (2016) 35.5 MPG CAFE fuel economy requirements -- which for the first time apply to trucks as well as passenger cars -- are going to make it very difficult for any automaker to sell trucks in volume in this country. Ford has just dropped the compact-size Ranger from its U.S. model lineup -- making it the first CAFE casualty -- and I predict that larger trucks are on the endangered species list now, too.... Even a small truck with a four-cylinder engine will have a hard time averaging 35.5 MPG....

<p>DETROIT — Ford is recalling more than 128,000 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans from the 2010 and 2011 model years because the wheels can fall off the cars.</p> <p>The recall affects only cars with 17-inch steel wheels built from April 1, 2009 through April 30, 2009, and from Dec. 1, 2009 through Nov. 13, 2010.</p>

When Chevrolet unveiled the 580 hp 2012 Camaro ZL1 and its high-tech magnetically-adjustable suspension, ostensibly claiming the title of king of the pony cars, the folks from Ford were oddly unfazed. “Don’t worry,” they said, “wait until you see what we have in the works.” They weren’t kidding. The 2013 Shelby GT500 will come packing a 650 hp supercharged engine that Ford says is the most powerful production V8 in the world. The 5.8-liter mill sends its 600 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a carbon fiber driveshaft.

General Motors Co. may be the largest of Detroit’s Big Three, but it is the only one to not be represented on Automobile Magazine’s ‘2012 All-Stars’ list. The magazine, which ranked the 2012 Audi 7 the best vehicle of next year, feature vehicles from Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC on the top 10 list, but left GM in the dark. Ford drove onto the list with its compact Focus, which was awarded car of the year by the magazine in 2000, and the highly-acclaimed Mustang Boss 302, which the magazine dubbed “the best Mustang ever.” January 2012 issue,...

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit has written that comparing President Obama to Jimmy Carter would be a best-case scenario for President Obama. But President Obama may be in the process of getting a lucky break. Not that it will help him. This next election might not be an exact replay of 1980, with President Obama playing the part of Jimmy Carter. Imagine if, instead of nominating Ronald Reagan for president, the Republicans had dusted off Gerald Ford and run him against Jimmy Carter in 1980. That is a good analogy of what is probably going to happen in a Mitt Romney...

It's not easy to challenge a legend, especially one that has simmered in the minds of loyal Mustang enthusiasts for over 40 years. The Boss 302, offered in limited quantities for '69 and '70, was the ultimate in high-performance for its time. Everything about the car spoke to its purpose of homologating the unique Boss 302 engine for Trans-Am racing. You can check off the list of equipment for the fastback-only Boss: high-revving 302 with large-valve Cleveland heads and solid-lifter cam, Top Loader four-speed transmission, 9-inch rearend with nodular housing, handling suspension with staggered rear shocks, 15-inch wheels with F60x15...

If all you wanna do is ride around, the classic convertible can be yours for $15,000. Ford Motor Co. will soon sell brand-new 1965 Ford Mustangs for just $15,000 each. The only hitch: There's some assembly required. As part of its Ford Reproduction business, Ford revealed today it had approved a new stamping of the steel bodies for first-generation Mustang that buyers could then build into their own 1964 1/2 through 1966 Mustang, using whatever engine, axles, interior and other parts they can find on their own...

Asian brands continue to dominate Consumer Reports' 2011 Annual Auto Survey, sweeping the top nine spots. Toyota's American brand Scion leads the pack, followed by Lexus, Acura, Mazda, Honda, and Toyota. The brands scored strong on predicted reliability tests. Of the 91 Japanese models for which Consumer Reports has sufficient data, 87 (96 percent) were rated average or better. 24 Japanese models earned the highest rating.

A new book chronicling the financial collapse of General Motors and Chrysler in 2008 reveals new details about just how desperate the situation was for the giants of the automobile industry. New York Times reporter Bill Vlasic's new book, "Once Upon A Car," relates the fiscal turmoil facing General Motors in the months leading up to the financial collapse.

As the UAW rank-and-file continues to vote on the contract offer hammered out between management and UAW honchos, the Detroit Free Press reports that at least one local has rejected the offer, even though it includes a $6,000 cash bonus, a $3,700 profit sharing bonus and at least another $1,500 cash for each of the four years on the contract for a total of $15,700 on top of wages and benefits. (Snip) No wonder some auto companies needed a bailout. $56 and $58 an hour? Most CEOs and small business owners make less than that.

GOP House Oversight and Government Reform chair Rep. Darryl Issa has questions for Ford CEO Alan Mulally about the White House Ford fiasco. In a new letter Mulally received today, Rep. Issa requests more information and notes that he is “deeply concerned about undue political pressure exerted by the White House on public companies. Issa asks Mulally the same question I asked White House press flack Dan Pfeiffer yesterday (and which Pfeiffer refused to answer): Did any White House officials — or any other current or former administration officials — contact any Ford officials/employees to discuss the anti-bailout ad? He...

What was designed as a “man-on-the-street” style commercial for Ford Motor Co. turned into a potent political statement when F-150 owner Chris McDaniel, asked about the importance of buying American, explained why Ford was the company for him: “I wasn’t going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government,” McDaniel explained. “I was going to buy from a manufacturer that’s standing on their own, win, lose or draw.” The TV spot was so popular, the video went viral on YouTube. But it was not until the ad was pulled off the air that people really started talking...

DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford's turnaround over the last five years has resulted in big profits and won its CEO a reputation for brilliant management. But those same achievements are stirring resentment among many of its factory workers. And that is complicating contract talks between the company and its union employees. GM and Chrysler needed government bailouts and bankruptcy protection to stay in business, but Ford took billions in private loans and endured on its own. As a result, Ford became a consumer favorite and the company prospered. It paid Mulally for engineering the turnaround and restored merit pay and some...

Remember that clever little Ford ad that showed an actual buyer being led into a surprise news conference and answering impromptu questions? You know, the one where the buyer says, “I wasn’t going to buy another car that was bailed out by the government. I was going to buy from a manufacturer that’s standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That’s what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta’ pick yourself up and go back to work.”