Filed under: Spy Photos, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Ford

It shouldn’t be entirely uncommon to run across a Ford Fiesta here in the United States now that the Blue Oval has handed the keys to a hundred of ‘em to various “agents” all across the country as part of its Fiesta Movement program. What is unusual, though, is seeing a Fiesta sedan, but that’s exactly what Domino Vitali, a spy shooter for our friends at WebRidesTV Blog, managed to snap a few shots of just north of the Motor City in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Though the Ford Fiesta Sedan is already available in China, the American version of the car will differ slightly to conform with U.S. regulations. We’ll likely get revised fascias front and rear along with bumpers that offer a smidgen more protection in low-speed impacts. Fortunately for those of us who prefer the utmost in practicality, FoMoCo is also expected to send the hatchback (in both three- and five-door configurations) to America in addition to this new sedan when the Fiesta finally goes on sale as a 2011 model.

[Source: WebRidesTV Blog]

Spy Shots: Ford Fiesta sedan caught in The D originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Earnings/Financials

More good news comes from the Blue Oval camp today as Ford CEO Alan Mulally has said that the automaker plans to “[increase] production to support the desirability of Ford products.” Despite a downturn in new car sales, Ford – the only member of the Detroit 3 automakers that has not filed for bankruptcy protection in the last two months – has actually managed to gain a few ever-important percentage points of market share from its global rivals, including fellow American automakers General Motors and Chrysler.

In related news, Mulally says that Ford is well on its way to returning to profitability in 2011 as planned. Last year, Ford recorded its worst-ever loss of $14.8 billion and expects to continue posting smaller losses through 2009 and 2010, but Mulally is confident the company has sufficient funds on hand to finance the turnaround plan made possible by the $23 billion the automaker raised in 2006 shortly before the global economy hit the panic button.

A major portion of Ford’s turnaround plan is based on “more and more electrification, both hybrids and battery electric vehicles,” said Mulally, which is consistent with stated goals set out by the Obama Administration. Earlier this week, Ford accepted $5.9 billion in U.S. Department of Energy loans to retool factories to build more environmentally friendly cars and trucks.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Mulally: Ford boosting production to meet demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Auction Action, Supercars, Ford

Still grumbling over having missed the chance at buying a Ford GT when it was still in production? Well, if you’ve got the cash on hand, there are probably dozens of examples up for sale by owners who need the liquid assets more than they need the retro supercar. But few are as enticing at what Ford and RM Auctions have going on this August.

At both the Meadow Brook and Monterey concours the month after next, RM will be auctioning off an early VIN example to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The sixth example produced, decked out in red with white stripes, will be on offer at Meadow Brook, with the seventh Ford GT, in white with blue stripes, up for grabs in Monterey. Each is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000 for the medical research endowment, so if getting your hands on Motown’s hottest piece of machinery in decades wasn’t cause enough, altruism ought to do the trick. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading RM auctioning off two Ford GTs to benefit juvenile diabetes research

RM auctioning off two Ford GTs to benefit juvenile diabetes research originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Trucks/Pickups, Etc., Videos, Ford, Lifestyle

Autoblog went to the premiere of Raptor – Born in Baja, and while the film is on the long side, it’s an enjoyable flick. We wrote before that the truck “only” came in third (out of four total trucks in Class 8), but to finish the Baja 1000 at all is an achievement — especially when the overall attrition rate is close to 50%. Throw in a truck that had been built in three months and hadn’t been tested in any other race before and you’ve got a little adventure on your hands.

The movie provides plenty more. There’s never a good time for things to break, but the Raptor R chose a couple of the most abysmal moments to get sick: it was compelling irony to watch the whole race team wearing “Built Ford Tough” t-shirts gathered around a truck that wouldn’t start 90 minutes before the race began.

And if it wasn’t the Raptor, it was other trucks in the road holding things up. Still, not only did they get it started, but the Raptor R got to the end with all of its panels and, as far as we could see, no dents — and it came within minutes of taking second place.

But you’ll have to watch the movie to truly glimpse the eye of the tiger… and the thrill of the fight. You can view it on Speed TV on Sunday, July 12 at 4 p.m. EST — and when you do, look for Pickuptrucks.com’s Mike Levine, Jalopnik’s Ray Wert, and our own Drew Phillips who make cameos during the SEMA coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump.

Continue reading Quick Review: Raptor – Born in Baja is Rocky for pickup trucks

Quick Review: Raptor – Born in Baja is Rocky for pickup trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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