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GM, Ford place in top 10 on 2012 Fortune 500 list
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials
If you’re a blue-blooded American capitalist, there’s nothing better than leading your company to the top of the Fortune 500 – except for making billions of dollars in profits, that is. But thankfully those two objectives tend to go hand-in-hand, as proven by these two men.
Indeed, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson and Ford CEO Alan Mulally have plenty to smile about when looking at the 2012 Fortune 500 list, as their respective companies are pegged at fifth and ninth. While Ford’s profit last year dwarfed GM’s, according to the Fortune list, GM’s revenue was greater than all but four other corporations: Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips.
The only other automotive firm to hit the top 100 was supplier Johnson Controls at 67, though plenty of other suppliers made the list, including Goodyear at 126 and Ford spin-off Visteon at 321.
GM, Ford place in top 10 on 2012 Fortune 500 list originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Car buyers falling back in love with manual transmissions
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Car Buying, Technology, Ford
From the headlines-we-never-expected-to-see file: “Stick shifts popular again…” Yes, we thought manual transmissions were on their deathbed, what with every carmaker bemoaning low take rates and reports that Volkswagen has decided to do away with them in both its Audi R8 sports car and throughout the range of Lamborghini models. But lo and behold, it seems that manuals accounted for 6.5 percent of new vehicle sales during the first quarter this year, the highest take rate since 2006, according to Edmunds.com numbers cited by USA Today.
This surge in popularity comes despite a 10-percent drop in the percentage of new models offering stick shifts in the past five years, according to the report. The change in consumer behavior has surprised some automakers, including Ford, who told the newspaper that demand for a manual in the Focus is nearly 10 percent, more than double the automaker’s original forecast.
Of course before we get too excited – or give credit to the Car and Driver “Save the Manuals” campaign – let’s keep in mind that a decade ago, when we first started to hear the groundswell against the manual from automakers, the take rate for manuals was still running above 8 percent. And we’re still faced with an inevitable demographic shift as Millennials, born after automatic transmissions became dominant, grow up. The best we can hope for is to teach those willing to learn and hope to keep the manual tranny around as long as possible.
Car buyers falling back in love with manual transmissions originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
NHTSA upgrades investigation into Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey rust issues
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Minivan/Van, Government/Legal, Safety, Ford
If you are still stuck driving a prematurely rusty 2004 Ford Freestar or Mercury Monterey minivan, you have our deepest sympathies. But for all your suffering, you might still gain some small measure of satisfaction from Ford.
Remember the investigation launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year? Well, the good news is that NHTSA has upgraded the issue to a full-fledged engineering analysis, according to The Detroit News. Specifically, the Feds are trying to figure out whether there’s any difference between the 2004 models, vehicles that have engendered 22 reports concerning rust in the rear wheel wells, and 2005-2007 models, for which there are no registered complaints. (A 2006 model is pictured above.)
More than 82,000 vehicles are potentially affected by the rust problems, according to the report, with symptoms including difficulty latching the rear seats and anchor plates that have detached from the vehicle.
NHTSA upgrades investigation into Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey rust issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Ford tilts pinball parkers to promote Focus, Active Park Assist
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Budget, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Hatchback, Ford, Humor
We’ve got to hand it to Ford of Europe – this is one of the most brilliant marketing stunts we’ve ever seen. Blending the correct amounts of populist outrage, mockery of the common man, hidden cameras, big budget technology, and gritty urban realism into one literal over-the-top promotion that – get this – is actually relevant to the vehicle it is designed to promote? Well, we’re impressed, to say the least.
We won’t spoil the punchline to the video, created by ad agency Ogilvy of Paris (according to Co.Create), but for anyone who’s ever had to suffer through living in a big city and parking on the street, you’ll be pleased.
And for those of you who might occasionally do a little park-by-touch yourself? Ford’s new Focus with Active Park Assist is just the vehicle for you.
Scroll down to play the whole video.
Continue reading Ford tilts pinball parkers to promote Focus, Active Park Assist
Ford tilts pinball parkers to promote Focus, Active Park Assist originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.