Click Here to read the post and view the photos.
Source: blog.caranddriver.com
Monday, July 21, 2014
2015 Mustang Pace Car
While the 2015 Ford Mustang isn’t due in showrooms until later this
year, we’ll get to see the car in action at Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400
NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. That’s
because the new Mustang is serving as the official pace car for the race.
Click Here to read this post and view the picture of this awesome Mustang.
Source: motorauthority.com
Click Here to read this post and view the picture of this awesome Mustang.
Source: motorauthority.com
The 2015 Ford Mustang Of Our Dreams
How We'd Spec It:
Click Here to view pictures and to read the article.
Source: blog.caranddriver.com
1963 Ford Thunderbird Italien
This is the sale of my 1963 Thunderbird Italien concept car which I purchased in November '05 and restored over the winter of '06 and '07. I sold it at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale AZ in January '08.
It's sale set a world record sale price for any Thunderbird anywhere at any time which still holds today.
Source: youtube.com
The Ford Custom Car Caravan
The Ford Custom Car Caravan was a natural venue for Ford to show off its in-house built concept car Allegro.
The Ford Custom Car Caravan came about as the 1960's dawned and the American custom car scene was in full swing. Sensing the marketing opportunity to grab the attention of hundreds of thousands of showgoers, as well as the media, Ford Motor Company decided to get in on the custom car craze.
Under the leadership of Ford Special Projects Division head Jacques H. Passino, the Ford Division conceived the Ford Custom Car Caravan to create and campaign customized and performance-themed Fords.
The Caravan started in fall 1962 and first relied upon cars built in-house, then presented customized factory cars built by commissioned shops to factory specifications. Ultimately, the Caravan adopted privately created custom cars based upon production automobiles.
Initially, the Ford Custom Car Caravan featured its famed X-car concept vehicles (Mustang II, Cougar II, and Allegro), which were later joined by the Dearborn Steel Tubing-built Thunderbird Italien and the George Barris-built Fairlane Landau Starburst, in shows presented by the International Show Car Association (Promotions, Inc.).
As the Caravan grew and more custom cars were needed to fill at least three regional Caravans, Ford reached out to additional customizers and eventually either commissioned or adopted the work of the Alexander Brothers, George Barris, Clarkaiser, Bill Cushenbery, Dearborn Steel Tubing, Fostoria Customs, Dean Jeffries, and Gene Winfield.
George Barris turned a 1963 Fairlane 500 into the Landau Starburst and gave it an alligator-skin-covered top.
A couple Fairlane Thunderbolts built by Dearborn Steel Tubing were shown in the second season. Successive versions of some Caravan custom cars were featured as the builders updated their cars.
In addition to the ISCA shows, Ford presented its Caravan at Ford dealerships, county and state fairs, shopping malls, and teen fairs.
Early shows featured an AMT slot car track, as well as appearances by longtime racer and Ford "performance advisor" Ak Miller and most of the customizers whose work appeared in the Caravan.
As the Ford Custom Car Caravan matured, Ford approached individual customizers and proposed that if they installed Ford powerplants in their wild customs, their cars could appear under the Ford banner.
The Caravan was widely covered in several dozen custom car magazines. By the third year, the relative number of custom cars had declined in favor of high-performance versions of Ford production cars.
Of the original cadre of customizers, only Barris made appearances for the final Caravan season. The Ford Custom Car Caravan concluded sometime in the 1965-66 show season.
Starting in late 1963, the Lincoln-Mercury Division got involved with its Caravan of Stars, but this program strictly relied upon in-house designs.
Starting with the Barris-built but factory-designed Mercury Super Marauder and the Ghia-bodied Mercury Montego, this Caravan was joined by the Dearborn Steel Tubing-built Super Cyclone and the Winfield-built Comet Cyclone Sportster. Both Cyclones successfully merged custom and performance themes.
The 1965 Comet Cyclone Sportster built by Gene Winfield was featured in the Lincoln-Mercury Caravan.
Publications International, Ltd.
A long wheelbase Lincoln Continental that was probably built in-house also joined the tour. Lincoln-Mercury's Caravan was presented in shopping centers and other informal settings, and ended with the conclusion of the 1966 show season.
By the final two seasons, Ford's two Caravans had switched their focus to performance more than customizing, just as enthusiasts had moved away from customs to embrace muscle cars.
Still, the Caravans showed that Ford Motor Company was a proponent of custom cars, and Ford's efforts gave work and publicity to customizers at a time when they really needed it.
Source: howstuffworks.com
History of the Rouge Plant
By the Numbers
Located a few miles south of Detroit at the confluence of the Rouge and Detroit Rivers, the original Rouge complex was a mile-and-a-half wide and more than a mile long. The multiplex of 93 buildings totaled 15,767,708 square feet of floor area crisscrossed by 120 miles of conveyors.
There were ore docks, steel furnaces, coke ovens, rolling mills, glass furnaces and plate-glass rollers. Buildings included a tire-making plant, stamping plant, engine casting plant, frame and assembly plant, transmission plant, radiator plant, tool and die plant, and, at one time, even a paper mill. A massive power plant produced enough electricity to light a city the size of nearby Detroit, and a soybean conversion plant turned soybeans into plastic auto parts.
The Rouge had its own railroad with 100 miles of track and 16 locomotives. A scheduled bus network and 15 miles of paved roads kept everything and everyone on the move.
It was a city without residents. At its peak in the 1930's, more than 100,000 people worked at the Rouge. To accommodate them required a multi-station fire department, a modern police force, a fully staffed hospital and a maintenance crew 5,000 strong. One new car rolled off the line every 49 seconds. Each day, workers smelted more than 1,500 tons of iron and made 500 tons of glass, and every month 3,500 mop heads had to be replaced to keep the complex clean.
The Idea
Henry Ford’s ultimate goal was to achieve total self-sufficiency by owning, operating and coordinating all the resources needed to produce complete automobiles.
Ford Motor Company owned 700,000 acres of forest, iron mines and limestone quarries in northern Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ford mines covered thousands of acres of coal-rich land in Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Ford even purchased and operated a rubber plantation in Brazil.
To bring all these materials to the Rouge, Ford operated a fleet of ore freighters and an entire regional railroad company.
Ford’s ambition was never completely realized, but no one has ever come so close on such a grand scale. At no time, for example, did Ford have fewer than 6,000 suppliers serving the Rouge.
The Rouge Fires Up
Ford began buying the property that was to become the Rouge in 1915. In total, he acquired a 2,000-acre stretch of bottomland along the Rouge River.
The Rouge River property still was not earmarked for any particular use. Ford had even considered turning the land into a large bird sanctuary. That changed near the end of World War I, when Undersecretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged Henry Ford to build boats.
In 1917, a three-story structure, Building B, was erected on the Rouge site to build Eagle Boats, warships intended to hunt down German submarines. Building B was the first substantial Rouge building and today serves as part of the Dearborn Assembly Plant.
Although the war ended before the Ford Eagle Boats ever went into action, the effort did allow Ford to widen the Rouge River substantially, presenting the possibility of bringing ore boats up the river.
The Rouge soon became the destination of massive Ford lake freighters filled with iron ore, coal, and limestone. The first coke oven battery went into operation in October of 1919, while blast furnaces were added in 1920 and 1922. Iron from the furnaces was transported directly to the foundry where it was poured into molds to make engine blocks, cylinder heads, intake and exhaust manifolds, and other automotive parts. The foundry covered 30 acres and was, at its inception, the largest on earth. In 1926 steelmaking furnaces and rolling mills were added. Eventually, the Rouge produced virtually every Model T component, but assembly of the Model T remained at Highland Park.
The First Assembly
The first land vehicles actually assembled in the Rouge were not cars but farm tractors. No sooner had Henry Ford achieved low-cost transportation with the Model T than he set his sights on doing the same for the world’s farmers. In 1921 production of the world's first mass-produced tractor, the Fordson, was transferred from the original Dearborn plant to the Rouge.
Ford put a mammoth power plant into operation in 1920 that furnished all the Rouge's electricity and one-third of the Highland Park Plant's needs as well. At times, surplus Rouge power was even sold to Detroit Edison Company.
An innovative glass plant began operation in 1923. Utilizing a continuous process that Ford had helped develop, it produced higher quality glass at lower cost. In 1928 the Model A became the first low-priced car to use laminated safety glass. By 1930 the Ford was making its own safety glass at the Rouge.
The Rouge achieved the distinction of automotive "ore to assembly" in 1927 with the long-awaited introduction of the Model A. Building B would be the home of assembly operations from that time forth.
Albert Kahn Design
Most of these buildings, and several hundred more in the Ford empire, were designed by Albert Kahn, one the most renowned architects of his day. Although the buildings were designed pragmatically for their manufacturing function, Kahn managed to add a sense of light and air. When the Rouge glass plant was erected with heavily glassed upper walls and ceiling, it was called "the single factory that carries industrial architecture forward more than any other."
Unionization
By 1928, the complex was complete, yet it was never settled. The Rouge continued to operate throughout the Great Depression, yet Ford’s obsession with ever-increasing cost reductions through methodical efficiency studies made life difficult for workers.
On May 26, 1937, when a group of union organizers led by Walter Reuther attempted to distribute union literature at the Rouge, Ford security and a gang of hired thugs beat them severely. It would be known as the Battle of the Overpass and became a pivotal event for the United Auto Workers and other unions.
The Rouge settled with UAW representation before World War II broke out. During the war the giant complex produced jeeps, amphibious vehicles, parts for tanks and tank engines, and aircraft engines used in fighter planes and medium bombers.
The Rouge after Henry Ford
In 1947, at the pinnacle of the Rouge’s success, Henry Ford died.
The roar of the Rouge began to fade as Ford Motor Company embarked on a new era that stressed decentralization and a more global approach.
Henry Ford II and his new team of "Whiz Kid" managers continued to fully employ the Rouge through the late 1960s, operating in a distinctly different world from Henry Ford. For one, there was a growing awareness of the environment. In the early days of American industrialization, smoke rising from a stack was a positive sign of full employment. As industry matured, government and manufacturers alike became aware that black smoke had other implications.
Air and water quality standards were developed by government agencies. More manufacturing facilities located within a community, accumulatively adding to emissions, meant more stringent controls. This, in part, led to closure of some older facilities. The Rouge, the largest single industrial complex in the world, probably would be the last of its kind.
The Rouge after Henry Ford
In 1947, at the pinnacle of the Rouge’s success, Henry Ford died.
The roar of the Rouge began to fade as Ford Motor Company embarked on a new era that stressed decentralization and a more global approach.
Henry Ford II and his new team of "Whiz Kid" managers continued to fully employ the Rouge through the late 1960s, operating in a distinctly different world from Henry Ford. For one, there was a growing awareness of the environment. In the early days of American industrialization, smoke rising from a stack was a positive sign of full employment. As industry matured, government and manufacturers alike became aware that black smoke had other implications.
Air and water quality standards were developed by government agencies. More manufacturing facilities located within a community, accumulatively adding to emissions, meant more stringent controls. This, in part, led to closure of some older facilities. The Rouge, the largest single industrial complex in the world, probably would be the last of its kind.
Back to Top
Decentralization
The company grew to rely more and more on an ever-increasing cadre of suppliers and to methodically extract itself from other fields such as mining, lumbering and glass making.
In 1981, steel-making operations at the Rouge became part of a new independent company. When these operations were sold to Rouge Steel in 1989, Ford gave up ownership of all Rouge River frontage and boat docks, as well as about 45 percent of the original 2,000 acres.
Over time, the number of operations and jobs at the Rouge dropped. Economic pressures mounted to retire old brownfield manufacturing facilities and to replace them with state-of-the-art greenfield plants.
The Rouge, however, had evolved into a community with a strong sense of its own identity. Families worked from generation to generation in the Rouge, and few were willing to walk away from their hard-earned heritage.
That fact became clear in 1992 when the only car still built at the Rouge, the Ford Mustang, was about to be eliminated and assembly operations in Dearborn Assembly terminated.
UAW Local 600, in cooperation with Alex Trotman, then president of Ford’s North American Operations, set out to keep the Mustang in production and to keep production in the Rouge. "Save the Mustang" became synonymous with "Save the Rouge." Working together, the company and the UAW established a modern operating agreement and fostered numerous innovations to increase efficiency and quality. The company, for its part, would redesign and reintroduce the Mustang, and invest in modern equipment.
The Rouge Enters the New Millennium
In 1997, the Rouge was making a comeback. UAW Local 600 membership and the company approved the Rouge Viability Agreement, and the Ford Board of Directors agreed to modernize the company’s oldest and largest manufacturing complex. The first efforts focused on extensive renovations to the Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank Plant and other plants at the Rouge. Dearborn Assembly Plant would get an environmentally advanced paint operation, and plans called for CMS Energy to develop an entirely new power plant by 2000.
Ground was already being cleared for the new high-efficiency power plant when tragedy struck. The Number Six boiler at the Rouge Power Plant exploded and six employees were killed. A dozen more were seriously injured.
Within two hours of the explosion, Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford arrived at the scene, offering whatever support he could. "Our employees are like extended members of our family," Ford said, "My heart sank. It’s about the worst feeling you could ever have."
The Rouge entered the new millennium humbled by disaster and downsizing, yet still an industrial giant. About 6,000 Ford employees work at the Rouge.
Now called the Ford Rouge Center, the 600-acre site remains Ford Motor Company’s largest single industrial complex. And a massive revitalization effort is under way to restore this icon’s glory.
The new Ford Rouge Center will include one of the world’s most advanced and flexible manufacturing facilities, capable of building up to nine different models on three vehicle platforms. The plan includes numerous pilots of advanced environmental concepts designed to balance the needs of auto manufacturing with social and environmental concerns – and save money.
The Dearborn Truck Plant will become the centerpiece of the new Ford Rouge Center, the largest industrial redevelopment project in U.S. history and the flagship of Ford’s vision of sustainable manufacturing for the future.
Source: thehenryford.org
Located a few miles south of Detroit at the confluence of the Rouge and Detroit Rivers, the original Rouge complex was a mile-and-a-half wide and more than a mile long. The multiplex of 93 buildings totaled 15,767,708 square feet of floor area crisscrossed by 120 miles of conveyors.
There were ore docks, steel furnaces, coke ovens, rolling mills, glass furnaces and plate-glass rollers. Buildings included a tire-making plant, stamping plant, engine casting plant, frame and assembly plant, transmission plant, radiator plant, tool and die plant, and, at one time, even a paper mill. A massive power plant produced enough electricity to light a city the size of nearby Detroit, and a soybean conversion plant turned soybeans into plastic auto parts.
The Rouge had its own railroad with 100 miles of track and 16 locomotives. A scheduled bus network and 15 miles of paved roads kept everything and everyone on the move.
It was a city without residents. At its peak in the 1930's, more than 100,000 people worked at the Rouge. To accommodate them required a multi-station fire department, a modern police force, a fully staffed hospital and a maintenance crew 5,000 strong. One new car rolled off the line every 49 seconds. Each day, workers smelted more than 1,500 tons of iron and made 500 tons of glass, and every month 3,500 mop heads had to be replaced to keep the complex clean.
The Idea
Henry Ford’s ultimate goal was to achieve total self-sufficiency by owning, operating and coordinating all the resources needed to produce complete automobiles.
Ford Motor Company owned 700,000 acres of forest, iron mines and limestone quarries in northern Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ford mines covered thousands of acres of coal-rich land in Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Ford even purchased and operated a rubber plantation in Brazil.
To bring all these materials to the Rouge, Ford operated a fleet of ore freighters and an entire regional railroad company.
Ford’s ambition was never completely realized, but no one has ever come so close on such a grand scale. At no time, for example, did Ford have fewer than 6,000 suppliers serving the Rouge.
The Rouge Fires Up
Ford began buying the property that was to become the Rouge in 1915. In total, he acquired a 2,000-acre stretch of bottomland along the Rouge River.
The Rouge River property still was not earmarked for any particular use. Ford had even considered turning the land into a large bird sanctuary. That changed near the end of World War I, when Undersecretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged Henry Ford to build boats.
In 1917, a three-story structure, Building B, was erected on the Rouge site to build Eagle Boats, warships intended to hunt down German submarines. Building B was the first substantial Rouge building and today serves as part of the Dearborn Assembly Plant.
Although the war ended before the Ford Eagle Boats ever went into action, the effort did allow Ford to widen the Rouge River substantially, presenting the possibility of bringing ore boats up the river.
The Rouge soon became the destination of massive Ford lake freighters filled with iron ore, coal, and limestone. The first coke oven battery went into operation in October of 1919, while blast furnaces were added in 1920 and 1922. Iron from the furnaces was transported directly to the foundry where it was poured into molds to make engine blocks, cylinder heads, intake and exhaust manifolds, and other automotive parts. The foundry covered 30 acres and was, at its inception, the largest on earth. In 1926 steelmaking furnaces and rolling mills were added. Eventually, the Rouge produced virtually every Model T component, but assembly of the Model T remained at Highland Park.
The First Assembly
The first land vehicles actually assembled in the Rouge were not cars but farm tractors. No sooner had Henry Ford achieved low-cost transportation with the Model T than he set his sights on doing the same for the world’s farmers. In 1921 production of the world's first mass-produced tractor, the Fordson, was transferred from the original Dearborn plant to the Rouge.
Ford put a mammoth power plant into operation in 1920 that furnished all the Rouge's electricity and one-third of the Highland Park Plant's needs as well. At times, surplus Rouge power was even sold to Detroit Edison Company.
An innovative glass plant began operation in 1923. Utilizing a continuous process that Ford had helped develop, it produced higher quality glass at lower cost. In 1928 the Model A became the first low-priced car to use laminated safety glass. By 1930 the Ford was making its own safety glass at the Rouge.
The Rouge achieved the distinction of automotive "ore to assembly" in 1927 with the long-awaited introduction of the Model A. Building B would be the home of assembly operations from that time forth.
Albert Kahn Design
Most of these buildings, and several hundred more in the Ford empire, were designed by Albert Kahn, one the most renowned architects of his day. Although the buildings were designed pragmatically for their manufacturing function, Kahn managed to add a sense of light and air. When the Rouge glass plant was erected with heavily glassed upper walls and ceiling, it was called "the single factory that carries industrial architecture forward more than any other."
Unionization
By 1928, the complex was complete, yet it was never settled. The Rouge continued to operate throughout the Great Depression, yet Ford’s obsession with ever-increasing cost reductions through methodical efficiency studies made life difficult for workers.
On May 26, 1937, when a group of union organizers led by Walter Reuther attempted to distribute union literature at the Rouge, Ford security and a gang of hired thugs beat them severely. It would be known as the Battle of the Overpass and became a pivotal event for the United Auto Workers and other unions.
The Rouge settled with UAW representation before World War II broke out. During the war the giant complex produced jeeps, amphibious vehicles, parts for tanks and tank engines, and aircraft engines used in fighter planes and medium bombers.
The Rouge after Henry Ford
In 1947, at the pinnacle of the Rouge’s success, Henry Ford died.
The roar of the Rouge began to fade as Ford Motor Company embarked on a new era that stressed decentralization and a more global approach.
Henry Ford II and his new team of "Whiz Kid" managers continued to fully employ the Rouge through the late 1960s, operating in a distinctly different world from Henry Ford. For one, there was a growing awareness of the environment. In the early days of American industrialization, smoke rising from a stack was a positive sign of full employment. As industry matured, government and manufacturers alike became aware that black smoke had other implications.
Air and water quality standards were developed by government agencies. More manufacturing facilities located within a community, accumulatively adding to emissions, meant more stringent controls. This, in part, led to closure of some older facilities. The Rouge, the largest single industrial complex in the world, probably would be the last of its kind.
History of the Rouge (Part 3)
| Part 1 By the Numbers The Idea The Rouge Fires Up |
Part 2 The First Assembly Albert Kahn Design Unionization |
Part 3 The Rouge after Henry Ford Decentralization The Rouge Enters the New Millennium |
The Rouge after Henry Ford
In 1947, at the pinnacle of the Rouge’s success, Henry Ford died.
The roar of the Rouge began to fade as Ford Motor Company embarked on a new era that stressed decentralization and a more global approach.
Henry Ford II and his new team of "Whiz Kid" managers continued to fully employ the Rouge through the late 1960s, operating in a distinctly different world from Henry Ford. For one, there was a growing awareness of the environment. In the early days of American industrialization, smoke rising from a stack was a positive sign of full employment. As industry matured, government and manufacturers alike became aware that black smoke had other implications.
Air and water quality standards were developed by government agencies. More manufacturing facilities located within a community, accumulatively adding to emissions, meant more stringent controls. This, in part, led to closure of some older facilities. The Rouge, the largest single industrial complex in the world, probably would be the last of its kind.
Back to Top
Decentralization
The company grew to rely more and more on an ever-increasing cadre of suppliers and to methodically extract itself from other fields such as mining, lumbering and glass making.
In 1981, steel-making operations at the Rouge became part of a new independent company. When these operations were sold to Rouge Steel in 1989, Ford gave up ownership of all Rouge River frontage and boat docks, as well as about 45 percent of the original 2,000 acres.
Over time, the number of operations and jobs at the Rouge dropped. Economic pressures mounted to retire old brownfield manufacturing facilities and to replace them with state-of-the-art greenfield plants.
The Rouge, however, had evolved into a community with a strong sense of its own identity. Families worked from generation to generation in the Rouge, and few were willing to walk away from their hard-earned heritage.
That fact became clear in 1992 when the only car still built at the Rouge, the Ford Mustang, was about to be eliminated and assembly operations in Dearborn Assembly terminated.
UAW Local 600, in cooperation with Alex Trotman, then president of Ford’s North American Operations, set out to keep the Mustang in production and to keep production in the Rouge. "Save the Mustang" became synonymous with "Save the Rouge." Working together, the company and the UAW established a modern operating agreement and fostered numerous innovations to increase efficiency and quality. The company, for its part, would redesign and reintroduce the Mustang, and invest in modern equipment.
The Rouge Enters the New Millennium
In 1997, the Rouge was making a comeback. UAW Local 600 membership and the company approved the Rouge Viability Agreement, and the Ford Board of Directors agreed to modernize the company’s oldest and largest manufacturing complex. The first efforts focused on extensive renovations to the Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank Plant and other plants at the Rouge. Dearborn Assembly Plant would get an environmentally advanced paint operation, and plans called for CMS Energy to develop an entirely new power plant by 2000.
Ground was already being cleared for the new high-efficiency power plant when tragedy struck. The Number Six boiler at the Rouge Power Plant exploded and six employees were killed. A dozen more were seriously injured.
Within two hours of the explosion, Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford arrived at the scene, offering whatever support he could. "Our employees are like extended members of our family," Ford said, "My heart sank. It’s about the worst feeling you could ever have."
The Rouge entered the new millennium humbled by disaster and downsizing, yet still an industrial giant. About 6,000 Ford employees work at the Rouge.
Now called the Ford Rouge Center, the 600-acre site remains Ford Motor Company’s largest single industrial complex. And a massive revitalization effort is under way to restore this icon’s glory.
The new Ford Rouge Center will include one of the world’s most advanced and flexible manufacturing facilities, capable of building up to nine different models on three vehicle platforms. The plan includes numerous pilots of advanced environmental concepts designed to balance the needs of auto manufacturing with social and environmental concerns – and save money.
The Dearborn Truck Plant will become the centerpiece of the new Ford Rouge Center, the largest industrial redevelopment project in U.S. history and the flagship of Ford’s vision of sustainable manufacturing for the future.
1986 Ford Taurus
Have You Driven A Ford... Lately?
The Ford Taurus, (and its essentially similar cousin, the Mercury Sable), is probably one of the two most significant American automobiles of the 1980s (the other is the Chrysler Corp. minivan). The exterior styling incorporated a number of emerging trends. The 1986 Taurus set the pace for the aerodynamic look of today. Within a few years, the design had been copied by most makers, both foreign and domestic, and people were complaining that all cars looked like the Taurus.
As important as Taurus was to the American car market, it was even more
important to Ford Motor Company. By 1980, Ford was suffering from the
combined effects of higher gas prices, foreign competition, government
regulation, internal strife (the feud between Henry Ford II and Lee
Iacocca that resulted in Iacocca's firing), and its own products' dated
design and poor reliability. The company was losing money and market
share. Preliminary work had begun on a new mid-size car code named
Sigma, and new Chairman Philip Caldwell saw the project as a way to get
Ford back on track. His goal was to create a "world class" car with
styling, engineering, and performance equal to or better than any
similar sized car.A team approach was adopted for the project, bringing together car design engineers, stylists, manufacturing engineers, and marketing people. The traditional way to design a car was for each group to do its own work, passing the design "over the wall" to the next group. The result was poor communication, and designs that were poorly integrated and often expensive to manufacture. The team approach solved many of those problems. Ford also "benchmarked" the car, identifying competitive cars with the best features and trying to equal or improve on them in the Taurus. The distinctive styling was not compromised away as was often the case with radical designs. Great emphasis was put on design for quality low cost manufacturing. Quality was made the first priority in plants building the Taurus. The result was a winner in the marketplace that saved Ford Motor from disaster.
About our Car: This particular Taurus was used by Motor Trend for its Car of the Year tests. Gift of Ford Motor Company. In recognition of this accomplishment, The Henry Ford gave the Edsel B. Ford Design History Award to Team Taurus in 1995.
Source: thehenryford.org
The Car That Saved Ford
The 1949 Ford was revolutionary when it was introduced in the spring of that year. After the second World War, Ford Motor Company had been producing only remodeled designs of their 1942 automobile. Sleek and slab-sided with the trademark circle in the front grille, the 1949 Ford broke from previous ideas of design and engineering.
By the late 1940's, the dominance of the Big Three was more apparent than ever. The 1949 Ford symbolized the company's revitalization under Henry Ford II, who had taken over for his grandfather in 1945. Modern management methods and dramatically new products returned Ford to second place in sales.
Finding the company in total disarray, Henry Ford II lured Ernest R. Breech from the presidency of Bendix Aviation Corporation to be his executive vice-president and implement the recovery of Ford. Henry Ford II also lured in a dynamic management team to overhaul the company, including ten Harvard-trained ex-Air Force officers dubbed the Whiz Kids.
Design consultant
George Walker
Engineering VP
Harold Youngren
Early clay rendering
Richard Caleal
About our Car: This 1949 Ford sedan is serial number one - the first production 1949 Ford.
Source: thehenryford.org
Cruise-O-Matic
Ford-O-Matic was the first automatic transmission widely used by Ford Motor Company. It was designed by Borg Warner Corporation and introduced in 1951 model year cars. The three-speed Ford-O-Matic evolved into the "MX" and "FX" or Cruise-O-Matic transmissions in 1958 and the FMX in 1968. This line continued in production until 1980, when the AOD
was introduced. Like Ford, variations of this same Borg Warner design
were used by other automobile manufacturers as well, such as AMC,
International Harvester, Studebaker, Volvo and Jaguar, each of them
having the necessary unique adaptations required for the individual
applications.
Ravigneaux planet carrier from a Ford FMX, with a dinner fork to show scale
In
1966, Ford introduced the C6 automatic, which left them with three
heavy-duty automatic transmissions and crowded conditions at Livonia
Transmission plant. Ford decided to combine the best attributes of the
MX and FX transmissions and ended up with an improved version of the "X"
called FMX. This transmission used the stronger MX-type rotating
parts in the smaller FX style case. This cut down on both weight and
the number of transmission components Ford needed to make. This
transmission was manufactured at the Fairfax Transmission Plant, freeing
up capacity at Livonia for the new C6. The FMX was manufactured from
1968 to 1979, when the Fairfax Transmission plant was closed.
Although the FMX was phased out in the United States in 1979 in favor of Ford's then-revolutionary Automatic OverDrive (AOD) transmission, the FMX was sold for another two years for use in V8 Ford Falcons built in Australia. The FMX ceased production when Ford Australia phased out the V8 engine.
Fordomatic
In 1948, Ford realized it was late in introducing a fully automatic transmission to its automobile lineup. Ford Engineering Vice President Harold Youngren, recently hired away from Borg-Warner, recommended that Ford license and build a transmission using a design he was working on at his previous employer. Ford and Borg-Warner signed a contract in 1948 which entered B-W into a supply agreement wherein they would build half of Ford's transmissions for five years, with the other half either being built by Ford or by a different supplier. Because of this agreement, Ford licensed the design themselves and broke ground immediately on an assembly plant to build the remaining transmissions. The new plant, called Fairfax Transmission Plant, was dedicated in 1950. The original Ford-O-Matic accomplished two things that Ford's two previous automatic transmissions failed to do. Through the use of an integrated torque converter and planetary gearset, Ford's automatic shifted smooth without an interruption in torque from the engine. The other was the shifting pattern, revised from PNDLR to PRNDL, which served to reduce "shift shock" when changing gears and reduce "torque shock" when trying to rock a stuck car back and forth. The original Ford-O-Matic, while capable of three forward speeds, started out in second and shifted to third, with first only being used when selecting L on the gear shift column. The Ford-O-Matic was manufactured from 1951 until it was replaced by the C4 in 1964.MX/FX
In the mid-1950's, cars began to grow in size, and in response to heavier vehicles, more powerful engines were being developed. The original Ford-O-Matic was used as a template when developing the next automatic transmissions for Ford; in fact, many of the gear sets are interchangeable. The new transmissions arrived for model year 1958 which coincided with the release of Ford's new FE and MEL engines. Although marketed as Cruise-O-Matic, the new transmissions were known internally as the MX (larger) and the FX (smaller). They were a three-speed design using a Ravigneaux planetary gearset like the original, but moved the pump from the rear to the front of the transmission, while also using a different valve body so the transmission would start in first gear as opposed to second. The MX was built in the Livonia Transmission Plant in Livonia, Michigan and was placed behind the more powerful engines in Mercury, Lincoln, and a select Ford models. The smaller FX was built alongside the Ford-O-Matic at the Fairfax Transmission Plant and was put in midrange Ford and Mercury models. Because the original Ford-O-Matic started in second rather than first, it was marketed as a two-speed after the new three-speed transmissions were introduced. Production continued until it was replaced by the C4 in 1964 and application was for smaller Ford and Mercury vehicles....Fordomatic two-speed
The Fordomatic two-speed transmission was introduced in 1959. A simplified version of the Cruise-O-Matic, it combined a torque connector and a compound planetary gear set. A front unit (multiple-disc) clutch provided high gear, a front band on the clutch drum provided low gear, and a band on the rear unit internal gear drum provided reverse. This transmission was offered on Ford, Mercury, Edsel, Falcon, Comet and Meteor cars with differences in the torque converter, valve bodies and clutch plates to accommodate differing engine torques.FMX
Although the FMX was phased out in the United States in 1979 in favor of Ford's then-revolutionary Automatic OverDrive (AOD) transmission, the FMX was sold for another two years for use in V8 Ford Falcons built in Australia. The FMX ceased production when Ford Australia phased out the V8 engine.
- Gear ratios
- First: 2.40:1
- Second: 1.47:1
- Third: 1.00:1
- Reverse: 2.00:1
XT-LOD
In 1962, Ford began working on a new type of automatic transmission to emphasize fuel economy and driveability. The new transmission was built around the Ravigneaux planetary of the "X" transmissions. Where many transmissions had a fourth gear added as an afterthought, Ford's new transmission was designed with a fourth gear already integrated into the gearset. Because it was based on the X transmissions, its gear ratios from 1-3 were the same, with the fourth being .67:1. The transmission featured a split-torque application for third gear, as well as a lockup in the torque converter. The project was shelved with a design that initially lacked a dampener in the torque converter, but after the project was revisited, a dampener ultimately made its way into the final design before Job 1. The XT-LOD was initially abandoned in 1966, but revisited in 1974 as a result of rising gas prices. The transmission was introduced when Ford downsized its full size line for 1979. Initially called XT-LOD (Extension Lock-Up Overdrive), its name was changed when revisited in 1974 to FIOD (Ford Integrated Overdrive) and then to its final name in 1979, the Ford AOD transmission.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Barrett-Jackson 2008: Ford Thunderbird Italien Concept Goes For $600,000
Most early Ford show cars were sent to be destroyed after serving their duty, but this special car, a one-off Thunderbird called the "Italien" managed to escape the crusher. The story goes that this special Thunderbird was displayed at the 1964 New York World's Fair (the one and only time it was shown), and was destined to be destroyed after the show. Instead, it was sold to actor Dale Robertson, and later in 1986 sold to Ford collector Don Chambers. Chambers owned the car for twenty years, and then sold it to Thunderbird restorer Tom Maruska, who brought the car back to its original condition as seen here. Design features of the "Italien" include a fastback roof line and a unique leather interior.
The gavel price (before auction fees) of $600,000 wasn't cheap, but it seemed like a steal for a one-off concept car, especially with the Pininfarina Rondine concept going for $1 million more just moments earlier and concepts from previous years going for much, much more.
Click Here for more pictures.
Source: autoblog.com
1957 Ford Courier
This Ford Station Wagon served as an official coroner’s car in Colorado. Known in the trade as a “courier”, the car’s windowless cargo area, Black paint and special signage were clear signals as to its purpose. The bland Tan and Brown interior is all business, with vinyl upholstery, air conditioning, radio, heater, defroster and spotlight all necessities to the job at hand. Restored in the 1980s, the car is equipped with Ford’s baseline 312/190 HP V-8 and optional 3-speed automatic.
Highlights:
- Real coroner’s car from Colorado
- Restored in the 1980s
- Black exterior with Brown and Tan interior
- 312/190 HP V-8 and optional 3-speed automatic
- Correct signage, trim and coroner’s plates
- Air conditioning
- Radio
- Heater, defroster
- Spotlight
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
2015 F-150 Most Patented Truck In Ford History
From its tailgate step to the LED
spotlights found on the side mirrors, the next-generation 2015 Ford
F-150’s new features and technologies make it the most patented truck in
company history.
“The all-new F-150 is loaded with innovation,” said Alana Strager, Ford program analyst charged with tracking new innovations for the 2015 truck. “Ford engineers filed more than 100 new patents for technologies on this truck as they have worked to redefine the light-duty pickup for the next generation.”
Patents and patent applications abound for state-of-the-art technologies covering new features and breakthroughs that will benefit customers of the all-new 2015 F-150. The scope of these innovations includes every part of the truck – body, exterior, interior, chassis, design, electrical and engine – as well as its manufacturing processes.
Examples of Ford’s state-of-the-art technologies on the new 2015 F-150 include segment-exclusive LED spotlights found on the side mirrors, innovative remote tailgate release and smart trailer tow features that make towing easier.
Patenting toughness
Mounted on an exceptionally strong and well-proven high-strength steel frame, the all-new Ford F-150 incorporates the latest high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloys to form the body and cargo box.
The aluminum is heat-treated using a proprietary method developed by Ford engineers that nearly doubles the strength of the metal. Ford is first in the auto industry to use this methodology.
Additionally, Ford engineers have filed patent applications for spot welding methods, adhesives and hydroforming this first-of-its-kind truck.
“Ford is teaching the world how to build a next-generation truck, and the more than 100 patents filed by the F-150 team for technologies on the 2015 truck further proves these Ford engineers and designers lead the automotive industry in innovation,” said Strager.
“The all-new F-150 is loaded with innovation,” said Alana Strager, Ford program analyst charged with tracking new innovations for the 2015 truck. “Ford engineers filed more than 100 new patents for technologies on this truck as they have worked to redefine the light-duty pickup for the next generation.”
Patents and patent applications abound for state-of-the-art technologies covering new features and breakthroughs that will benefit customers of the all-new 2015 F-150. The scope of these innovations includes every part of the truck – body, exterior, interior, chassis, design, electrical and engine – as well as its manufacturing processes.
- 2015 Ford F-150 has more new Ford technology patents and/or patent applications than any truck in Ford history, offering customers innovative technologies throughout – everything from the tailgate to the front end
- All-new F-150 boasts more than 100 new Ford patents and/or patent applications, making this vehicle a benchmark for new technologies in Ford’s storied history of truck leadership
- A Ford-developed heat treatment method for aluminum alloy nearly doubles the strength of the material, helping achieve better dent and ding resistance while reducing weight
Examples of Ford’s state-of-the-art technologies on the new 2015 F-150 include segment-exclusive LED spotlights found on the side mirrors, innovative remote tailgate release and smart trailer tow features that make towing easier.
- Innovative LED side-mirror spotlights allow customers to illuminate the side of the vehicle for tasks from setting up a campsite to changing a tire
- Remote tailgate release automatically lowers the tailgate with the push of a button on the key fob – a first for a pickup truck
- Ford’s pioneering tailgate step has been completely reengineered so it fully integrates into the tailgate, making it virtually invisible when not in use. The tailgate drops down into position in one easy motion. The grab handle is now housed inside the tailgate, which keeps the inner surface of the tailgate uniformly flat
- BoxLink™ cargo management system includes lockable, die-cast aluminum tie-down cleats, and provides a unique interface to the box for improved flexibility and organization, as well as additional locations for tie-downs. Available segment-first cargo ramps can be stowed on the sides of the pickup box via the BoxLink system and mounted quickly on the tailgate to enable easy loading of ATVs, motorcycles or mowers
Patenting toughness
Mounted on an exceptionally strong and well-proven high-strength steel frame, the all-new Ford F-150 incorporates the latest high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloys to form the body and cargo box.
The aluminum is heat-treated using a proprietary method developed by Ford engineers that nearly doubles the strength of the metal. Ford is first in the auto industry to use this methodology.
Additionally, Ford engineers have filed patent applications for spot welding methods, adhesives and hydroforming this first-of-its-kind truck.
“Ford is teaching the world how to build a next-generation truck, and the more than 100 patents filed by the F-150 team for technologies on the 2015 truck further proves these Ford engineers and designers lead the automotive industry in innovation,” said Strager.
Source: Ford
Ford's Amazing Rides
1958 Ford Ranchero
1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable Hardtop Convertible
1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable Hardtop
1958 Ford Ranch Wagon
Yellow and Black 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria
1956 Ford Thunderbird
1956 Ford Parklane 2-Door Station Wagon
1956 Ford Country Sedan Station Wagon
1953 Ford Woody Wagon
1953 Ford Station Wagon