Ford Motor Co. is delaying the launch of Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers by two weeks. This is done to iron out last-minute supply and manufacturing problems. The derailment is announced by the automaker last Wednesday. Moreover, the crossovers are expected to be delivered to dealers in the early part of December.

According to Joe Hinrichs, vice president of North American manufacturing for Ford, “Dealers were expecting the new crossover utility vehicles in showrooms by the end of the month. Now, they will have to wait until early December. We’re going to give ourselves a couple more weeks to make sure we have everything right with the manufacturing processes and the supply base.” Hinrichs added, “The last thing we want to have is this great vehicle come to market and have any problems.”

Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers are significant vehicles of the automaker. The latter needs them in the struggle to recover. In fact, Ford desperately needs hot sellers and according to some analysts, Edge has the potentials to bag a home run. Nonetheless, it can only do so after establishing quality, functionality, performance and reliability. Moreover, Ford is ensuring the quality of the crossovers down to minutest auto parts.

“If they fix the problems, no one will remember it even happened. If it’s not up to standard, people will remember it forever,” Jim Sanfilippo of AMCI said. “The standard at Ford these days is zero-tolerance. If it’s a two-week delay, that’s fairly mild.”

Sanfilippo added that such delays are not uncommon in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace. Toyota, for one, delayed the launch of Tundra to make sure that all issues are addressed before it arrives in showrooms.

“It’s most important that they take the time to make sure everything is perfect. You don’t want anything to go wrong with these vehicles. It’s much more important for them to make sure the initial quality is right.” Chris Lemley, owner of Sentry Auto Group in Medford, Mass. said. “This was always going to be a slow ramp up.”

It can be recalled that Ford had similar delays in the past. Said delay is in connection with Fusion, which was eventually rated by Consumer Reports magazine as one of the 2006 outstanding new vehicles, quality-wise. Escape Ford parts were in fact subjected to said meticulous quality control. “Ford is really determined to get it right the first time, and that’s wonderful news for the consumer,” Sanfilippo concluded.

Ford Motor Co. continues to amass awards and accolades despite the turmoil of running on the bumpy financial road of the auto industry. Lately, two of Ford’s engine made it to 10-Best Engines by Wards Auto World.

New 3.5 liter Duratec DOHC 24-valve V6 and 4.6 liter 3-valve SOHC V8 are the power engines that made the automaker stand out from others. In addition, this is V8’s third year to receive such commendation from the company. Ford power engines are included in the list of world class engines. Joining the list are the powerful engines from Audi, BMW, Daimler Benz, and Toyota.

?This is an exceptional accomplishment and a testament to our powertrain development process.” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Ford Motor Company, Powertrain Product Development Operations. “The 3.5-liter engine class is one of the most competitive in the industry, so it is high praise to have our new engine stand out and be among the 10 best in the industry.”

The 3.5 liter V6 is rated at 265 horsepower. Said engine is incorporated with the auto parts for Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and MKZ. It will soon be incorporated to 302 Ford engine parts of Five Hundred, Freestyle and Fusion. There is also a great possibility of featuring the 3.5 liter V6 as part of Ford Mustang parts accessories. On the one hand, the award-winning 4.6 liter 3-valve V8 from Mustang, Explorer, and Mountaineer, proved its power once again by making it to the list for the third time in a row. Both the 3.5 liter V6 and the 4.6 liter 3-valve V8 deliver an improved power mated to better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

Ward’s 2007 10 best engines are Audi AG 2L turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Audi A3), BMW AG 3L DOHC I-6 (Z4 3.0si), BMW AG 3L turbocharged DOHC I-6 (335i), DaimlerChrysler AG 3L DOHC V-6 turbodiesel (MB E320 /Jeep Grand Cherokee), DaimlerChrysler AG Hemi 5.7L OHV V-8 (Chrysler 300C), Ford Motor Co. Duratec 35 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX), Ford Motor Co. 4.6L SOHC V-8 (Mustang GT/Mustang Shelby GT), Mazda Motor Corp. 2.3L DISI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Mazdaspeed3), Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Infiniti G35), and Toyota Motor Corp. 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350).

Ford enthusiasts are happy to know that their much-awaited Edge crossover is now available. The brand new crossovers from the automaker have begun arriving at dealerships across the country in the last few days.

Among the first customers to take the first delivery of Edge is Mike Stone, a Detroit radio talk-show host, who ordered his Edge SEL nearly three months ago. Stone replaced his 2004 Cadillac CTS in favor of a brand new Ford Edge. “I wanted something new, something American and most important, something that was going to take on this Michigan snow.” said Stone.

After driving the newly purchased crossover, Stone noted, “I like it a lot. It’s got better pick up than I thought. It actually handles the road and hugs those curves pretty well. I like its SUV-like roominess and car-like ride.”

Ford Edge is based on the CD3 platform of the automaker. The crossover has debuted as a 2007 model at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. It is built at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Edge combines advanced auto parts Ford Explorer with those of the Freestar to create a fascinating new crossover. It is engineered to compete with Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Equinox. Edge is also a finalist for the North American Truck of the Year award which is the highlight of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

One of the many reasons that are driving aficionados closer to Edge is the latter’s thrilling design. Edge boasts its chrome accents, leather seats, and the 18-inch aluminum wheels Ford. According to sales associate Brian Burke of Tom Holzer Ford, who sold the vehicle to Stone. Burke added that over 2 dozen pre-orders have been placed for the Edge at his dealership even though there were no Edge vehicles on-site to test drive. “I can’t think of another vehicle that has generated more excitement,” Burke said. “This reminds me of the 1986 Taurus, when Ford came out with something that was totally different in style. And like the Taurus, the Edge takes on different (and unique) styling.”

George Pipas, Ford sales analyst said that crossovers will outsell SUVs for the first time in 2006 with 2.4 million units sold compared to 2.1 million SUVs. He added that by 2010, crossover sales should reach about 3 million, while SUV sales slide to approximately 1.75 million.

Ford Motor Co. has finally started its production for its new F-Series Super Duty pickup truck. The new truck from the automaker is expected to secure the already outstanding reputation of Ford when it comes to manufacturing trucks. According to enthusiasts, when you say Ford F-Series it means no less than excellent.

The new Super Duty truck from the automaker features outstanding Ford F-Series parts that include tailgate step and swing up hand grab bar for easy access to the vehicle. The new pickup truck also boasts its new exterior and interior design. The new pickup is also equipped with a regular production bed.

The automaker has invested $65 million to make the Kentucky truck plant sophisticated and functional. The Kentucky plant of Ford is responsible for the meticulous assembly of advanced Ford F-250 parts. The production of Kentucky plant will be augmented by the coming of F-550. Employees in the plant cheered during the first day of Ford F-550 parts assembly. Currently, the plant employs 4,848 hourly workers and 306 salaried employees. They will work to produce large volumes of F-250 to F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks.

Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, said that the start of production was an important milestone in an increasingly competitive truck market. “Our competition is benchmarking what we have today, and we’ve spent a lot of time developing the truck of tomorrow,” He continued. “It’s a very, very important launch to us — both from a volume standpoint, a profit standpoint and from an image standpoint of Ford being very serious about retaining its leadership in trucks.”

Critics and experts alike believe that Super Duty trucks will maintain its remarkable reputation in the auto industry. Bob King, a United Auto Workers vice president, said the new Super Duty trucks would stack up against other vehicles in the market, including foreign competitors.

The 2008 Super Duty from the second generation was introduced at the Texas State Fair this year. Moreover, the automaker intends to release its new generation F-450 late next year. According to critics, the bread and butter vehicles of Ford will be hard to topple.

Like many automakers Ford is also experiencing long bleak sales melancholia in its car division. Though its trucks are selling well and the throne is retained, Ford is not a stranger to economic straits. Moreover, to wipe the bleak future, the automaker sets forth new releases with high hopes.

The thing is to deliver vehicles that will not only capture the imagination and lock the eyes of the entire consumerdom but to capture their soft spot as well. Simply, the automaker can no longer stand more sales losers so it has released its powerful Edge. Edge auto parts are expected to perform like Ford F-Series parts. The latter are known for their superb quality and performance.

Ford Edge is its newest crossover utility vehicle. It was launched at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. Edge shares same platform with Fusion, Lincoln MKX and MKZ sedans, Mazda CX-9 and Mercury Milan.

Edge is among the first vehicles from the automaker to use the 3.5 L Duratec 35 V6 engine that generates 265 horsepower and 250 ft?lbf and mated to the 6F six-speed automatic transmission. The CUV offers both the front wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It also offers 3 trim levels ? SE, SEL and SEL “PLUS” ? to cater diversity in preferences. The front fascia of Edge is also given Fusion-esque Ford body parts design like the bright three-bar grille. These are some of the features that give Edge that extra edge in the industry.

Edge architecture uses a unibody design that provides higher structural rigidity, lower curb weights, greater structural rigidity, and driving dynamics. It is designed to radiate a passenger-like ambience rather than trucklike drivability.

With the growing and craving auto crowd, Ford is expected to evolve and create better vehicles. Lately, the automaker released retro-Mustangs to tickle the fancies of classic vehicle aficionados. Ford Mustang aftermarket parts are dabbed with classic eccentricity to come up with exotic versions of the vehicle. Starting next year until 2010, Ford will be releasing retro-Mustangs to satisfy distinctive vehicle cravings. Ford, as analysts say, is still struggling to remain as one of the influential auto giants around the globe. Moreover, more innovations and new concepts are expected from the automaker.

Joe Hinrichs is the newest executive of Ford Motor Co. As such, Ford family expects a lot from him. He faces big challenges and he has the burden of surpassing Ford’s expectations.

Hinrichs spent grew up in the small, blue-collar town of Fostoria. With a 4.0, he graduated as valedictorian of his Catholic high school. Then, he went to the University of Dayton on a president’s scholarship. He pursued MBA at Harvard University. After that, he was absorbed into the auto industry. Hinrichs was a former engineer of General Motors Corp. factory way back in 1989. He transferred to Ford Motor Co. in 2000. He transported Ford’s transmission parts from one plant to another. Since coming to Ford in 2000, he’s had six promotions.

Now, at the age of 40, Hinrichs is the youngest vice president at Ford. He is charged with extensive North American manufacturing operations of the automaker. He supervises 42 Ford factories in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It is apparent that Ford is riding on rocky and troubled terrains of the automotive world. This fact alone is a big challenge to the young executive. “Next year will be one of the most challenging years that I’ve ever seen, at Ford or anywhere,” Hinrichs said.

Hinrichs to-do list for 2007 includes the closure of 4 plants and the preparation to close 3 more in 2008, keep reduction costs in plants, help launch five new cars and trucks, and execute 32,000 hourly buyouts at factories, without compromising safety or quality. According to him, if all that weren’t enough, he will help negotiate a new contract with the UAW.

“Joe has served spaghetti in this plant,” said Jim Buffalo Smythe, who serves on the plant committee for UAW Local 2280. That local represents workers at the Van Dyke Transmission Plant, where Hinrichs started his Ford career. “He’s a very strong leader. Some people just have that. And he has that,” Smythe said. “Joe can talk to anybody — that’s his strength.”

The big challenges Hinrichs faces now are the hardest in his entire career. “Everyone believes that I’ve been very fortunate, and I have been,” Hinrichs noted. “But there’s five or six events that have just been tragic, real setbacks. You have to overcome them.”

This year through September, Ford lost $7 billion and this calls for a swift action. Hinrichs is determined to focus on quality of products to boost trust among consumers. Ford alloy wheels, engines, ergonomics and other performance and safety features as well as effective workflow are the main focus of Hinrichs.

Ford has announced the release of the Ranger Wildtrak Special Edition on this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show.

Spicy colors which include chili orange and passion red, extra equipment and a new engine for Ford’s Ranger Wildtrak once again proved Ford?s good image in the auto mobile market. Already known for strong pulling power and car-like comfort, the new Ranger Wildtrak adds further style and capabilities to the range.

The vehicle also has a new 156PS, 3.0-litre TDCi engine.

To enhance its appearance, the special edition model has rear box rail extensions, a stylish, aerodynamic sports bar, lower sports cladding and tail lamp protectors. Side intake ‘gills’ add to the visual soothing effect. To provide additional differentiation, new integrated door mirror indicators and puddle lamps were set. The Wildtrak decalcomania on the front, side and rear identify the vehicle as a special Ford Ranger.

To make the vehicle more special, the said details were combined with stylish features such new alloy wheels, a new sports front grille, side steps, an aluminum style front over rider and roof rails, an integrated bed liner and a rear protection bar with integrated park distance control.

Seen in the cabin are all-new heated seats in leather and perforated alcantara with orange tricot backing, floor mats with Wildtrak logo, new sports steering wheel, dash-mounted off-road ‘information centre’, premium interior, and foot well lighting. To complete the package, a new Wildtrak scuff plates also come with the Ranger Wildtrak special edition.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is available with an exclusive range of unique two-tone colors: Chili Orange or Passion Red combined with Titanium Grey on the lower part of the body for a truly ravishing appearance. However, there are still other body colors that can be combined with Titanium Grey. These are Steel Silver, Andaman Blue, Storm Black and Strato Blue.

A new and powerful 3.0-litre TDCi engine with 156PS and 380Nm of torque is found under the bonnet. A five-speed manual transmission is tuned for fuel economy while maintaining good overtaking capacity.

Steve Kimber, Commercial Vehicles Director of Ford Britain said that the latest Ford Ranger is selling faster than the previous model. With this, he concluded that the new Wildtrak will take Ford deeper into the fiercely competitive pick-up market with a truck that really makes a statement.

Ford assured its customers that the special edition Ranger Wildtrak has special truck parts beyond compared to other trucks.

The Special Edition Ranger Wildtrak will go on sale on August 2007. Pricing will be announced days before the date of its release in the market.

At the beginning of the season, few people expected that Chevrolet teams will completely dominate team running Ford, Dodge and Toyota cars. But the early goings of the season saw Chevrolet almost sweeping the top ten in every race. In fact, from the first points race of the season until the Pocono 500, the fourteenth race of the season, only one non-Chevy team has won a race.

That win came at the Auto Club 500, the second points race of the season which was held at the California Speedway. Matt Kenseth driving his Number 17 Ford Fusion won the race for Roush Fenway Racing. After that win though, it was all Chevrolet and it seems that Ford as well as Dodge and Toyota are being totally dominated by Chevrolet teams.

During the past four races though it seems that Ford’s luck is changing as they have won two out of the four races. Dodge has one win and Chevrolet has one. Jamie McMurray recorded Ford’s third win of the season at the Pepsi 400. Aside from winning the race, five Ford drivers made it to the top twelve which means that Ford is slowly gaining on Chevrolet teams.

All three Ford wins are from teams owned by Roush Fenway Racing. Team owner Jack Roush says that the team has underperformed at the start of the season since they have misjudged the amount of time that their competitors are going to spend on testing their vehicles. NASCAR is currently studying whether their testing policies are still being observed and ensures fairness among teams.

The next race of the season will be the USG Sheetrock 400 which will be held at the Chicagoland Speedway. Going into the nineteenth race of the season slated for Sunday, Ford is finally looking as a tough competitor to the Chevrolets fielded by competing teams. Although sharing the same body structure to ensure fairness, the performance of Ford and Chevrolet NASCAR cars vary due to their setup and whatnot. The revitalized Ford teams are now fielding cars which can outrun a Ford hubcap-equipped road bound Ford Fusion.

“The big thing that has helped us with the Car of Tomorrow is we now have a test team,” said Roush explaining their recent resurgence. “We are doing the things I thought we weren’t going to be allowed to do when NASCAR told us we couldn’t take tires from the racetrack because they didn’t want us to test. I thought they would put teeth in that, but they didn’t.”

“We got behind. But five weeks ago I hired six people and dedicated a tractor-trailer (for testing). We’ve been to Iowa, Milwaukee four times in the last month, and Road Atlanta and VIR (Virginia International Raceway).”

The three wins posted by Roush Fenway Racing came at races where the current template for cars is used. But in order for them to be a real threat to Chevrolet teams, they have to perform well at Car of Tomorrow (CoT) races. The CoT template will be the only template that will be used for the next season and Ford is still working on improving their CoT.

“We’re not caught up yet,” said Roush pertaining to the CoT. “But we’re certainly on the path, and we’ll be heard from more before the year is over.”

After almost a year of being the chair of Ford Motor Company, what has happened to the Dearborn automaker with Allan Mullaly at the lead? According to Micheline Maynard writing for the New York Times, ?everything and nothing.?

Allan Mullaly exited Boeing and entered the doors of Ford Motors last September. His appointment made him the first outsider to run the Detroit Auto Company, known for competitiveness both with external and internal rivals.

He recently put up the sale of Ford?s British nameplates, the Land Rover, Jaguar and the Aston Martin. On the other hand, he revived the Taurus Sedan nameplate which had been relegated to a rental car. He is also responsible for mortgaging Ford?s entire asset to get the needed billions of dollars for the company?s restructuring.

Allan Mullaly, 62, is leading the troubled US automaker at a time when everyone is doubtful of its future. Ford Motors (also maker of Ford catalytic converter) is now second to Toyota in the American Market.

?Ford?s turnaround is still in its infancy,? said Gimme Credit senior analyst Shelly Lombard in an interview with the New York Times.

After the ousting of Ford of executives like Lee A. Iacocca and Jacques A. Nasser, Mullaly?s moves have been closely watched by the scrutinizing eyes of the press and people from the automotive industry.

After all the criticisms made on his management, Allan Mullaly plans to continue the on-going restructuring program during his arrival a year ago, saying ?I believe we have a really good plan? in an interview.

Unlike other new executives who also appoint a number of new officers, NY Times reports that Mullaly has only recruited one Boeing official to be his consultant. Most people in his team are Ford officials even before he arrived. He promoted Derrick M. Kuzak and Susan M. Cishke to be in charge of global product development and senior vice-president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering respectively.

According to the company?s executives, the biggest change Mullaly has caused in the company is Ford moving forward to competition not just with General Motors and Chrysler.

Upon Mullaly?s entry late last year, Ford has held 16 percent of the US market which lowered down to 13.5 percent mid this year, according to statistics from Autodata, a firm that detects industry statistics.

Will Alan Mullaly succeed in turning things around for Ford? Let?s hope he does, and does it soon.

The Ford Motor Co. will be giving workers bonuses tied to company performance. This will be made in return for union concessions.

According to a source familiar with the situation, the Dearborn-based automaker is proposing annual bonuses for union workers based on the company’s performance as part of its effort to win more favorable contract terms from the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Detroit News reported the bonuses would be similar to those CEO Alan Mulally authorized in March to reward workers for their efforts to turn around the company’s struggling U.S. automobile operations. The automaker intends to formalize the bonus system so hourly workers are evaluated by the same criteria as salaried employees.

Ford?s new system is aimed at replacing the current profit-sharing formula of the company. Nonetheless, Ford?s workers will still receive the same annual lump-sum payouts that the union negotiated with General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

If the bonuses become part of the Dearborn automaker?s contract, it would mean a significant break with terms offered by both GM and Chrysler. But the Dearborn automaker will also be demanding more in return. It would not be putting a halt to the issue as swift as EBC Redstuff.

The report said that Ford wants more restrictions on its jobs bank program, which continues to provide pay and benefits to idled workers. Additionally, the automaker wants to make sure the retiree health care deal that was the backbone of the GM and Chrysler agreements is structured to give it as much relief as possible as fast as possible.

Ford also wants to make some provision for approximately 7,500 former Visteon Corp. workers that it agreed to take back as part of a 2005 bailout of its former parts subsidiary. That is likely to cover another round of voluntary buyouts for UAW members.

“Both Ford and the UAW are indicating that these discussions will be to the point and that they will be able to avoid a strike,” said labor expert Harley Shaiken of the University of California-Berkeley. “The union wants to see a successful Ford. There is no question about that.”

Analysts say a successful Ford turnaround will require significantly different contract terms than the UAW agreed to with GM and Chrysler. They added that it will take a couple of years for the real benefits of that deal to kick in.

“I don’t think Ford has that kind of time. They need the money now,” said Sean McAlinden, the chief economist at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. “There has to be a significant change in the pattern to get Ford out of the hole.”

He said that it is unlikely Ford will be able to completely close the approximately $30-per-hour labor cost gap with its Asian rivals with this contract, but it likely will be able to narrow it even more than GM and Chrysler have with their agreements.

The plan is easy to comprehend. Bonuses would be based on the company’s progress on four goals ? profitability, market share, cost performance and quality.

Those bonuses were seen as nothing short of revolutionary in an industry where the partition between hourly and salaried employees has been deep and wide. “One of my priorities is to bring us together as team,” Mulally said at the time. “Only as a team will we achieve what we all desire – a new, more competitive and more viable Ford Motor Co. that works for everyone.”

No final date was set for resuming formal negotiations with Ford. Ford execs said that they want time to study the terms of the tentative agreement the UAW reached Wednesday with Chrysler and compare them with the ratified GM pact.