Ford Motor Co. is taking nearly 25,000 employees and retirees to what is called “Showroom of the Future.” The latter will showcase concept cars and upgraded versions of Ford vehicles that will be rolled out by 2010. This is Ford’s way of convincing its employees that there is light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Showroom of the Future is scheduled to happen at Detroit’s Cobo Arena on the 27th and 28th day of this Month. Said event will present videos, images and actual vehicles of upcoming Ford models and technologies.

“Through our North America ‘Way Forward’ plan, we’ve spoken a lot about reducing our uncompetitive cost structure, but we have not yet fully explained our accelerated product plans,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas. “It’s time to change that — and to show our full team of employees and retirees how this transformation truly is product-led.”

The event is primarily aimed at boosting confidence in Ford’s product lineup. Sara Tatchio, Ford’s spokeswoman added, “The move is part of a broader effort to communicate with employees and keep them informed as the company pursues a painful restructuring of its North American automobile business.”

Tatchio says the message is straightforward. “It’s ‘keep the faith,’ but it’s also about helping them understand why they should have faith,” she said.

Cecil Crider, a retired designer of Ford received an invitation. Crider’s last design was for 1994 Ford Mustang parts accessories. “Years ago, Design Center used to be run by designers,” Crider said. “Then they put the bean-counters in charge and let them make the decisions. You need bean-counters because this is a business and you have to be profitable. But you need to have people who know how to design designing.”

Ford is expecting to host thousands of employees to thrust confidence in them. “We’ve spent a lot of time during the past year talking about our new customer-focus,” Susan Turner, Ford’s human resources communications manager, said in the invitation. “Now, employees and retirees will not only see how that results in the new sheet metal, but they should walk away with a better understanding of how the business plan, brand plan and product development plan all come together.”

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.

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.

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.

In the history of the automobile, there is no doubt that Ford Motor Company can be considered as one of the major contributors in shaping the car manufacturing industry. Since its establishment in 1903, Ford Motors has developed and introduced revolutionary methods in the large-scale manufacturing of affordable cars in the mass market. One of these methods was the innovative ?moving assembly line? wherein an individual worker would repeatedly perform the same task for different vehicles. This procedure resulted in an efficient work flow system that skyrocketed the volume production of Ford Motors, and thus brought down the cost of its vehicle to a more affordable level. The low cost and mass production, in turn, helped paved the way for Ford Motor?s domination in car sales worldwide. At present, it is now one of America?s successful multinational corporation and one of the major automakers in the world.

As a means to tap other markets, Ford Motors designed the Ford Focus. The Focus was introduced in 1998, and instantly achieved bestseller status, with its sleek style and appearance that was distinctively European. It currently holds the record as the best selling Ford car in all of Europe, beating its predecessor, the Ford Escort. And so, in line with its resounding success in the European market, Ford Motors then launched the Focus in North America after two years. However, as studies concluded that the hatchback design was not a very popular preference in the United States, car manufacturers opted to introduce the sedan and coupe version of the Focus instead. And with its radical and yet elegant style, the Focus became a hit in the US market as well.

Engineered with the same ?New Edge? philosophy that was also used in designing the Ford Kia, Ford Puma and Ford cougar, the Ford Focus parts were all meticulously designed for optimum performance and high quality. The Focus featured three variations of its Duratec 4-cylinder engine, top-rank McPherson front suspension, and a sophisticated and fully independent multi-link rear suspension called Control Blade. Its transmission includes a standard 5-speed manual and an optional 4-speed automatic transaxle. Other basic mechanical parts include its high quality Focus headers, bumpers, exhaust systems, wheels, air conditioner, among others. All of these devices take on major roles in the car?s interior and exterior aspect, thereby maintaining the first-class performance and style of the Ford Focus. Thus, with these high quality parts that guaranteed comfort, security, and superior performance, the Focus enables consumers to experience a ride that blends European and American styles and which resulted to one of the best selling cars in automotive history.

After a century of hard work, Ford Motor Company now stands as one of the world?s largest automakers. This American automotive manufacturing giant embarked on humble beginnings through the passion and vision of Henry Ford in 1903 at the company?s shabby assembly lines in Detroit, Michigan. As Ford purchases a variety of the raw materials that it uses in the production of Ford parts from numerous suppliers around the world, it also sells its cars and trucks everywhere after they are produced from about a hundred different development and manufacturing facilities. Although it suffered from management troubles in the 1950s and struggled in the 1970s and 1980s with the tough competition presented by the Japanese imports, the company eventually regained its pioneering glory as it became the brand of almost half of all the cars in the United States. In 2005, the company sold approximately 6,818,000 vehicles all over the world. By now, it has stretched its long line of brand names to include Mercury, Lincoln, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin.

Ford Motor Company offers a reputable variety of trucks that are fit for the toughest conditions. Each of its truck models is manufactured with the finest materials that garner the most positive approval even from other automakers. Only best-in-class Ford truck parts are fitted into these prestigious models. Moreover, security and strength is indisputably outstanding. When it comes to fuel economy, the efficient integration of various Ford parts let the brand?s four-wheeled beasts zoom across miles and miles. Amazingly, even original reproduction of restoration parts for antique, classic, and obsolete Ford models can be still purchased to supply the genuine function for which Ford truck parts are intended.

When Ford makes its trucks, its main concern is to make all of its merchandise meticulously made. As it is a company whose concern lies not only on the name it holds but also on the excellent products and services that it is able to provide as response to the needs of its clients, .on consumer demands, Ford parts are ultimately turned into a mirrors. They give back exactly what people want together with the premium quality that is exactly what Ford is about.