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Ford has a long history of making strong pickup trucks, and the new Ford F-150 lives up to that reputation. Not for the faint of heart, the 2008 Ford F-150 is the most recent in a long line of tough trucks.

Let’s face it, if you are buying a truck you probably need to tow something. The Ford F-150 has the best towing capacity in its class, with a max capacity of 11,000 pounds. The available 5.4 Litre Triton V-8 engine has two intake valves per cylinder, and has variable valve timing.

This means that the engine can tailor its performance based on engine speed and payload. It provides more low-speed torque to ensure you can get underway with all your gear, and more high-speed power to allow you to overtake another vehicle and to provide efficient highway cruising.

Because your loads may not always be of a nice uniform shape, telescoping side mirrors are an option that allows the driver to extend the mirrors further out from the body of the truck to see around whatever they are towing.

Drivers will not have to worry about the safety of what they are towing as an optional Reverse Camera System is also available. Not only does this system provide you with a clear picture of what is behind you, it also provides a view of the trailer hitch — a handy thing to have when you’ve got a bed full of stuff.

As a light duty pickup the Ford F-150 also has best in class payload capacity, and is able to carry an amazing 3080 lb load. Combine that with a huge 65.5 cubic feet of cargo volume and it translates to fewer trips, saving you time and money.

Closed loop tow hooks are easily accessible and will not pull out or break unlike other tow hook designs. An extremely strong frame gives meaning to the term “Ford tough”.

Perhaps most interesting is the no-cost Flex Fuel option that comes with the 5.4 litre engine. Flex fuel means that your Ford F-150 can run on gasoline, ethanol, or E85 - a fuel mixture that contains 85% ethanol and gasoline. The engine is intelligent enough to detect what type of fuel you are using and to ensure that the engine is running at optimal levels for that specific type of fuel.

While hybrid engines are not technologically advanced enough to handle the power requirements of a pickup truck, Ford is doing it’s part for the environment by making E85 fuel an option for your 2008 Ford F-150 truck.

Awhile ago, I posted a blog about the workers at two Louisville, Kentucky Ford plants were talking about unionizing. It looks like they made a decision because they elected new leaders last week.

Workers at the Louisville Assembly Plant and the Kentucky Truck Plant had three days to vote for union leaders – Monday through Wednesday of last week. The leading candidate for the Executive Board was UAW Local 862 president Rocky Comito. Part of the reason he was leading was because he ran unopposed. But he also helped both plants through some hard times, including slowdowns and problems with management. If elected, he’ll get another three-year term.

Workers began talking about unionizing some time ago when the Ford Motor Company began predicting a profitable year next year. But since those plans could be in jeopardy due to falling truck and SUV sales, workers wanted a way to have some type of protection and support. More than 500 layoffs could be in store for workers this summer at these plants.

In addition to the workers, about 100 or so retired workers also voted for senior union leadership.
In all, there are eight positions at stake on the Executive Board. These positions include sergeant-at-arms, vice president, recording secretary, guide and a few trustee posts. Terri Niehaus also ran unopposed for the treasurer position.

Each plant will also have its own union leaders to mediate relations and problems that arise between the workers and management.

All of this means that you’ll still continue to get great vehicles and deals at your local Ford dealer. Visit one today and see what they have that’s available for you!

Research has come a long when in the auto industry when it comes to child safety. If you lived during the 1950s and earlier, you could stand up in the back seat and some parents didn’t even think twice about it. David Viana, a former safety researcher in the auto industry, said that “the leading causes of injury was a hard left turn” in the days before seatbelts. But with research, seatbelts became the prime safety feature for adults and children alike.

Redesigned seatbelts are essential for child safety today, though. Some safety experts even encourage parents to keep their child in a booster seat as long as possible. Stephen Rouhana, a senior technical leader at Ford, even made his children use one until they turned 11!

But fewer than 40 percent of toddlers over the age of four used booster seats in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study in 2007. The same study showed that only about 25 percent of kids between the ages of six and seven used booster seats. That’s an 11 percent decrease from 2006.

Kristy Arbogast, a doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is excited about the changes in seatbelt technology. “Vehicles should be designed so the rear seats can accommodate the range of sizes that are back there,” she said about the problem. That’s why Ford engineers are feverishly working on redesigning the seatbelt to be safer for the large number of children using those restraints instead of booster seats.

Your local Ford dealer has all the information you need for keeping your family safe in your vehicle. Visit one today and get the peace of mind you need!

In an effort to increase safety for children in vehicles, the Ford Motor Company and its engineers have been working on new crash test dummies that are more accurate to a child’s body stature. The problem was in the torso of the current crash test dummies because the pelvic area was more like an adult’s instead of a child’s. When children use seatbelts instead of booster seats, they typically scoot forward on the seat so they’re legs hang off the edge. This moves the seatbelt higher on their torso, making go higher than its intended purpose.

Toddlers who are too old to sit in booster seats in the car are 25 times more likely to suffer from abdominal injuries when an accident occurs with the current seatbelt design. Luckily, fatality rates are declining in car accidents due to increased safety designs. Ford is hoping that the redesigned crash test dummies will decrease abdominal injuries and become the industry standard when it comes to testing new vehicles in the development stages.

Abdomen injuries are the second-most injured part of a toddler’s body when a car accident occurs. Most injuries involve the head, but abdominal injuries can sometimes be worse because they are more difficult to detect.

So far, Ford engineers have been working on the new design for about three years. But they’ve also had help from several children’s hospitals to help them understand more about a toddler’s build. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is just one of the contributors to the project.

We’ll have more information about the new design on Wednesday. Until then, your local Ford dealer has a variety of vehicles with the latest safety features to keep your family safe on the road. Check one out today and get the peace of mind you deserve!

The presidential race is definitely heating up. Everybody is hanging on to every word that each candidate is saying. That’s why it’s important for them to watch everything they say.

One candidate, however, may have made a mistake when he dissed Ford. The comment occurred when he was talking about his first driving experience. The car – his grandfather’s Ford Granada.

“It may be the worst car that Detroit ever built,” said the candidate during an interview at Indianapolis’s WFBQ radio station. It could’ve been a simple comment with no harm done, but he continued to talk about how bad it was. He said it was basically made of “tin foil” and it would “rattle and shake” if you went fast. He also went on to say that you “couldn’t go over 80 without the thing getting out of control.”

Correct me if I’m wrong, but where in the United States can you legally go over 80 mph? So that shouldn’t have even been an issue.

In another interview with Tim Russert, he continued to bash the Ford Motor Company and the decisions that domestic automakers have made in the last couple decades. He went on to praise the Japanese automakers and their innovations in the fuel-efficient auto market.

He seems to forget all of the innovations that Ford and other United States car companies have certainly made huge leaps when it comes to making hybrids and more efficient vehicles. As such, I’m not exactly sure where he’s coming from on this argument. Wouldn’t it have been better to praise the accomplishments of our auto industry, especially in the struggling market that we’re going through today?

There’s my two cents. But don’t just listen to me. Go to your local Ford dealer and see how much more efficient the vehicles are than they were even just a few years ago.

If you’ve never been to the Dream Cruise near Detroit, you really don’t know what you’re missing. This popular event happens every year, usually in August, and brings out the best classic cars in the region. In fact, people often drive 100 miles or more simply to stand along the streets as cars inch by.

Ford, being a company based in nearby Dearborn, is the major sponsor of the Dream Cruise. Each year, it set up an area in Birmingham where people could come by and see some classic Mustangs and other Ford vehicles from the past. One year, the automaker even brought in The Beach Boys to entertain the car lovers.

But this year, Ford is changing the location of its display to Ferndale. The Birmingham location was simply too far away from “the action.” But the new location for this year is going to be in the midst of things. In fact, it’s going to be on the corner of Ninth and Woodward, a prime location that you simply can’t miss if you’re watching the Dream Cruise.

This leaves Shain Park, the old Birmingham location, empty as of right now. But city officials are confident that another company will snatch it up before long.

While you’re in the area, why don’t you visit a Detroit-area Ford dealer? You might not see one of the beautiful classics that you’ll see in the Dream Cruise, but you can get a great deal on a future classic today!

I certainly don’t know what nanotechnology is, but thank goodness the engineers at Ford do. As a matter of fact, these engineers are turning to nanotechnology to solve many of the problems that the automaker is trying to overcome.

Ford is hoping that this impressive-sounding field can help create products that are lighter and more efficient for drivers. And since Ford has a goal of increasing efficiency by 40 percent by the year 2020, the automaker is looking for many ways to accomplish this goal. In numbers we can all understand, that means reducing the weight each vehicle by an amount between 250 and 750 pounds, depending on the actual model.

One way that nanotechnology is already helping involves a development in Ford’s European research lab. The engineers there are working on a thermally sprayed coating using nanoparticles that could replace heavier metals in several parts of the vehicle, specifically the engine block. A similar coating could increase the quality of the paint used on the outside of the vehicle by making it more adhesive and durable to last for many, many more years. “We want to take paint beyond what our customers are used to seeing on a vehicle,” said one high-level Ford official involved with the development.

Ford isn’t a stranger to using nanotechnology, though. This was the first automaker to use the idea in the 1970s during the creation of the catalytic converter.

As you can see, Ford is extremely dedicated to improving technology and all-around attractiveness of its vehicles. When you visit your local Ford dealer, you’ll undoubtedly notice the advancements!

Did you know that the Ford Motor Company played a pivotal role in Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon?

It’s true. According to a recent article on the automaker’s website, engineers at Ford were working with NASA for more than 20 years before the legendary and history-changing event. They helped to provide some design and operational services for the Mission Control Center near Houston, Texas to make the event a total success.

The engineers introduced the system to NASA in 1965. As a result, it played a major role in the Gemini and Apollo missions of sending manned spacecrafts into orbit. With Ford’s help, science fiction became a reality for the United States and the world as a whole. The automaker’s engineers make it possible for our space activities to be controlled completely with “Earth Control.”

But Ford didn’t stop getting involved with the space program when the moon landing was over. In 1976, the automaker received a contract for $235 million to build several satellites for a satellite organization that included nearly 100 nations. Today, those satellites are used to broadcast telephone calls and TV transmissions between continents.

Today, Ford has decided to focus on the auto industry and release its stake in the space program. In 1990, the automaker sold its Ford Aerospace Corporation to Loral Corporation for more than $700 million.

Your local Ford dealer might not be able to take you to the moon, but you will think you’re in Heaven when you drive one of the latest models off the lot!

To coin an old song from the 80s, Ford’s future is so bright, they company might need to wear shades.
Ford has definitely been through some tough times in the last decade. But the times, they are a changing. The automaker quickly regaining the reputation it once had when it was at the top of the industry. And there’s no better indicator than Wall Street.

According to the Motley Fool, a website that specializes in stocks and other financial matters, there have been plenty of recent investors placing a renewed sense of confidence in the automaker. The company that was only ranked as a one-star company not too long ago is now a more impressive two stars. Nearly 60 percent of the Wall Street investors now say the company is “bullish.” In stock market terms, that’s good!

This reinforces the idea that the Ford Motor Company has been making a real and sustained turnaround. For the first quarter of the year alone, the automaker reported a $100 million profit. That’s not too shabby when you consider the problems the company has experienced in recent years.

Some analysts attribute the turnaround to the Microsoft SYNC system included in many of the newer Ford models. Others attribute it to the increase in quality and safety that engineers have put into the latest models over the last few years. You could even say part of the reason is due to Ford’s dedication to the environment and making cars with fewer emissions and higher standards.

Regardless of the reason for its turnaround, you can expect the best when you visit your local Ford dealer. The cars, trucks and vans are some of the highest rated vehicles on the market today. Whether you were a loyal customer or a new customer, the sales representatives at Ford simply say “Drive One.” Once you do, you’ll be amazed!

I don’t have to tell you that Ford has always been a force to reckon with in the auto industry. Even during the tumultuous times several years ago, the Ford Motor Company was a giant. And now the automaker has been involved in another first.

Earlier this month, Ford became the first automaker to join The Climate Registry (TCR). This is just one thing the Ford Motor Company has done to prove its dedication and commitment to the environment. By joining this non-profit organization, Ford officials are saying that they agree with the things that TCR is doing. Here are some of the things that The Climate Registry is committed to:

• Reporting greenhouse gas emissions
• Establishing an infrastructure for accurately reporting emission reduction programs
• Promoting public disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions

These are just a few of the things the TCR stands for. But the organization doesn’t just accept anybody. In order to become a member, Ford needs to demonstrate responsibility towards the environment in several areas. The automaker must voluntarily and independently measure and report the amount of its GHG emissions each year.

That’s no problem. According to Gina McCarthy, the Chair of TCR, “Ford has demonstrated exemplary environmental leadership by courageously stepping forward to support TCR in its preliminary stages.”
In addition to being the first to join The Climate Registry, Ford was also the first automaker to publish a report committed to addressing the business implications of carbon dioxide emissions, energy concerns and climate change.

It’s not difficult to see that Ford is dedicated to the environment. That’s why you can purchase one of the new vehicles at your local Ford dealer and know that you’re getting an eco-friendly product from a responsible automaker.