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Ford Apollo edition Mustang nets $230K for charity

Ford's Apollo Edition Mustang won't be going to the moon anytime soon, but the specially modified pony car will be helping young people learn to fly thanks to the $230,000 raised from its charity auction during AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. All of the funds go to the Experimental Aircraft Association's Youth Aviation Programs that assist kids in becoming pilots. Eight specially modified Mustangs are responsible for raising about $3 million for the charity to date. With inspiration from the Apollo Program and a 2015 Mustang GT as a canvas, Ford Design manager Melvin Betancourt needed to create a road-going rocket ship dedicated to this massive engineering accomplishment. He definitely succeeded. The car is ready to takeoff with its supercharged 5.0-liter V8 pumping out 627 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of torque. The orange LEDs underneath make it look ready to blast into orbit, too. The exterior mixes patriotic imagery with lightweight carbon fiber performance parts, and on the interior, additional embroidery pays homage to the whole project of reaching the moon. Each year Ford returns to AirVenture with a new, customized 'Stang. In 2014, the car took inspiration from the F-35 Lightning II. The US Air Force Thunderbirds tribute car in 2013 and the Navy Blue Angels version in 2011 both raised $400,000 for the EAA charity. The SR-71-inspired example from 2010 went for another $375,000. Related Video: Ford Apollo Edition Mustang Celebrating the Apollo Missions Raises $230,000 to Support EAA Youth Aviation Programs • U.S. Apollo spaceflight program inspired one-of-a-kind 2015 Ford Apollo Edition Mustang sold at charity auction July 23 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin • 100 percent of proceeds benefit EAA youth aviation education programs, including Young Eagles • Unique Ford vehicles have raised approximately $3 million for EAA youth aviation programs, including Young Eagles DEARBORN, Mich., July 30, 2015 – The one-of-a-kind Apollo Edition Ford Mustang, developed by Ford Motor Company, raised $230,000 at the Gathering of Eagles charity event July 23. Proceeds from the auction – held during the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration – benefit youth aviation education programs, including the Young Eagles. The Young Eagles has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.9 million young people since 1992, helping to grow the next generation of aviators.

Ford worker files for UAW dues refund, stirs right-to-work debate

Let's start with some history: Ford's Dearborn truck plant, part of the company's massive River Rouge complex, was the center of a strike in 1941 that led to Ford signing the first "closed shop" agreement in the industry. The agreement obliged every worker at the plant to be a dues-paying member of the United Auto Workers. In December 2012, however, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation making Michigan a right-to-work state, which outlawed closed shops. The new law gave workers the right to opt out of union membership and stop paying dues even if they were still covered by union activities like collective bargaining. For employees at the Dearborn plant, the right-to-work clauses take effect at the end of their current contract in 2015.
As a tool-and-die maker at Ford's Dearborn plant for 16 years, Todd Lemire pays dues to the UAW - about two hours' salary per month. However, he's been unhappy with the UAW's support of the Democratic party, and not wanting to wait until next year to be out of the UAW entirely he invoked his Beck Rights, which state that a non-member of a union does not have to pay dues to support non-core activities, such as political spending. But Lemire wasn't happy that Ford still subtracted the total amount of dues, with the UAW reimbursing the difference, so he filed suit with the National Labor Relations Board, feeling that the workaround violates his rights.
Lemire's case is just a week old, so it could be a while before a resolution. Yet, as September 15, 2015 draws near and the right-to-work laws take full effect for Michigan workers - and others wonder whether it could help revitalize the state's manufacturing base - a case like this adds more fuel to the discussion.

Ford Focus was best-selling nameplate in 2012

Last August, Ford made a few waves by claiming that the Ford Focus was, at that point, the top-selling car in the world. The automaker failed to account for variations of the Toyota Corolla wearing a different name (such as the Auris and Matrix), however. With official data from Polk coming in now, Ford is able to say that the Focus was, in fact, the best-selling nameplate in the world last year.
Using new-car registrations (which doesn't factor in fleet sales), the Polk data shows that a total of more than one million Focus models around the world. Strong sales in the US and China have led to a 16 percent increase in year-over-year Focus sales from 2011 that helped to create even more of a gap between it and the second-best global seller, the Corolla.
Ford also had the Fiesta and F-Series listed in the top 10 for worldwide nameplates, but what's even more impressive is the fact that the F-Series is only sold in North America. Scroll down to see the list (compiled by Ford using Polk data) of the top global sellers last year and a press release from Ford.