1999 Ford Econoline E150 Utility Van ~ Has Shelving Cargo Area on 2040-cars

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Ford of India in hot water for Figo celebrity bondage ads

Apparently sensibilities in India, at least in the case of some Ford marketing partners, are downright lascivious at times. Case in point are a new series of print ads, presumably touting the vast cargo capacity of the Ford Figo hatchback, that involve more than a whiff of T&A, S&M and other sexy abbreviations.
In all seriousness, the advertising campaign is taking some major heat in the Indian press for being outrageously sexist. All three images - which seem to be produced by a graphic artist with some Heavy Metal work in his/her portfolio - show bound and gagged people stuffed into the Figo's boot. With a tagline reads, "Leave Your Worries Behind." one version features a peace-sign throwing Silvio Berlusconi holding hostage three buxom and barely clad women, all wearing ball gags with hands and feet bound. Charming. Another version shows Paris Hilton ­similarly kidnapping a trio of Kardashians, while a third (tame in terms of the clothing at least), has Michael Schumacher toting Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton.
Clearly in bad taste, at least, the Indian source also questions the timing of these risqué Ford ads, as the follow by days new anti-rape legislation passed by the Indian Parliament. Ford has responded in a statement, that it and its advertising partner (JWT India) "deeply regret" the ads, and claim that they "never should have happened."

Ford taps Canada-based Multimatic to build carbon fiber Ford GT

Ford has given Canadian firm Multimatic the nod to build the carbon fiber body on the new GT – The Blue Oval says it has worked with this company for 30 years. The global supplier provides parts and engineering to various automakers, and while based in Markham, Ontario it has 12 plants in Canada, the US, Mexico, England, and China. When announcing the decision at the Canadian International Auto Show, Ford says it chose them "because they have specialized equipment for carbon fiber production and expertise in carbon fiber assembly," and we've heard that the 600-horsepower coupe will be produced in a purpose-built facility at Ford's factory in Markham. Even better than that – for GT purposes and for possible hints at a Le Mans run – the Multimatic Motorsports division can be contracted for engineering and race team management. They currently produce the Boss 302R racecar in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, worked on the FR500C, and their Multimatic Motorsports Lola B2K/40 won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000. The first models will roll off the line at the end of next year. Production numbers are rumored to be in the low hundreds, with a six-figure price tag around $200,000. They'll go into production in time for some sort of 50th anniversary celebration of the GT40 taking the the top three spots at Le Mans in 1966. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford GT: Chicago 2015 View 30 Photos News Source: CBCImage Credit: Live images copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Plants/Manufacturing Ford Coupe Luxury Performance Multimatic

What an Atlas-based Ford F-150 might look like

Just ahead of January's Detroit Auto Show, surprising rumors pegged Ford as revealing some sort of F-150 concept, perhaps as a hurried effort to deflate some of the buzz building around General Motors' new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra twins, which were also making their auto show debut. Those rumblings turned out to be true, as Ford rolled into the Motor City with its Atlas concept (inset, right), touting the truck's bold styling as a precursor to the next-generation F-Series.
The show truck featured all kinds of clever details, including active wheel shutters and a front air dam that raised and lowered to improve aerodynamics while preserving off-road ability. It also had a genuinely snarly face. And it's that pugnacious snout that may well be on its way to production. The good folks at TopSpeed have worked up the plausible-looking artist's rendering above by cross-referencing the Atlas concept with what little has been revealed from recent spy shots. The look is toned-down pretty dramatically from the concept truck, but its Atlas roots are clear, with a massive three-bar grille and bracket-shaped headlamps hiding a next-generation EcoBoost engine. In the rendering, the show truck's deeply contoured hood and roofline have been ditched and larger, more traditional side mirrors have been fitted - all likely concessions in the move to production sheetmetal.
While Ford has yet to officially announce when it will unveil the 2015 F-150, all signs point to next year's Detroit Auto Show - one year after the Atlas shrugged off GM's new pickups.