Ford F250 4x4 Cab & Chassis on 2040-cars

Auto blog

A 1985 Ford Escort for $915,000? If it was owned by Princess Diana

What makes a used car worth more than the car itself? If it was owned by John Lennon. Or Muhammad Ali. Michael Schumacher, perhaps, or Stirling Moss. This year’s edition from the Hagerty organization of its “Power List” makes for amusing reading even if youÂ’re not on it. But you can make believe that you are. Essentially, the list, which was launched only last year, tracks the impact of celebrity ownership of a vehicle on its value, as measured by its worth at auction. Nearly 400 sales of celebrity cars and bikes have been analyzed from around the world by Hagerty using market data and “expert” analytics. Hagerty is aware, certainly, that famous folks — from royalty, sports, movies and music — grab gobs of attention from ordinary people. ThatÂ’s why the 2023 Power List comprises these categories: Art Cars, Racing Drivers, Movies and TV, Musicians, Royalty, Screen Stars, Sporting Icons. But you don't have to be a rock star or a F1 pilot to get listed: Princess Diana, besides an Escort Turbo RS that she owned between 1985 and 1988, numbered a convertible 1994 Audi 80 Cabriolet and a Jaguar XJS Cabriolet among her rides. HereÂ’s a look at some of the more notable entries: Racing driver category: In pole position was an unlikely titleholder, a 1976 Ford Bronco. This was the car bought new by legendary Canadian Formula 1 driver Gilles Villeneuve and untouched since his death; it sold at the Aguttes auction in Paris last December for $148,000, a huge 210% increase over the $47,800 that Hagerty would value a regular example in the same condition. Just a note: The list doesnÂ’t include race cars, only vehicles kept privately by the drivers. Musicians: A 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow had been Freddie MercuryÂ’s personal chauffeur-driven transport from 1979 until his death in 1991. Without celebrity ownership, Hagerty would value the Silver Shadow at a lowly $9,500, a car that would take a lot of time, effort and money to restore properly. But add in MercuryÂ’s aura and bids ended at $362,500. “ItÂ’s no surprise that MercuryÂ’s car dominated our Musicians list on the 2023 Hagerty Power List,” the company said. Movies and TV: For those readers now emerging from hibernation since 1968, the news is that the historic Highland Green Mustang from “Bullitt” remains at the top of the Power List for the second year running.

2015 Ford Mustang vs. Camaro and Challenger [w/poll]

The horsepower wars are tightening among the Detroit Three, as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger are getting bigger, more powerful, and yes, more fuel efficient.
That came into sharper focus this week as more information was revealed about the most insane Challenger ever - the 707-horsepower Hellcat - followed quickly by Ford's in-depth showcase of the 2015 Mustang in Dearborn.
It's shaping up to be a golden age for enthusiasts, and what's under the hood is becoming more important than ever.

Ford and Lincoln recall about 170,000 vehicles over defective rear-view camera

Ford and Lincoln have jointly issued a safety recall that includes nearly 170,000 vans and SUVs built between the 2018 and 2023 model years. The vehicles included in the campaign are equipped with a rear-view camera whose image can cut out while the driver is backing up. Assigned recall number 23V-598 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes the following cars: 7,649 units of the 2020-2023 Aviator fitted with the standard rear-view camera and built from October 19, 2019, to August 17, 2023. 70,600 units of the 2018-2021 Navigator fitted with the 360-degree camera and built from March 16, 2017, to December 23, 2021. 66,740 units of the 2022-2023 Transit fitted with either camera system and built from February 26, 2021, to August 17, 2023. 24,468 units of the 2021 Bronco fitted with the 360-degree camera and built from September 23, 2020, to December 22, 2021. Ford explains that the defect is present in all of the 169,277 vehicles included in the campaign. While these are different cars equipped with different technology, they all suffer from the same problem. The company explains that "customers may intermittently experience either a rear camera blue image or a full blue or black image on the SYNC [infotainment system] screen when the vehicle is placed in reverse, or when the 360-degree view is selected and available." It adds that losing the camera's image while backing up increases the risk of the crash. The cause of the problem varies from model to model. Ford has narrowed it down to the camera hardware, the wiring retention, and the Image Processing Module - V (IPMB) software. It adds that "fretting corrosion causes tin oxide formation on the internal camera connector due to [a] thermally-induced micro-movement between the tin-plated contact surfaces," and that the rate of tin oxide accumulation depends on factors such as the temperature and the humidity. It has also traced some of these issues to a problem during the manufacturing process. Ford will begin notifying owners of affected vehicles by mail on October 2. When parts are available, owners will be asked to bring their van or SUV to an authorized dealer so that a technician can replace the rear-view camera. Transit models included in the campaign will also receive a software update. Owners who have already paid to fix the problem can claim a reimbursement until June 30, 2024. This isn't Ford's first rear-view camera-related recall.