1985 Ford Mustang 5.0 Gt Hatchback - New Interior, Glass, Wheels, Tires, Etc. on 2040-cars

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Ford Escort testing, may be bound for Europe

There has been little news about Ford's China-focused Escort concept since debuting at last year's Shanghai Motor Show, but the no-frills sedan has shown its camouflaged face again during cold weather testing in Northern Sweden. While far from a guarantee, the test location might hint that the Blue Oval plans to market the car outside of Asia.
The Escort's black robe and zebra paint make it hard to tell if anything specific has changed about the design, but the shape of the sedan looks close to what was shown in Shanghai. Under the disguise, you can still make out the hexagonal front grille from the concept. When Ford announced the model, the company said that the design wasn't supposed to be "arrogant or pretentious," and it certainly achieved that. The engine range is still a mystery, but it seems safe to expect small, economy-focused powertrains.
A report from last year indicated that Ford may be considering broadening the new Escort beyond Asia and possibly even selling it in Europe. The fact that the company brought it to Sweden for testing could bolster that argument. A release date hasn't been set yet, but the automaker has promised 15 new products for China by 2015. The basic sedan could be on the road soon.

With contract expiration days away, UAW targets GM first for negotiations

The United Auto Workers union on Tuesday said that it would target General Motors as the first of the Detroit automakers for talks ahead of the current four-year contract's expiration on Sept. 14. This year's contract talks between the union and GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are expected to be contentious as U.S. new vehicle sales are slowing and automakers face rising costs associated with the development of electric vehicles and self-driving cars. Rising healthcare costs, job security, profit sharing and the use of temporary workers are expected to be major sticking points. GM in particular has been a target of union ire since announcing the closure of five North American plants late last year. That move drew a wave of criticism, including from U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly prodded GM and last week said the No. 1 U.S. automaker should begin moving its operations in China back to the United States. "We are prepared and we are all ready to stand up for our members, our communities and our manufacturing future," UAW President Gary Jones said in a statement. In a statement, GM said, "We look forward to having constructive discussions with the UAW on reaching an agreement that builds a strong future for our employees and our business." The contracts come at a difficult time for the UAW, as a federal corruption investigation into the union continues to grow. Last week, the FBI conducted searches at Jones' home, a union retreat and multiple other locations, including the home of the union's previous president, Dennis Williams. To date, seven people linked to the union and the automaker have been sentenced in the government's corruption investigation. Reporting by Nick Carey.

Shelby American cleans house of 14 concept cars

Typically when an automaker rolls out a concept car or pre-production prototype, it does its tour and then disappears into the company's archives. Maybe it will be displayed for the public to see in the company's own museum or maybe it will spend most of its time under covers in a warehouse somewhere, but every once in a while, an automaker will open up its history and start selling off its concept cars. For Shelby American, "once in a while" has just rolled around.
The House that Carroll Built is moving from its previous headquarters at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to a new facility off of the Las Vegas strip, and in the process is liquidating fourteen of the rarest cars in its collection. That presents a tremendous opportunity for muscle car collectors to bring one or more of these snakes home.
As you might expect, the catalog is composed mostly of Mustangs, but not exclusively. There's a pair of 289 Cobras: the last of the 50th anniversary slab-sided continuation cars and an original development vehicle, offered at $200,000 apiece. At the other end of the spectrum you'll find the 2013 Shelby Raptor concept for $125k and Focus concept for $50k. And of course there are the Mustangs.