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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 Gets The Aluminum F-150 Ready For Prime Time

Russell Barnett, a Ford dealer in Tennessee, is ready for aluminum. Ford is using the metal almost exclusively in body of the 2015 version of its best-selling F-150 pickup, which starts arriving at dealerships next month. Barnett is already answering customers' questions about the truck. And he's updated his repair shop not only for the F-150, but in anticipation that other Ford brands such as the Mustang will eventually make the switch from steel. But, just in case, he ordered some extra steel-bodied 2014 pickups. "There will be some people who won't want to change for a while," says Barnett, who says pickups make up around half of the annual sales at his dealership in rural Winchester. Ford is doubling down on aluminum, which is lighter - and more expensive - than steel but just as tough. The new truck is the company's response to customers' requests for a more fuel-efficient and nimbler pickup. Fordhopes the advantages outweigh customer doubts about the durability of aluminum or potential repair costs for the pricier metal. It's a big risk. So far this year, one out of every three vehicles Ford sold in the U.S. was an F-Series pickup. Morgan Stanley estimates F-Series trucks account for 90 percent of Ford's global automotive profit. On Tuesday, it kicked off production of the new truck at its Dearborn Truck Plant, four miles from the company's headquarters. "Yeah, this is a risk, but it's one well worth taking." said Bill Ford, the company's executive chairman, as he stood alongside the assembly line. "For our customer, this is a big, big leap forward." The trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 32 straight years; last year, Ford sold nearly 100,000 more full-size pickups than General Motors. Aluminum isn't new to the auto industry, but this is the first time it will cover the entire body of such a high-volume vehicle. Ford made 647,697 F-150 pickups at its two U.S. plants last year; that's one every 49 seconds. If Ford's bet pays off, it could pad its lead in the lucrative truck market. More importantly, aluminum "future proofs" the truck - and the company - in an era of rising fuel economy standards, says Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book. Ford will announce the truck's fuel economy figures later this month. That could determine if it steals customers away from the Silverado or Ram. Truck buyers are among the most loyal in the auto market.

NHTSA will investigate some Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ models for power steering issue

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening an investigation into the 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ, the 2012 MKZ Hybrid and 2011 Mercury Milan because the agency has hundreds of complaints of electric power steering failure in these models.
According to NHTSA's data, it has received 508 complaints of the power steering allegedly suddenly malfunctioning and resulting in increased effort to turn the wheel. In four incidents, these failures resulted in loss of control and crashes. According to the reports, in some cases a power steering warning message came on as the fault occurred, and other times the system restored itself by turning off and then restarting the vehicle. NHTSA said it has also received further field report data from Ford, but that information hasn't been publicly released yet.
For the moment, there isn't a recall for this failure on these models. NHTSA is just investigating them to "assess the scope, frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect," and the agency says an estimated 938,000 vehicles could potentially be affected.