2020 Lincoln Aviator on 2040-cars

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Ford recalling 370,000 Crown Vic, Grand Marquis and Town Car models

The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will recall some 370,000 Crown Victoria (pictured), Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car vehicles from model years 2005 through 2011, for an issue regarding the lower intermediate steering shaft. 355,000 of the vehicles in question were sold in the US, with the other 15,000 sold in Canada.
The report indicates that corrosion of the lower intermediate steering shaft could cause a "loss of steering," presumably because of a partial or complete failure of the part. The report points out the dealers will inspect and replace the offending steering component for recalled cars, and may also secure a lower steering column bearing and replace the upper intermediate steering shaft as needed. The company is unaware of any reports of the faulty part causing any accidents or injuries.
Ford helpfully lists states in which corrosion is more likely to have taken place, mostly in the Snow Belt, as you might guess. Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia are listed.

Two limos used by President John F. Kennedy are going up for auction

Two Lincoln limousines last used by President John F. Kennedy are being auctioned by Bonhams in New York. As reported by fordauthority.com, the cars are part of The American Presidential Experience sale. Neither Lincoln is the infamous open convertible in which Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas (that car is on display at The Henry Ford museum in Michigan), but one of these was used by the president on that fateful trip. The white 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible carried the President, Mrs. Kennedy, and Texas Governor John Connally, on the morning of November 22, 1963 in Fort Worth, Texas. They rode in this Lincoln from the Texas Hotel, where the President and Mrs. Kennedy had spent the night, to a breakfast where JFK gave a speech. From there, they drove through Fort Worth, on streets lined with crowds, to Carswell Air Force Base for the flight that would take them to Dallas. The car was a loaner from local dealer Bill Golightly, and was sold in 1964. It spent time in several different museum collections and has been partially restored, receiving a new engine and a repaint in its factory Ermine White. The red leather interior, however, is said to be original. The pre-sale estimate for this Lincoln is $300,000–$500,000. The second Lincoln is a 1960 Continental Mark V Executive Limousine. It was modified by Hess and Eisenhardt and features bulletproof doors, a divider window, a two-way telephone, and rear-seat climate controls. This car was leased to the White House and was used by President Kennedy for personal trips around Washington, as opposed to official trips for which the larger presidential limousine would be used. After President Johnson took office, this Lincoln returned to the Ford Motor Company and was purchased by a private individual who had a contact at Ford's Washington office. It, too, later spent time in various historical collections, and its body has been restored but the interior remains original. The pre-sale estimate is $200,000 to $300,000. History buffs who miss out on either of the cars might raise their paddles for some of the other items offered. There's a full-scale facsimile of the Oval Office, a partial fuselage of a Boeing 707 retrofitted as a replica of the Kennedy-era Air Force One, as well as numerous smaller items. The auction takes place on October 14.

Ford and Lincoln design honcho leaves to head Nissan North America design

Last Friday, David Woodhouse suddenly resigned from his dual positions as Ford's director of global strategic design and director of Lincoln design. In a post not long after leaving, he praised the efforts of his former team over the past six years he headed design at Lincoln. Among other products, that crew gave us the redesigned Navigator, the Continental concept and production sedan, and the Aviator concept and production crossover. Car Design News reports Woodhouse traded Michigan for California, taking the role of VP at Nissan Design America in San Diego. He officially assumes the position July 1, and will also serve on the Japanese automaker's Global Nissan Design Management Committee. Woodhouse has spent more than 25 years in the design department, starting with BMW and work on the Mini and Range Rover brands, followed by a brief stint with Cadillac of Europe. For the past 20 years he's been with Ford, coming on board with the Ford's former luxury arm known as the Premier Automotive Group — Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Volvo and Lincoln. He became Lincoln's design director in 2013, introducing the world to the design language labeled "quiet flight." He described the language's details as "anti-wedge body gestures, S-curves wherever possible, and an emphasis on horizontal lines at every opportunity to create leaner, longer, wider emphasis on the exteriors, and create equilibrium, balance, and calmness on the interiors." A much shorter way to describe it is: revitalized Lincolns. The U.S. luxury maker's new and overhauled products have been praised for their lines by critics and by paying customers. The brand's done so well it's hard to remember when the MKC concept was a revelation, and that goes on Woodhouse's resume, too. That's some special juju to take to Nissan, where Woodhouse will lead both Nissan and Infiniti design focused on the North American region. Nissan has a solid if uninspiring lineup that sells well here, while Infiniti, as the luxury brand, is the bigger issue. Infiniti sedans glide on the contrails of a design language more than 10 years old. The money-making crossovers and SUVs haven't made a splash in about the same time, since the long-ago FX45. Nissan's plan to update 70 percent of its lineup over the next few years and Infiniti's transition to an all-electric brand makes right now the perfect time to break into riveting designs for the street. Woodhouse replaces Taro Ueda, who moves into a global role with Nissan.