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Trump threatens huge tax for Mexican-built Fords

Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president on Tuesday. So what would be one of the first things he would do if elected? Tax the heck out of Ford. According to The Detroit News, Trump advocated instituting a specific tax against Ford products built in Mexico during a speech in New York. Rather than incentivize US production, the outspoken billionaire's proposal would penalize Mexican-built Ford vehicles and parts by 35 percent upon purchase. That would ostensibly raise the base price of a Mexican-built Ford Fiesta from $13,965 to over $18,800, and a Lincoln MKZ from $35,190 to over $47k. He apparently made no mention of applying the same or a similar penalty to other vehicles or products imported across the border, or from other countries, raising serious questions about the legality and feasibility of instituting and enforcing the proposed measure. Trump's remarks arrived against the backdrop of a shift in automobile production from the United States into Mexico – and specifically Ford's recent announcement that it was investing $2.5 billion and creating 3,800 jobs for its Mexican operations. Of course the Blue Oval isn't the only automaker shifting production across the border and still invests heavily in its US operations. "We are proud that we have invested $6.2 billion in our U.S. plants since 2011 and hired nearly 25,000 U.S. employees," Ford spokesperson Christin Baker told The Detroit News. "Overall, 80 percent of our North American investment annually is in the U.S., and 97 percent of our North American engineering is conducted in the U.S." Though Trump has generally stood against over-taxation, he's been a staunch critic of free trade agreements like NAFTA that shift American jobs overseas. Fortunately for Ford, though, America's combover-in-chief stands about as much chance of being elected to the White House as Dearborn stands of reviving Mercury or Edsel. Related Video:

Ford expands 'Do Not Drive' airbag warning to 33,000 more Ranger trucks

WASHINGTON — Ford on Monday warned an additional 33,000 owners of older pickup trucks in North America to stop driving them until potentially defective Takata Corp airbag inflators can be repaired. In January, Ford told 2,900 owners of model year 2006 Ford Ranger trucks to stop driving immediately after a second death was linked to inflators built on the same day. The expanded warning was prompted by additional testing, Ford, the second largest U.S. automaker, said in a statement, and now covers a broader time frame of production. Mazda Motor Corp said it was issuing a similar expansion for about 1,800 2006 Mazda B-Series trucks that were built by Ford after it had issued a warning for 160 trucks in January. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the vehicles pose "an immediate risk to safety" and urged owners to immediately schedule a free repair. Ford and Mazda have replacement airbag inflators available now and will tow vehicles to a dealership for repairs as well as provide loaner vehicles free of charge, the companies and NHTSA said. About 90 percent of the vehicles subject to the "Do Not Drive" warning are in the United States. Two U.S. senators in January questioned why Ford's warning only applied to a small number of the 391,000 2004-2006 Ranger trucks recalled because of Takata air bags in 2016 in the United States. Ford said last month the death in a July 2017 crash in West Virginia in a 2006 Ford Ranger was caused by a defective Takata inflator after a similar 2015 death in South Carolina. At least 22 deaths worldwide are linked to the Takata inflators that can rupture and send deadly metal fragments into the driver's body. The faulty inflators have led to the largest automotive recall in history. The other 20 deaths have occurred in Honda vehicles, most of which were in the United States. About a quarter of the 2,900 vehicles have been repaired since Ford issued the warning last month, the company said on Monday. Takata said in June it has recalled, or expected to recall, about 125 million vehicles worldwide by 2019, including more than 60 million in the United States. About 19 automakers worldwide are affected. Takata inflators can explode with excessive force, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks and have injured more than 200 people. The defect led Takata to file for bankruptcy protection in June.Reporting by David ShepardsonRelated Video:

Here's your chance to vote for the best-looking state police cruiser

Across the country, state police generally drive the same types of vehicles. Right now, the most common cruisers are Ford Explorers, Chevrolet Tahoes, and Dodge Chargers, with some exceptions sprinkled in. The differentiation comes through in the livery, which can range from simplistic badging to busy stripes. Each year, the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) holds a fun contest to determine which state has the coolest-looking cars, and 2019 voting has just opened. We discovered the contest after Motor1 posted about the Florida Highway Patrol's newest addition to its fleet, a Dodge Challenger R/T. The musclemobile is, without question, the coolest car in the competition, and it might have the best livery too. But that doesn't mean it's going to win, as contests like this often turn into hotbeds for chest-beating homers.  The AAST is posting results on Facebook, and as of July 17, 2019, Kentucky and Nebraska are blowing the rest of the states out of the water. Florida is in ninth place with 4,653 votes compared to first-place Kentucky's 14,699. New Jersey is in last place with only 107 votes. As the internet goes, this will likely be determined by how many times the contest is shared across social media.  The Challenger isn't the only eye candy, either. Not every state participated, but those that did came correct with the photography, including Nebraska posing its car in front of a freakin' tornado. Others staged their cars with helicopters in the background, some set the car in front of the gorgeous landscapes their states have to offer, and others posed with dogs. Because who doesn't love dogs? No matter which car wins, it's cool to see the various designs all in one place. Check out the gallery above and vote for your favorite on the AAST's survey. The survey will close on July 30, 2019.