1960 Ford Thunderbird Base Hardtop 2-door 5.8l on 2040-cars

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Road & Track samples rare 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R

The modern performance variant of the Ford Mustang enjoys a long, illustrious history. While well-known examples like the Boss 302, Shelby GT350, and Shelby GT500 get all the attention, the modern versions of these cars may not have been possible had it not been for the three generations of the Cobra R, sold in 1993, 1995, and 2000. Limited to just 250 examples, the second-generation model wasn't as rare as the Fox-body Cobra R that preceded it, but they were still pricey and difficult to acquire. Customers were required to hold a competition license in order to take delivery, and prices were roughly equivalent to $59,000 in today's money. As Road & Track tells it, neither of those facts were a handicap – Ford sold its entire roster of 1995 Cobra Rs in just five days. RT's Jack Baruth managed to score a drive in an extremely low-mileage example of this now-vintage track star. He delivers an interesting look into the way a performance car from two decades ago behaves in today's world, and finds that despite its age, the 1995 Cobra R is still "a true sweetheart." Check out the full feature over at Road & Track. Related Video:

Ford books $1.2B profit in second quarter on strength of trucks

Ford is rolling along nicely, with a positive second-quarter sales report and a $2.3 billion profit in North America. The Dearborn, Michigan-based manufacturer captured $1.2 billion globally from April to June, with a $177 million profit in Asia. Even in Europe, the land of doom and gloom for automakers not named Mazda, Ford saw some success as it lowered its expected full-year loss from $2 billion to $1.8 billion. The company lost $348 million in Europe during the second quarter, which, believe it or not, represents a $56-million improvement over 2012.
According to the report on CNBC, Ford enjoyed a three-percent increase in pre-market trading thanks to the news. The strong demand for the F-150 propelled growth in the US market, while Ford's 47-percent increase in Asian sales can be attributed to the new EcoSport crossover and Kuga (Ford Escape in the US) arriving in the somewhat fragile Chinese market.
Pre-tax profits for Ford are expected to be in the neighborhood of $8 billion by the end of the year, with sales the US, Europe, and China all looking up. The company also shifted $4.78 billion of asset-backed debt in the form of bonds, according to a report by Bloomberg. This move came amidst rumors of the Federal Reserve cutting back on its $85-billion-per-month bond purchases. Ford wasn't alone among automakers looking to sell off debt, though, as Mercedes-Benz and Nissan shifted around $1 billion each in bonds relating to auto loans.

Feds open investigation into Chevy Express, Ford Freestar rust issues

'Tis the season... for road salt. And with that, comes rust. And what does rust bring? Well, for Ford and General Motors, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation. According to The Detroit News, NHTSA is looking into potential recalls issues with Chevrolet Express vans and Ford Freestar minivans.
The feds have received five complaints that rust has caused leaking fuel filler pipes on 2003 Express vans. Separately, seven complaints have been filed over excessive rust in the rear wheel wells of 2004 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans. The Freestar and Monterey went out of production in 2007. Neither issue has resulted in any crashes or injuries, according to the report.