1966 F-100. Mercury M-100 Tribute. Just A Sweet Truck Very Rare With Merc Logo on 2040-cars

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What an Atlas-based Ford F-150 might look like

Just ahead of January's Detroit Auto Show, surprising rumors pegged Ford as revealing some sort of F-150 concept, perhaps as a hurried effort to deflate some of the buzz building around General Motors' new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra twins, which were also making their auto show debut. Those rumblings turned out to be true, as Ford rolled into the Motor City with its Atlas concept (inset, right), touting the truck's bold styling as a precursor to the next-generation F-Series.
The show truck featured all kinds of clever details, including active wheel shutters and a front air dam that raised and lowered to improve aerodynamics while preserving off-road ability. It also had a genuinely snarly face. And it's that pugnacious snout that may well be on its way to production. The good folks at TopSpeed have worked up the plausible-looking artist's rendering above by cross-referencing the Atlas concept with what little has been revealed from recent spy shots. The look is toned-down pretty dramatically from the concept truck, but its Atlas roots are clear, with a massive three-bar grille and bracket-shaped headlamps hiding a next-generation EcoBoost engine. In the rendering, the show truck's deeply contoured hood and roofline have been ditched and larger, more traditional side mirrors have been fitted - all likely concessions in the move to production sheetmetal.
While Ford has yet to officially announce when it will unveil the 2015 F-150, all signs point to next year's Detroit Auto Show - one year after the Atlas shrugged off GM's new pickups.

Ford celebrating 80 years of Aussie utes as it prepares to shutter Oz manufacturing

Ford is ending Australian production after 90 years in 2016, and with it may go perhaps the most iconic vehicles in its auto market - the ute. Car-based pickup trucks like the Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino were always more of a curiosity than a true market force here, but in Australia, they have long proven hugely popular.
As the legend goes, Ford invented the niche after a farmer's wife had asked Ford Australia's managing director for a more utilitarian car. Her request was simple: "My husband and I can't afford a car and a truck but we need a car to go to church on Sunday and a truck to take the pigs to market on Monday. Can you help?"
Ford's design team came up with a two-passenger, enclosed, steel coupe body with glass windows and a steel-paneled, wooden-frame load area in the rear. The sides of the bed were blended into the body to make it look more unified, and to keep costs down, the front end and interior were based on the Ford Model 40 five-window coupe. Power came from a V8 with shifting chores handled by a three-speed manual. Within a year, the new vehicle was ready, and production began in 1934. Lead designer Lewis Bandt christened it the coupe-utility.

Ford recalls nearly 200,000 Expeditions and Navigators for fire risk

Ford is recalling 2015-2017 Expeditions and 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigators because the front blower motor could fail and cause a fire. In total, 198,482 Expeditions and Navigators will be recalled. In the official recall documents posted by NHTSA, Ford says that it “has not identified the cause of this condition.” However, Ford also says it is currently aware of 25 fire allegations related to the blower motors on these vehicles. Despite not strictly identifying the cause of blower motor fires, Ford put forth a theory in its fieldwork analysis of the issue.  “In June 2022, based on component analysis, Ford Engineering theorized that a mispositioned blower motor brush holder spring could cause an internal short or localized heating of the brush spring or holder. It is believed that when a fire initiates on the blower motor, it does so at the positive brush holder location. The variable blower controller would remain operational and there would be no signs of an overheated relay. Field data indicates that this concern typically occurs at a higher time in service, and on vehicles with higher mileage.” Since the blower motor is located on the passenger side interior behind the glovebox, the fires that start are interior fires. Ford isnÂ’t aware of any accidents related to this issue, but there is one claim of burnt hands and fingers as a result of a fire. According to Ford, warning signs of an impending fire or failed blower motor include an inoperative fan, burning smell and/or smoke from the instrument panel vents while the vehicle is on. To remedy this situation, Ford is recalling the affected SUVs and replacing the blower motor assembly with a revised part. The new part uses a blower motor assembly design utilized on other applications. If folks with these SUVs experience any symptoms of blower motor failure before the new part becomes available, Ford says they can take their vehicle to the dealer to have it replaced with a part of the same design. Once the redesigned part becomes available, the dealer will then swap it in. Owner notification letters are expected to begin on September 12 this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.