1996 Ford F-150 No Reserve Eddie Bauer 4x4 Ford F-150 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jim Farley to lead Ford of Europe

"We are excited to see Jim and Stephen take on these new roles as they bring unique skills, experience and fresh perspectives to these critical positions." - Mark Fields
Ford marketing chief Jim Farley is taking over the company's troubled European operations as part of an executive shuffle confirmed on Friday morning.

Aluminum Ford F-150 earns five-star crash rating [w/video]

The scores are in, and the 2015 Ford F-150 has been awarded a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's testing. That makes it, according to Ford, the safest F-150 ever. "The five-star safety rating is a terrific example of One Ford collaboration and innovation," Vice President of Global Product Development Raj Nair said in a statement. "Our truck team worked together for years to deliver this accomplishment, using an unprecedented combination of advanced materials throughout the all-new F-150. The 2015 model is engineered to be the safest F-150 ever, which matters to customers who depend on this truck to not only get the job done, but also get them safely home." The new F-150's aluminum and high-strength-steel construction posed some unique challenges to truck's engineers. "The team had to invent new ways to manage crash energy, because advanced materials like high-strength steel behave differently," Matt Niesluchowski, the truck's safety manager. "We found that changing certain shapes led to a weight reduction, while also improving crash performance." Beyond the structural safety features, the 2015 F-150 is loaded with additional safety features, including an adaptive steering column and Ford's inflatable seat belts, that protects drivers in the event of a collision. Beyond that, there's the usual array of active safety features meant to prevent a crash in the first place, including Curve Control and forward collision warning with brake support. Check out Ford's full press release on its five-star score, as well as video on the truck's safety features.

Time to catch up with Jay Leno's Garage, including his Lamborghini Espada restoration

If you're already jealous of the time, effort and money that Jay Leno can devote to his massive car collection, prepare to get a little greener with envy with this latest video from Jay Leno's Garage. Instead of the usual format of discussing a model for about ten minutes and then taking it out for a test drive, this week Leno gives viewers on a tour of over a dozen projects concurrently happening in his stable. The breadth of the vehicles shown and the things being done to them run the entire span of the automotive hobby. At the same time, Jay's shop is working on just a simple restoration of his 1969 Lamborghini Espada (pictured), and at the other side of the building, the team is rebuilding a wood-bodied 1914 Detroit Electric from scratch. He eventually plans to slot a more modern electric drivetrain into it. If bikes are more your interest, there's a freshly completed Brough Superior just waiting for a ride, and if American models are your thing, a Ford Bronco is getting a Coyote V8 installed into it. You have some very specific tastes if you can't watch this clip and start wishing at least one of these vehicles could be in your own garage. Other than the personal projects his mechanics are working on in the shop, Jay gets to have them all, plus plenty more.