Touring on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fewest vehicles ever found eligible for Most American survey

Once again, the most American car on the market is from an American brand. The Ford F-150 retained its number one spot in Cars.com's annual survey of the most American vehicles, trumping the Toyota Camry, which remains at number two.
Ford taking the top spot is small consolation, though, as the Detroit Three aren't too well represented here. General Motors scored a win at number seven, with the Chevrolet Corvette, while Chrysler squeaked in at number ten, with the Dodge Viper. Outside of those three vehicles, Toyota and Honda dominate the top ten.
What's most remarkable, though, is that there were so few cars available for this year's list.

Ford updates Transit lineup for 2016

We have a strange affection for vans here at Autoblog, perhaps due to all that free candy we ate as kids. So when Ford announces some minor updates to the Transit and Transit Connect, we deliver the news that every plumber, electrician, and airport shuttle driver across the nation (and Canada) needs. The biggest item for 2016 is an optional passenger side sliding door on medium- and high-roof models, improving access to the Transit's cavernous interior. Ford's rollout of the much-improved Sync 3 infotainment system also expands to the to large van. And a reverse backup camera is now standard across the lineup. The little Ford Transit Connect is also tweaked for the next model year, right after we spent some time in the 2015 version. Titanium trim on the long-wheelbase wagon model brings second row bucket seats that fold flat. With XLT trim, you can swap out a bench seat for the buckets at no extra charge. Read on the for the full press release. FORD TRANSIT, TRANSIT CONNECT AND TRANSIT CONNECT WAGON EVEN SMARTER, MORE FLEXIBLE FOR 2016 MODEL YEAR SYNC® 3, Ford's new communications and entertainment system, is available for 2016 Ford Transit – making America's best-selling van even smarter Ford Transit built more than 100,000 vehicles in the 2015 model year Ford Transit Connect compact commercial van equipped with 2.5-liter I-4 engine gains flex-fuel capability for 2016 DEARBORN, Mich., June 4, 2015 – America's best-selling van is even better for the 2016 model year, with the addition of available SYNC 3, rearview camera technology and new customization options. "These and other updates make the 2016 Ford Transit the smartest, most flexible van ever offered by Ford," says Yaro Hetman, Ford brand manager for Transit, Transit Connect and E-Series. "Transit replaces America's best-selling van for 35 years, E-Series, first sold in 1961 as Ford Econoline, and we look forward to continuing our leadership in this important segment." Transit quickly took over the best-selling commercial van title in November 2014, having been available beginning in June at U.S. and Canadian dealerships for the first time. Ford has produced more than 100,000 Transit vans and wagons at Kansas City Assembly Plant during the 2015 model year.

Detroit automakers keep their masks on to keep the factories running

United Auto Workers members leave the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Warren Truck Plant in May. Fiat Chrysler along with rivals Ford and General Motors Co., restarted the assembly lines after several weeks of coronavirus lockdown. (AP)   DETROIT — When the coronavirus pandemic slammed the United States in March, the Detroit Three automakers shut their plants and brought their North American vehicle production to an unprecedented cold stop. Now, four months after a slow and sometimes bumpy restart in May, many General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles  factories are working at close to full speed, chasing a stronger-than-expected recovery in sales. So far, none of the Detroit Three has had a major COVID-19 outbreak since restarting production, even as the coronavirus is surging in Midwestern and Southern communities outside factory walls. "We have people testing positive, but it's not affecting operations," said Ford global manufacturing chief Gary Johnson. Keeping the pandemic at bay has pushed the automakers and 156,000 U.S. factory employees represented by the United Auto Workers into unfamiliar work routines and extraordinary levels of cooperation among the rival automakers that will have to be sustained for months to come. For automakers, the automakers' COVID response has been as much about instilling new habits as relying on new technology. Workers log their symptoms, or lack of them, into smartphone apps and walk past temperature scanners to get to their work stations. But company and union executives said masks, along with physical distancing, are the key to keeping assembly lines rolling. "The mask is the foundation" of protecting workers on the job, said Johnson. Complaints about masks Autoworkers are accustomed to wearing protective gear such as shatterproof glasses and gloves. Masks that cover the mouth and nose, however, were not standard equipment on auto assembly lines, and were a tough sell at first. "The biggest complaint is wearing a mask," United Auto Workers President Rory Gamble told Reuters. "A lot of our members perform physical tasks. Wearing the mask inhibits breathing." Beyond that, Gamble said, masks and distancing make it harder for workers to have conversations on the job or socialize during breaks. "ThatÂ’s pretty much out the window, and it makes for a longer day," he said. Masks make it harder for co-workers to read each other's expressions — often crucial in the noisy environment of a car plant.