1990 Ford Ranger Xlt Super Cab And Super Clean on 2040-cars

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Toyota, Ford decide to end hybrid collaboration before it starts

Not all so-called Memorandum of Understanding pacts end in actual collaborations. For instance, after a two-year "feasibility study," Toyota and Ford have just announced that they will not be developing hybrid systems for use in light trucks and SUVs as previously planned, and the two automakers will instead continue to develop their own hybrid technology independently.
The would-be collaboration was first announced in August of 2011, and would have seen a rear-wheel-drive hybrid platform that would "improve the efficiency of trucks and SUVs while still allowing them to be driven in the way customers expect," according to our initial post on the topic.
Keep in mind that this announcement isn't to say we shouldn't expect hybrid pickups and SUVs from the two automakers, but that they probably aren't coming very soon - Ford says it will have a system "before the end of this decade" and we haven't heard much from Toyota on the hybrid truck front since the 2008 A-BAT Concept (pictured above) - and that they will not share any components between them (and they never have, for what it's worth).

The 1965 Ford Mustang could have looked a lot different

The 1965 Ford Mustang is unquestionably an automotive design icon, and nearly every generation of Mustang has some connection to that original car. Because it's such a universally-known vehicle, we were amazed to see all the different designs that were being considered. Head of Ford's archives Ted Ryan recently shared photos of design proposals for the original Mustang on Twitter that he and Jamie Myler found, and we reached out to them to find out more. As Ryan initially noted, the photos were taken on August 19, 1962, and they are proposals for the Ford Mustang. Apparently Ford had committed to doing a Falcon-based youth-oriented car at this point, and it did have plans to launch the car in 1964 for the 1965 model year. But after having little success with early design proposals, the company asked all of its design studios — the Advanced Studio, Lincoln-Mercury Studio and Ford Studio — to submit proposals. With only about two years before the planned launch, Ford was understandably short on time, and it's believed that the studios only had a month to create and present these designs. Lincoln-Mercury design proposal View 8 Photos The majority of the designs, a total of five, came from the Advanced Studio, and part of this was because they already had a couple of concept designs in reserve it could present. Two other models representing three design possibilities came from Lincoln-Mercury, and just one model with two options came from Ford. The Advanced Studio proposals are shown in the gallery at the very top of this article, and the Lincoln-Mercury and Ford proposals are in the gallery directly above this paragraph. The Advanced Studio's most radical design is the one that was clearly related to the Mustang I concept that would be shown later that year with huge wraparound rear glass, turbine-inspired bumpers and enormous side scoops. The other proposals from the studio were more conservative, featuring simple lines, grilles reminiscent of the Falcon, and one even borrowing the jet-thruster-style taillights made famous on the Thunderbird. Lincoln-Mercury had some impressively bold designs, particularly its fastback that had buttresses to extend the shape all the way to the tail. This car had two different side trim possibilities. The other Lincoln-Mercury design was toned down a bit, but had two interesting possibilities for side detailing, as well as some crisp, low-profile tail fins.

Gooding to auction 2016 Shelby GT350 to benefit vets

Gooding & Company will be auctioning off a brand-new 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 on August 15 at Pebble Beach. The chance to own Dearborn's new flagship muscle car is surely enough all on its own to garner some serious bids. Combine that desirability with a hefty dose of star power and the desire to support a good cause and we're sure this particular pony car will be boosted even further. The GT350 is being sold to support the Military Service Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, a program that seeks to support post-9/11 military veterans and their families as they transition into civilian life. The car's dashboard has been signed by the former president, and will be auctioned off by none other than Jay Leno – who in addition to being an unsurpassed showman and car nut is also known as a passionate supporter of American servicemen. Gooding expects the super-Stang to fetch between $75,000 and $100,000 for the cause – or roughly twice the car's $47,870 MSRP. The 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang debuted late last year at the LA Auto Show. It packs a new 5.2-liter V8 with a flat-plane crank, kicking out 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. That makes it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Ford has ever made. "This is one of the most exotic engines ever produced by a major American manufacturer plus the fact that it's going into the most American of cars," said Jay Leno. "I am proud to help auction this car off where the proceeds will go to helping our veterans." Related Video: 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 to be Auctioned to Benefit the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auctions Jay Leno to present the Ford Shelby GT350 as it crosses the block on Saturday, August 15 SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 3, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, is thrilled to offer for sale a 2016 Ford Shelby GT350. The sale of this Shelby will benefit the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative, a charity that honors the service and sacrifice of post-9/11 veterans and military families by bridging the civilian-military divide and fostering a successful transition and reintegration from military service to civilian life. The 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 is the first vehicle to implement Ford's new race-derived flat-plane crank 5.2-liter V-8, the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine ever to grace a Ford.