2004 Ford Thunderbird Pacific Coast Roadster Convertible 2-door 3.9l on 2040-cars

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As US exports top 2 million, is America becoming the world's source of cheap cars?

North American auto production is booming with 2014 figures just shy of the of the 17.3-million vehicle record set in 2000. With more models being built on the continent, even more are being shipped overseas. Factories in the US exported 2.1 million cars last year – the highest number ever. About half of those went to Canada and Mexico, but more than ever have been heading to places like the Middle East and China. The upswing comes in part from from after-effects from the Great Recession, according to The Wall Street Journal. With a weak dollar and lower production costs after the financial crisis, building vehicles in the US was relatively cheaper and more competitive in the world. At the same time buyers around the world are going crazy for crossovers. According to the WSJ, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are already exporting the majority of their US production of these models overseas. Both automakers have also announced investments to expand production further here to send more vehicles abroad. Even Honda has been shipping more models out of the country than it imported here. There is a concern this international strength could start slowing because the dollar is strengthening against other currencies, though it's too early to know what the actual effect of this could be, according to the WSJ. "Of course, we closely watch currency exchange, but we don't make changes in production or allocation based on temporary fluctuations in the exchange rate," Ford North American boss Joe Hinrichs told the newspaper. Related Video: News Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req.Image Credit: BMW Plants/Manufacturing BMW Ford Honda Mercedes-Benz exports us auto production

Bodie Stroud seriously updates the 1956 Ford F-100 into the BSI X-100

If you thought pickups could use a lot more love in the resto-mod world, then Bodie Stroud – he of "The Real Thing" Mustang – has something for you: the BSI X-100. His team starts with the body of a 1956 Ford F-100, but the sheetmetal is about all the nostalgia you're going to get; the body, tweaked with a chopped hood and a larger rear window on the cab, sits on a custom steel ladder-frame chassis. Out back is a one-piece, tubbed bed, and behind that are taillights from a 1948 (gasp!) Chevrolet. Under that hood is either a 412-horsepower, 5.0-liter Ford Racing Coyote crate engine, or a supercharged, 6.0-liter, 630-hp Ford Racing Aluminator motor, shifting through a Ford 4R70W four-speed automatic. Inside, the dash is reworked to fit gauges from a Ford F-150 King Ranch Edition, and the bench is swapped out for buckets from a Mustang GT. The independent front and four-link rear suspension are adjustable, helping to make room for staggered wheels - 19 inches in front, 20 inches in back, and larger can be accommodated. Six-piston Wilwood brakes handle the stopping. There's a lot of fabrication and hand-work involved, and it doesn't come cheap: BSI says the turnkey package starts at $180,000. If you've got it, this is an exceptional way to flaunt it. The press release below has all the details. THE BSI 1956 X-100: TIMELESS LINES, MODERN TECH New pickup from Bodie Stroud Industries melds the iconic style of the 1956 F-100 with a cutting-edge chassis and drivetrain to create a hand-built, all-new truck with the performance and reliability of a modern sports car. Sun Valley, Calif. (March, 2015) – In an era when anyone can walk into a dealership with good credit and a yearning to go fast and drive out in a 500+ horsepower sports car, owning and driving something truly unique has become a challenge. With that in mind, the craftsmen at Los Angeles-based Bodie Stroud Industries (BSI) have come up with something truly special – a brand new line of hand-built, turn-key pickups with the looks and sheet metal of an American icon, subtly massaged and fitted to a modern chassis and powered by the latest engine, transmission and electronics from Detroit. The result is the world's first all-new, turn-key 1956 Pickup: the BSI X-100. "When most people think about classic trucks, what comes to mind is usually the 1956 F-100, it's one of the most timeless designs of all time," says BSI founder Bodie Stroud.

Ford of Europe celebrates Mondeo's 20th anniversary

Ford's European operations are celebrating a milestone of sorts as the Mondeo, the Blue Oval's bread-and-butter D-segment sedan in the old country, celebrates its 20th anniversary. The mid-sizer, which was sold in the US for a short time as the Contour, has been a far more popular vehicle in Europe - even receiving regular praise from one Jeremy Clarkson.
Narrated by Cockney actor Ray Winstone, the video goes through the Mondeo's years and how it's evolved from 1993 to the as-yet-unreleased fifth-generation model, which is essentially the same as the Ford Fusion that's sold in America. Take a look below for the full video from Ford of Europe.