Ford e-News

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Ford strengthens global marketing function to deliver "One Ford" vision

Elena Ford has been named to lead Global Marketing, Sales and Service Operations, a newly-formed organization responsible for implementing the company's "One Ford" marketing vision. The organizational change was made to integrate and drive a more consistent and compelling connection with customers around the world, while better leveraging the company's global assets and capabilities. Creation of this new office follows the consolidation of Ford's global product development activities in 2006 and global purchasing operations in 2008, and reflects the company's aggressive move to bring new global vehicles to market. The new Ford (NYSE: F) Focus global small car will be the first vehicle to benefit from global coordination when introduced in 2010. For more information contact Mark Truby at mtruby@ford.com or 313-323-0539 or Marcey Evans at mevans13@ford.com or 313-322-9211.

Fusion Hybrid's Class-Leading Fuel Efficiency Earns Highest Available Tax Credit

Buyers of a new 2010 Fusion Hybrid or Mercury Milan this year will qualify for the $3,400 federal tax credit, the highest credit amount ever offered for hybrids purchased or placed in service after Dec. 31, 2005. Fusion Hybrid's class-leading 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which tops Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg in the highway, helped Fusion garner the credit, which is based on a vehicle's potential fuel efficiency. To deliver 700-plus miles on a single tank of gas, Fusion Hybrid travels up to 47 miles per hour in pure electric mode, faster than all other hybrids currently on the road. For more information contact Alan Hall at ahall32@ford.com or 313-575-1488.

Ford Leads in Quality, Significance of Technology Patents

A new study by the world's leading patent analyst, The Patent Board(TM), found that Ford Motor Company is ranked as an industry leader in the quality and significance of its technology patents.

Praised for patented technologies closer to the cutting edge than competitors, Ford is using its technological innovation to drive for leadership in quality, safety, fuel efficiency and in-car connectivity.

The 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid have 119 patents, a record for Ford. For the Fusion Hybrid, teams of research scientists and engineers developed Ford-exclusive technologies that helped achieve a certified 41 mpg in the city, 8 mpg better than the Toyota Camry. Patents on the Fusion Hybrid include technologies such as Ford's new-generation hybrid powertrain and SmartGauge with EcoGuide digital instrument cluster that helps coach drivers to achieve better fuel efficiency. For more information contact Wes Sherwood at wsherwoo@ford.com or 313-390-5660.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs.

Red Hot Classics For Your Favorite Valentine

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida motoring enthusiasts will bypass the chocolates and roses this year as they treat their special someone to a 'red hot' classic.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, South Florida's most prestigious classic car event -- RM Auctions Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale -- will roll into town next week, February 5th - 8th, 2009.

There will be over 400 cars to fall in love with, including classic cars of every kind and color.

Here are five 'red hot' picks for the romantic in all of us from RM Auctions, the world's leading auction house for collector cars...

    1. 1956 Jaguar XK 140 MC Roadster
       A freshly restored example of one of Britain's most iconic, high-
       performance sports cars. Perfect for those long romantic drives with
       the wind through your hair.
    2. 1959 Fiat Jolly Convertible
       Originally designed for Mediterranean yacht owners, this Fiat Jolly is
       pure fun! With wicker seats and a new surrey top, it's the ultimate
       vehicle for those lazy summer days by the beach. That's Amore!
    3. 1939 Lincoln Zephyr "Z Custom" Coupe
       If lady luck is on your side, look no further than this customized
       Lincoln Zephyr Coupe. Built for casino developer Steve Wynn, its
       eye-catching red paint, rolling dice motif and gold leaf stripes make
       it a sure fire winner! (Sorry, no backseat).
    4. 1969 Fire Bug George Barris Kustom
       For those hot, romantic nights this unusual George Barris Kustom will
       'kool' you down! This VW-based Fire Bug was originally built as a
       promotional vehicle for the LA Fire Department and starred in the
       television show, The Banana Splits.
    5. 1964 Amphicar 770 Convertible
       An unusual dual purpose collector car, perfect for a love that knows
       no boundaries. This handsome convertible comes with wheels, propellers
       and the all important life jackets!

RM Auctions Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale event, presented by AutoNation, will be held at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 5th - 8th. Admission is $20 for a day pass and $50 for the weekend.

Complete car list and event details are available at www.rmauctions.com or call 800-980-7635.

About RM Auctions

Celebrating 30 years in the collector car industry, RM Auctions is responsible for acquisitions, restorations and sales of the world's rarest and most valuable vintage automobiles. www.rmauctions.com.

NADA Chairman Says Next Two Months Are Critical to the Future of Auto Industry

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With 2009 expected to be one of the toughest years yet for auto retailing, the incoming chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association issued a call-to-action Monday, urging dealers to make their voices heard in the debate over how to return the industry to economic viability and how new emission standards should be implemented.

"The nation's new car dealers have already made strides in communicating the importance of the franchise network, the need for federal bridge loans and the necessity of stable credit markets, but the work must continue," said 2009 NADA Chairman John McEleney and Iowa dealer.

"The next two months are critical to the future of our industry as we know it - the future of GM and Chrysler, availability of credit and the return of stability to our economy," he said.

"In a 17-million-sales year, it may be enough for us to share that we sponsor Little League teams or that we helped to fund the new wing at the local hospital," McEleney said. "In a 12-million-sales year, we've got to tell how we contribute to our community's bottom line."

• "Tell how many of our employees' kids we helped send to college."
• "Tell how many people were able to get healthcare through us."
• "Tell how many people picked up lifelong skills - technical skills, people skills and management skills in the time they've worked for us."

"The unprecedented nature of the times we find ourselves living in has been both a blessing and a curse," he said. "It's drawn the kind of attention to our industry that we haven't encountered in years."

McEleney said some pundits characterized dealers as a drain on the books of automakers and suggested it was time to do away with the franchise system.

"...we had to inform people about the model of our business," he said. "...it's our money we invest in buildings and staff and training, not the manufacturers. It's our investments that are on the line to get their products distributed to buyers."

With much attention being paid to the industry, it's incumbent upon dealers to inform the public about auto retailing's impact on local, state and national economies. Sales taxes collected at auto dealerships nationwide total in the billions of dollars each year. And auto sales make up nearly 20 percent of all retail spending in the U.S.

Today, President Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency to review whether to authorize state efforts to regulate vehicle emissions. NADA welcomes that review, McEleney said, but is urging the administration to carefully examine how those rules would actually be implemented. That kind of review will reveal that the California Air Resources Board's rule is in direct competition with the federal CAFE program, he said.

"We hope that the president and the EPA administrator will realize that a single national fuel-economy standard is smarter than a patchwork of state regulations that will only further endanger our industry," McEleney said.

With the auto industry undergoing drastic changes, the coming year could be one of the most challenging ever. But the auto industry is cyclical, and dealers will continue to succeed if they focus on things they can control, he said.

"Our job is to protect and strengthen our dealerships so that as the cycle turns upward, we are in a position to thrive," McEleney said.

A lifelong resident of Clinton, Iowa, McEleney joined the family car business after receiving a business administration degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1973. His two dealerships sell Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Cadillac, Toyota and Hyundai brand vehicles. His father, Warren McEleney, was NADA president in 1971.

NADA, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, Va., represents about 19,700 new car and truck dealers holding more than 40,000 separate franchises, both domestic and international.