Ford Launches Harley-Davidson F-150 Truck

Ford Motor Company and motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson will be celebrating its 105th anniversary in the industry. To commemorate this milestone, the two companies will release a limited edition 2008 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 truck model.

Although Ford did not yet release the availability and the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), check out some of the highlights of the 2008 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150, according to a Ford official press release.

* Standard 300-hp 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engine or an available SALEEN intercooled supercharged V8
* Unique chrome billet grille and lower front valance.
* Body color bumper, mirror caps, ground effects, door and tailgate handles.
* Blacked-out headlamps with black bulb shield and dark tinted, smoked-out taillamps.
* Windshield with Bar & Shield logo dot pattern and Alliance logo.
* New 22-inch polished forged-aluminum wheels with the Bar & Shield logo on center caps.
* Forged aluminum “105 th Anniversary Harley-Davidson F-150” Medallions on the fenders and tailgate.
* Chrome dual exhaust tips and tie-down hooks.
* Rubber bed mat with HARLEY-DAVIDSON Bar & Shield logo.
* Black/Dusted Copper leather-trimmed front captain’s chairs
* Rear bench seat with die-cast Bar & Shield logos embedded in the leather
* Two-tone leather shifter, console lid and steering wheel.
* High-gloss piano black floor console and center stack with the Bar & Shield logos, as well as chrome vent rings and unique instrument cluster.
* Serialized nickel plate displaying the production VIN and number.
* Brushed stainless steel pedals.

Meanwhile, Todd Eckert, Ford Truck and SUV communications manager said: “Ford Harley-Davidson trucks have turned a shared passion for open roads into one of the most successful alliances in the industry. The new 2008 Ford Harley-Davidson ™ F-150 perfectly blends the flexibility and capability of F-Series trucks with the free spirit and raw power of Harley-Davidson ® motorcycles – the principles that continue to drive both companies after 105 years.”

Ford Launches IVDC

Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom has released a new innovative automotive peace of engineering that focus on active suspension system for the Ford Mondeo. The Interactive Vehicle Dynamic Control (IVDC) provides the driver the desired suspension settings, including sports, comfort, and regular settings to handle the vehicle comfortably.

Norbert Kessing, Ford vehicle dynamics manager explained the advantage of IVDC:
“New Mondeo's ability to monitor its handling interactively with the driver improves safety and comfort. An active suspension system makes particular sense in larger cars like the new Mondeo. It enhances dynamic stability, particularly under critical driving conditions, and works with the car's other safety systems to reduce braking distances by up to 10 per cent on rough roads.”

IVDC is based on inputs from seven sensors around the suspension system. Sensors are on wheels and three others measures the acceleration, pitch and roll of the Mondeo. Data is sent through the control unit and automatically adjusts and tune the dampers and other suspensions parts to match the driving situations and road terrain.

The IVDC is another addition to Mondeo's wide range of driver assistance systems including Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), as well as other safety features.

Edwards Bags Sharpie 500 Trophy!

After a few unlucky races these past weeks, Ford Racing teams finally earned a victory in the Sharpie 500 race that took place at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for the 2007 season of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Carl Edwards pushed his No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion to the limit and landed the victory for Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards is now ranked 5th in the NASCAR point standings with a total of 3160 points. Another Ford driver, and Edwards' teammate Greg Biffle also made it into the top 10 finishers.

Edwards commented after the race:

"My Office Depot Fusion was really good tonight," said Edwards. "It sure made it a lot of fun. Man, those restarts were just wearing out my nerves there. That took about three or four years off of my life, I think. I’m just very excited to win this race to say the very least. I’m very, very grateful to even be here, so to win this race. I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. I get to go home tomorrow and spend a little time at home and it’s very exciting."

"I feel pretty good about the championship. It’s neat, the sport has its ups-and-downs and it was very frustrating last season at times and at the beginning of this season, but I know I firmly believe that hard work can get you somewhere and I feel like everyone has been working really hard."

Below is the result of the Sharpie 500 race in Britstol. Check it out!

1. Carl Edwards Ford
2. Kasey Kahne Dodge
3. Clint Bowyer Chevrolet
4. Tony Stewart Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet
6. Kurt Busch Dodge
7. Ryan Newman Dodge
8. Bobby Labonte Dodge
9. Kyle Busch Chevrolet
10. Greg Biffle Ford
11. Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet
12. Jeff Burton Chevrolet
13. J.J. Yeley Chevrolet
14. David Stremme Dodge
15. Reed Sorenson Dodge
16. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet
17. Juan Montoya Dodge
18. Scott Riggs Dodge
19. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet
20. Robby Gordon Ford
21. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet
22. Casey Mears Chevrolet
23. Michael Waltrip Toyota
24. Paul Menard Chevrolet
25. Bill Elliott Ford
26. Jamie McMurray Ford
27. Jeff Green Chevrolet
28. Tony Raines Chevrolet
29. Elliott Sadler Dodge
30. David Gilliland Ford
31. Dave Blaney Toyota
32. Kenny Wallace Dodge
33. Ward Burton Chevrolet
34. Dale Jarrett Toyota
35. A.J. Allmendinger * Toyota
36. Aric Almirola Chevrolet
37. Jeremy Mayfield Toyota
38. Ricky Rudd Ford
39. Matt Kenseth Ford
40. John Andretti Dodge
41. David Ragan Ford
42. Johnny Sauter Chevrolet
43. Denny Hamlin Chevrolet

Land Rover North America, a division of Ford Motor Company has announced the details of its
new LR2 HSE, an enhanced model of the popular Land Rover LR2 compact crossover SUV. The vehicle will roll out in Land Rover dealer showrooms all over the U.S. early this coming November.

"The LR2 reflects Land Rover's dynamic design, with a smart and spacious interior and an abundance of advanced technologies. It has been very well received around the world since its introduction. The HSE version offers subtle changes for those customers seeking a slightly different look to their LR2." said Phil Popham, Land Rover's Managing Director.

Check out the key features of the Land Rover LR2 HSE below:

3.2-liter inline-six engine that develops 230 bhp and provides 0-60 mph acceleration in 8.4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds)
new six-speed automatic transmission with Land Rover's CommandShift(TM) offering manual sequential gear changes
Land Rover's Terrain Response(TM) system is standard
permanent intelligent all-wheel-drive system
patented Gradient Release Control with Hill Descent Control
body color bumpers and side sills
rear spoiler
titanium door handles
19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
8x6-way power adjustable seats
storage box with a sliding cover

Watch out for the Land Rover LR2 HSE when it rolls out in dealerships in your area.

Rocket Ranger: The Fastest Diesel-Powered Pickup Truck on the Planet!

Ford's collaboration with SPAL USA and Hypermax has successfully set a new milestone. The SPAL USA "Rocket Ranger", a high performance truck model based on the Ford Ranger recently set the record for the World's Fastest Diesel Pickup Truck with an average top speed of 215.091 mph, with Hypermax engineering Max Lagod aboard the vehicle. The event happened during the Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week. This achievement by SPAL USA's "Rocket Ranger" is recognized by the Southern California Timing Association/Bonneville Nationals Inc. (SCTA/BNI).

Max Lagod commented: "It came down to the 11th hour, but in the end the truck definitely had a record-breaking performance. It was so exciting to beat the existing land speed record to become a member of Bonneville's 200 mile-per- hour club with the 'Rocket Ranger'."

Lagod has been part of motor sport racing since 1988. He won the SCCA GT-1 class national championship in 1997 and 1998, and obtained several podium finishes in his SCCA Trans-Am racing career.

Going back to the SPAL USA "Rocket Ranger", the vehicle is equipped with a monstrous Ford Powerstroke(R)/International 6.0- litre diesel engine. This power plant also features several high performance engine enhancements like Hypermax intercooled series turbochargers, injectors, Mach 7 performance module, and dual SPAL USA 12-inch high-performance cooling fans. A ZF 6-speed gearbox completes the powertrain package for this vehicle.

"Nothing comes easy at Bonneville. "We are very proud of the work our dedicated team has put forth. This record breaking performance would not have been possible without the support of Hypermax, International Truck, Ford Motor Company, and Creative Werks Inc." said Mark Kitlinski, sales and market manager -- bus & truck, SPAL USA.

Heath Langenfeld, sales and market manager - powersports, SPAL USA also commented.
"The Bonneville Salt Flats is the ultimate proving ground to demonstrate the performance of our cooling fans and centrifugal blowers. We are thrilled to achieve this prestigious record, not only for SPAL USA, but also for Hypermax."

In addition, Max Lagod said the SPAL USA team plans to return in Bonneville Salt Flats sometime in October to beat the record, his own record. Well, good luck Mr. Lagod!

Ford Racing at the 3M Performance 400

After a series of poor, or rather unlucky performance in the past NASCAR Nextel Cup races, Ford Racing drivers finally obtained their spot in the top 10 placers during the recent 3M Performance 400 that took place at the Michigan International Raceway (MIS).

The race was dominated by Dodge driver Kurt Busch, and followed by two Chevrolet drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. Matt Kenseth finished the race aboard his
No. 17 DeWalt Ford Fusion and finished in the 4th place.

Kenseth commented about the race: "I hit the wall a little bit early, chasing Kurt around, and he got sideways up there and I kind of lost track of where I was at and bumped the fender in. They're just so aero-sensitive that we could never quite get that fixed and get that back. But, overall, we had a good car all day and I made that mistake and took us out of a chance to win." About the car, Kenseth said: "We just made some small changes, and we finally had it right right before I hit the wall and it kind of went downhill from there."

Anyway, check out what the other Ford Racing drivers said after the race in recent 3M Performance 400 race.

Greg Biffle, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (19th)

"The car was just too loose -- too much spring in the back, or something. I got my car just way too loose, mechanical chassis-wise, and we weren't just able to recover all day. It was unfortunate. We just could never get it back. It was too loose -- that's what it all boils down to."

David Ragan,No. 6 AAA Insurance Ford Fusion (finished 18th)

"It's been a few races since we've been the best rookie. So, that's a good day today. I feel like we lost a little bit those last two re-starts. It took our car a few laps to get rolling. Our car was really, really fast all day, but we just off a little bit there at the end. Like I said, I feel like we lost three or four spots that we shouldn't have. But, all in all, an excellent day for the AAA Ford, and a top-20 gets some more points and a good way to head into Bristol."

Ford Delivers E85 Models in Missouri

Ford Motor Company continues their commitment in providing consumers with alternative fuel systems by delivering the company's demonstration models of ethanol powered hybrid vehicles.

Ford has delivered four E85 Escape Hybrid models to selected areas in the U.S. including
one in the State of Missouri, and three for the Kansas City Power & Light at company’s Kansas City Plant.

"As a leader in both hybrid vehicles and in vehicles capable of operating on ethanol-based fuels, Ford is the ideal company to bring both technologies together for the first time. This innovative research represents one of many projects we have at Ford to address our customers desire for a fuel efficient product that meet all of their functional needs, while working on reducing our nation's dependence on oil imports and helping to address global climate change.” said Nancy Gioia, director, Sustainable Mobility Technology, Ford Motor Company.

“Great Plains Energy’s environmental strategy is aggressively pursuing the use of renewables. We are pleased to be among the first to take advantage of the flexibility of a hybrid vehicle that uses E85 fuel. Our current biofuel program has already offset approximately 20 percent of our gasoline usage and these Ford vehicles will advance our long-term commitment to a diversified fleet.” said Michael Chesser, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Great Plains Energy.

Meanwhile, Gov. Matt Blunt also commented: "My administration has and will continue to strongly encourage the use of these environmentally-friendly technologies. The use of renewable fuels improves our environment and the air we breathe. With old-fashioned American ingenuity, like that displayed by the Ford Motor Company, we can become more energy independent. Our state is doing our part to look for alternative fuels to help lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil. The more clean-burning, renewable fuel Missouri produces and uses, the better off we will all be in the long-term."

Ford E85 Escape Hybrid is considered as the first ever vehicle model that is capable of running in 85% ethanol fuel, blended with other fuels like gasoline or diesel. The E85 Escape Hybrid offers an impressive fuel economy and low exhaust emissions. Ford is planning to deliver a total of 20 E85 Escape Hybrid models in selected customers in six states.

Ford to Participate at Woodward Dream Cruise

Here is something you should watch this week.

The upcoming 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise that will take place in Michigan this coming August 11th will be filled with excitement as automakers display their historic and other striking vehicles models.

Ford Motor Company has already prepared for this event. In fact, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker announced that it will display more than 100 classic and new vehicle models at the Shane Park in Birmingham.

Crystal Greene, manager, Sponsorship and Alliances for Ford
“Our display in Shane Park has a slightly different feel this year. In the past it was solely a classic car show; this year we are bringing more family fun to the environment. People can interact and learn more about the new vehicles, too, and of course see the great vintage vehicles.”

“Visitors who visit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) booth will have a chance to win Detroit Pistons tickets. We’re also selling raffle tickets for the new Ford Edge, with all the proceeds going to JDRF. The JDRF exhibit also features an award-winning Deuce coupe, and we will have one signed by Edsel Ford II as well as others from area clubs." said Rob Bremer, coordinator, Special Events, Ford Motor Company.

Ford's display in Shane Park include Cruisin’ Legends and exhibits from Ford divisions and affiliate companies like Ford Racing, Saleen, Barrett-Jackson, Roush, and Steeda. The upcoming Ford Shelby GT500KR is also expected to be a highlight in Shane Park. Visitors can see the vehicle ahead of its launching next year. Another highlight at the 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise is the Fusion Hydrogen 999. This fuel cell vehicle recently broke the 200 mph barrier.

Ford will not only display their vehicle models during the event. For entertainment purposes, Ford will organize a live band performance in Shane Park. Take some time to visit the 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise.

The 2008 Lincoln Navigator in Detail

Ford has already released the details of the 2008 model year of the Lincoln Navigator full size SUV. The vehicle comes with numerous enhancements inside and out and other optional packages for customers.

Ford is offering two model variant for the Lincoln Navigator: Navigator base model and the Navigator L (long wheelbase model). Both variants will roll out in U.S. markets with two drive train configurations: 4x2 and 4x4. Under the hood of both models is a monstrous 5.4-liter 3-valve V-8 engine. This power plant boasts a 300 hp output and 365 lb ft amount of peak torque, coupled with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Check out the highlights of the 2008 Lincoln Navigator below.

Exterior
- Power liftgate
- bold chrome grille
- high-intensity-discharge (HID) projector headlamps
- integrated fog lamps
- prominent "powerdome" hood
- chiseled side mirror shells
- Lincoln-signature chrome strip
- chrome body-side trim
- wing-shaped lamps
- 18-inch machined aluminum wheels/available 20-inch chrome wheels
- three exterior colors including White Suede Clearcoat Metallic, Vapor Silver Clearcoat Metallic, and Stone Green Clearcoat Metallic
- Monochrome Limited Edition Package featuring unique badge, body-color lower grille, lower bodyside cladding, upper chrome grille, and power-folding heated mirrors with puddle lamps

Interior/Safety
- dual-zone electronic air temperature control
- SIRIUS® Satellite Radio
- 10-way power adjustable driver/passenger seat with power lumbar and recline
- voice-activated DVD-based navigation system
- THX II-Certified audio system
- AM/FM tuner compatible with the Radio Data Broadcasting System (RDBS)
- entertainment system with an 8-inch screen and two wireless headphones
- available Monochrome Limited Edition Package with monochromatic exterior treatments: White Chocolate Tri-coat, Black Clearcoat, Vapor Silver Clearcoat Metallic and Stone Green Clearcoat Metallic.
- Monochrome Limited Edition Package also comes with unique black carpet and floormats, Ebony wood trim, unique Stone or Camel seats with black leather inserts and black piping, and stitched Lincoln logo on the headrests.
- AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control)
- dual-stage second-generation driver and front-passenger air bags
- three-row Safety Canopy side curtain air bags
- seat-mounted side air bags for the first row
- energy-absorbing knee bolsters.

Watch out for this vehicle when it roll out in dealer showrooms in your area.

Ford Racing Update...

Ford Motor Company’s racing division (Ford Racing) has recently earned victories in two racing series - the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

NHRA legend John Force took his 2nd victory this season aboard his Castrol GTX Mustang in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals race that took place in Brainerd, Minnesota. Overall, John Force has recorded 125 wins in Funny Car races. In addition, Force will have his own spot at the Countdown to the Championships.

John Force commented after the race:
"Austin Coil [crew chief] has run this track a lot more than me from the old days of match racing and he really knows this place, whether it's hot or cool here. This season has been something. Early on I couldn't beat anyone, including that girl named Force, and I remember awhile back telling Coil we were pathetic. Something just had us snake-bit and we never did find what it was.”

Meanwhile, Travis Kvapil won his 3rd race this season. Kvapil was one of the Ford drivers who finished in the top 10 in the recent Craftsman Truck Series race in Nashville behind the steering wheel of a Ford F-150 truck.

“It was pretty awesome. It took our K&N Ford half the race to get the track position and the right adjustment in it. We started practice yesterday and really weren’t any good. I expected to come here to be a contender. This is the truck we won with in Michigan with and finished second in Kentucky." said Travis Kvapil after the race.

He added: “We had a good note on it an always had speed every time we take it to the race track. We were 10th or 15th yesterday off the truck and we ran a lot of laps and made a lot of changes. The team really busted their tail in practice yesterday and the team engineer made all the right moves yesterday. We didn’t spend much time on qualifying effort and then got ready for qualifying. We started the race and it was a little too tight, but I felt like a lot of that attributed because to the fact that I was back there 10th and having a lot of traffic. Mike (Beam, crew chief) told me what the truck was doing and wanted to do some air pressure adjustments. That first stop, we made an air pressure adjustment off the tires and really lift the truck up and really brought it to life. The lap times we could run in the long haul were just amazing, we were three-tenths better than everybody and my truck was just driving good and we didn’t make any adjustments on the second stop… just made a fuel run.”

Other Ford Racing drivers also performed well in their respective racing series like Robby Gordon (top Ford driver in the recent NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race) and Matt Kenseth, who was the leading Ford driver in the recent NASCAR Busch Series race in Watkins Glen.

Ford to Conduct Research on Alternative Fuel Systems, Says DOE

Ford Motor Company has been recently chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a research regarding flex fuel engines that are capable of running with E85 and clean diesel fuels. Ford will do the research in conjunction with the Michigan State University (MSU). Ford and MSU will focus on improving the flexible-fuel engines in day to day applications.

Ford has received a total of $4.5 million from DOE to fund the research. In fact, DOE will put up 21.5 million to finance 11 cost-shared research and development projects here in the US. Two of these 11 research projects were given to Ford. DOE gave the Dearborn-based automaker with $3.2 million for the research on improving flexible-fuel engines, and $1.3 million for a research project that focus on diesel-boosting technologies to improve the efficiency and performance of advanced clean combustion diesel engines.

Ford was pleased with this announcement. According to Sue Cischke, Ford's senior vice president Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering: “We are very excited about this news. As a leader in both flexible fuel and hybrid technology, Ford is the ideal company to be involved with this research.”

Cischke continued: “In addition to hybrids and flexible fuel vehicles, Ford is committed to the development of other advanced alternative fuel technologies, including clean diesel, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen. This research grant will help us further develop technologies designed
to help reduce this nation's dependence on imported oil.”

Well, we should support this kind of research and hope that this will contribute in the development of alternative fuel powertrain system.

Ford Racing: Marcos Ambrose Preview

Ford racing teams and drivers for the NASCAR Nextel Cup series are quite unlucky these past races. In the recent race in Pocono, no driver made it into the podium or even in the top 10 slot. Too bad for Ford Racing drivers in Nextel Cup.

Anyway, let us first forget about the NASCAR Nextel Cup series, shall we? Let us take some time to visit the NASCAR Busch series this time.
Marcos Ambrose, the driver of the No. 59 Kingsford Ford Fusion now prepares for the upcoming race at Watkins Glen International in New York.

Here is what Marcos Ambrose has to say about the upcoming race.

“I think Watkins Glen is exciting. It’s a historic road-racing track. It’s got a lot of energy to it. It will be great to turn up there and have a great race. I like racing new tracks; it’s a hobby of mine to keep a tally of all the tracks that I’ve raced around the world and this is adding another one to my list. It’s a handling race track; there are a lot of fast corners there and I’m looking forward to it.”

“Qualifying will be somewhat a factor, but this will be about race strategy and staying out of trouble. We qualified well and stayed out of trouble for most of the day in Montreal, it does help, but it’s not everything. We’ve got a good strategy going into this weekend. You’ve got to look after your gear and save your equipment for the last 30 laps of the race.”

Well, let us just wait for the race and see if Ford drivers can perform a lot better in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Ford Launches New Paint Technology

Ford Motor Company has recently collaborated with U-Haul, one of the leading equipment rental companies here in the U.S. and made history by painting vehicles with Ford's new environmental-friendly technology. This new technology from the Dearborn-based automaker reduces harmful emissions by about 15%. In addition, Ford said this technology also reduces the company's production costs. About 200 models of Ford E-Series trucks have been painted with this new technology from Ford and delivered to U-Haul centers all over the U.S.

During the annual Center for Automotive Research Management Conference, Joe Hinrichs, Vice President of North America Manufacturing, Ford Motor Company said:
"Ford will monitor the U-Haul fleet over the next year to gather important durability data that will help the company develop long-term rollout plans for its industry-first technology."

“This marks a big win for our customers, the environment and the business. We have high hopes for this technology based on our laboratory testing. Once we understand how it performs in the real world, we’ll determine how best to apply it to other manufacturing facilities." he added.

So how does this new painting technology from Ford help the environment? Well, according to Ford, the technology uses an advanced chemical formulation of high-solids, solvent borne paint, and the so called 3-wet application process. Although personally I cant understand these technical terms, Ford said this technology requires a smaller and a less expensive paint shop. In addition, this paint technology is cleaner that other painting process found in conventional and traditional automotive paint shops.

Mary Ellen Rosenberger, paint manager of Ohio Assembly Plant commented:
“Painting vehicles has traditionally been one of the auto industry’s biggest environmental challenges. Ford has found the solution. It’s environmentally sound. It’s cost-efficient. And it produces beautifully painted vehicles with long-term durability.”

Meanwhile, Dean Cerimeli, U-Haul’s director of Truck and Trailer Product also commented: “When it comes to the environment and sustainability, we are happy to partner with Ford in this important field test. We believe this is the most environmentally responsible way to paint vehicles. And we applaud Ford for leading the industry.”

Well, I really hope that Ford will continue this new painting technology. Maybe they should also share this stuff to other automakers with no charge! LOL!

Ford Posted Strong Q2 2007 Sales

Although the consumer demands for Ford crossover sport utility vehicle models continue to grow rapidly with string sales, the overall sales of the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker declined for the month of July 2007. Sales were down by 19% compared to the previous year of the same period.

According to Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas:
"We are encouraged by the progress we have made and consumers' response to our new products. At the same time, we know we have a lot of work to do, and July is a sobering reminder of the economic and competitive challenges we face."

But these sales results is for the United States alone. The good news is... Ford Motor Company has earned high revenue with its 2007 second quarter (Q2) global sales. Ford posted a $44 billion income in Q2 2007, a 6% increase compare to the second quarter of 2006.

Ford President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally said:
"We continue to focus on the four priorities of our plan - restructuring the business to operate profitably, accelerating the development of new products that our customers want and value, funding our plan and improving our balance sheet, and working even more effectively together as one global Ford team, leveraging our assets. Our team is very encouraged by the significant progress we are making. We recognize the challenges that lie ahead and remain fully committed to delivering our plan."

Check out Ford's sales highlights for the second quarter of 2007, according to a Ford Motor Company official press release.

* Strong performance in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey, with five segment winners - Ford Mustang, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ and Mark LT, and Mazda MX-5 Miata - more than any other manufacturer.
* Ford Edge recognized as "Highest-Ranked Midsize MAV" in the J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.
* Fifth consecutive year of improved manufacturing productivity as measured by the Harbour Report North America 2007.
* Ford Edge the best-selling mid-size crossover in second quarter.
* Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus X earned five-star crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
* Ford earned the most Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the company's history, with Ford Edge, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus X, Lincoln MKX and Mercury Sable taking top honors.
* Strong Ford Europe sales - up about 5 percent in first half of 2007.
* Record Land Rover sales - up 8 percent in first half of 2007.
* Ford China sales up 22 percent in first half of 2007.
* Achieved $1.1 billion in cost savings in first half 2007, including $600 million in the second quarter.
* Reduced North America personnel by 6,400 in the second quarter.
* Completed sale of Automobile Protection Corporation (APCO) and Aston Martin.

[source: Ford]