Auto car sports

In an unusual announcement today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) voiced concerns that millions of Ford vehicles previously recalled for a faulty cruise control system may have not been repaired, despite FoMoCo's notification efforts. The safety agency noted that Ford Motor Company "has been diligent in contacting owners of the affected vehicles, including sending re-notification letters to owners in many cases." According to the feds, since 1999, approximately 17.5 million Ford vehicles have been involved in the recalls because of the faulty cruise control disconnect switch, which can overheat and burn, potentially causing a fire long after the engine has been turned off. "As more of the affected vehicles enter the used car market, the agency is concerned that most used car buyers don't know whether the used vehicles they purchased were ever returned to dealers for the needed repairs," the NHTSA said in a statement. The agency sai...

Styling trends come and go, but if there's one thing that has remained relatively unchanged in the past 105 years of personal motoring: the steering wheel. Although plastics have replaced iron and wood and airbags (1970s) and radio controls (1990s) have been added, the basic design remains the same: a circular ring with spokes connected to a central hub. Some cars had horns in a ring circling the hub (Mercedes-Benz 300SL), others had oblong steering wheels (Austin Allegro) and a few had only one spoke (Citroen DS). At the end of the day though, they all had some sort of steering wheel... except this car. At Mercury , engineer Bob Rumm produced this one-off 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible with so-called "wrist-twist" steering controls. The standard steering wheel has been replaced by two 5-inch, wrist-operated dials, that the promo claims frees up knee room, improves visibility and makes parking easier. Now take a moment to consider why Mr. Rumm is an "ex-"mis...

Alan Mulally, President and CEO of FoMoCo, told an audience of business leaders at the Confederation of British Industry in London today that Ford is looking to downsize its current lineup to 20-25 models in an attempt to "simplify" and build better cars. It seems to make sense; instead of spreading yourself too thin and trying to be everything to everyone at the cost of quality, spend more of your resources on fewer models to ensure a well put-together product. Clearly addressing the euthanization of Mercury and its badge-engineered wonders (as well as parting out Ford's Premier Automotive Group), Ford CEO Alan Mulally said: "When I arrived, it was absolutely clear that we had to simplify Ford dramatically...Fewer brands means you can put more focus into improving the quality of engineering." For the record, Mulally came into a FoMoCo that had ninety-seven (97!) models in 2006. Thanks to cutting back models and standardizing components, Ford has helped bring ...