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Bill Ford augments his power by nearly doubling stake of supervoting shares

Bill Ford Jr. has more sway than ever over the automaker that bears his surname, as the great-grandson of Ford's founder has reportedly doubled is holdings of Class B Ford stock. According to a report from Reuters (which cites a newly discovered securities filing), he acquired some 3.7 million Class B shares from an unnamed family member.
Class B shares of Ford stock are held by descendants of Henry Ford and offer expanded voting power to their holders - Bill Ford Jr. now controls roughly 11.5 percent of the total Class B pool. Ford Jr. is also a one of five trustees that manage a voting trust that oversees the majority of these "supervoting" shares. In total, Reuters reports there are 71 million Class B shares that account for 40 percent of the voting power in the company, despite making up just 2 percent of the total volume of all Ford stock.
Ford Jr. served as Ford's CEO until 2006, when he stepped down to hire and make space for current CEO, Alan Mulally. The move to consolidate Ford family voting power, at least somewhat, is seen by many as a comforting sign with Mulally's departure from the company likely to happen in the next several years.

Signature Edition Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake to get limited production run

The upcoming Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang keeps grabbing a horde of headlines thanks in no small part to the pony car's 5.2-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft, magnetic dampers and other go-fast goodies. However, as the new contender enters the ring, Shelby American is saying goodbye to the old GT500 and the company's even more powerful Super Snake version with its new Signature Edition model. Limited to a total of 50 conversions on 2007-2014 coupe or convertible GT500s, the Shelby American Signature Edition packages some of buyers' most common choices into a single vehicle with a few extra touches, as well. The heart of it all is a 3.6-liter Kenne Bell supercharger to replace the V8's standard blower and take power up to a claimed 850 horsepower for the latest models. To keep things running at the proper temp, the mill gets an upgraded radiator, heat exchanger and aluminum cooling tanks, too. The rear brakes are also improved to slow this stallion down. In addition to the boosted power, buyers get some extra style. These special Super Snakes are available in all of the colors available on them from Ford, plus a range of shades for the stripe, and the wide body package can also be added as an additional option. The limited version wears 20-inch forged wheels from Weld that are 9.5-inches wide at the front and 10.5-inches at the rear and feature Signature Edition center caps. Inside, there's a commemorative badge with Shelby's signature on the airbag cover and Signature Edition floor mats. Finally, customers get a day training at the track to learn how to control this beast as part of the package. Orders for the Signature Edition are being accepted through January 31, 2015, and the modded model is priced at $44,995.00, which is in addition to the price of the stock GT500. Read below for Shelby American's full announcement of this limited Mustang. SHELBY AMERICAN'S SIGNATURE EDITION GT500 SUPER SNAKE PACKAGES TO HONOR FINAL 2007-2014 MODEL YEAR CARS NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · Shelby American to offer 50 total Signature Edition Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snakes · Special badging and stripe colors offered for every model year for first time in history · Offer expires January 31, 2015 LAS VEGAS – Dec. 20, 2014 –Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI:PK), has unveiled a Signature Edition Super Snake package to honor the end of production for the current generation Ford Shelby GT500.

Ford Recalling 70k Escape and Mariner Hybrids for cooling issue

Ford is recalling about 70,209 examples of the 2005-2008 Ford Escape Hybrid and the 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid because the cooling pumps for their hybrid systems could fail.
According to the company's defect notice, it's possible for the original "Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump" to wear out and fail, which would could cause the hybrid system to overheat. If this happens, the vehicle goes into a safety mode that takes away most or all of its power. However, braking and steering still operate normally. After cooling down, the affected models restart normally. The company says that it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem.
Ford will begin repairing the vehicles in late October, and dealers will be installing improved, brushless pumps on the affected models at no charge to owners. If drivers had their pumps fail before this recall, they can contact Ford for a possible reimbursement. Scroll down to read the recall announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or download the full defect notice as a PDF, here.