1966 Ford F-100 Short Bed Pickup on 2040-cars

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Ford builds two-millionth EcoBoost engine

Ford's EcoBoost engine lineup is only four years old, but it is growing into an important and popular global engine. As proof of its popularity, Ford just produced its 2 millionth EcoBoost engine - a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder - which rolled off the assembly line in Louisville, Kentucky under the hood of an Escape.
Ford now offers five EcoBoost engines around the world ranging from the 1.0-liter inline-three to the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, and the automaker is expanding production of two of its engine lines to keep up with demand. Earlier this year, Ford announced that the 2.0-liter EcoBoost would be built in Cleveland, Ohio starting in 2014 and, more recently, Ford said that it will be doubling production of the 1.0-liter EcoBoost in Germany. That turbo-three will also be produced in China at a new Ford engine plant in Chongqing.
Scroll down for Ford's full press release on this EcoBoost production milestone, including a breakdown of where all the engines were made.

Ford Mustang pinball machine has supple wrist, plays by sense of smell [w/video]

Ford didn't have anything major to show off at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, so it seems it instead opted to have some fun - it brought a row of pinball machines to the show. Yes, pinball machines.
We originally told you about the Stern Pinball Ford Mustang machine a few days ago, and as day two of the Chicago show is a bit of a slow one, we opted to head to the show floor and get some snaps of the bank of new machines. Not surprisingly, there's plenty for the Mustang fan in each of these machines, ranging frond different models, to logos to a full model.
Take a look below for our full gallery of live shots, available up top. Then head below for our original gallery of stock images, along with a video and press release on the new machines.

Ford cleans up painting process with cameras

Knowing how the bacon gets made rarely entices us and, in the same vein, the same usually goes for knowing about how new cars get painted. But in both instances, however, quality - or a lack thereof - is instantly obvious. In terms of the latter, Ford is showing off its new paint quality process with 3D Dirt Detection Technology to find imperfections in vehicle paint more easily and more quickly.
This process - being performed on the F-150 SVT Raptor above - uses 16 computer-controlled cameras to create a three-dimensional model (inset) of the vehicle to detect flaws in the paint including dirt particles, which can then be buffed out manually. Ford says this new technology cuts down on time spent looking for paint flaws and gives workers more time to correct those that are discovered.
Currently, Ford only uses its 3D Dirt Detection Technology system at three factories (the Dearborn, MI facility, along with those in Louisville, Kentucky and Valencia, Spain), but it will soon spread to five more plants in North America. Ford has released a video and press release for this innovative and unexpectedly interesting process, both of which are posted below.