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Ford hires Wall Street analyst to head global strategy

Ford has hired auto industry veteran John Casesa, 52, as the company's group vice president of global strategy, effective March 1. His job is to oversee worldwide business development and have input on investments in future products and technologies. Casesa reports directly to Ford president and CEO Mark Fields. "John knows business and the auto industry inside and out. His deep experience and relationships will help guide and shape our global strategies – particularly as we challenge today's business model and push to innovate to make us even stronger tomorrow," Fields said in a statement. Casesa has spent much of his career in some facet of the automotive business, and one of his biggest contributions was as the original author of the Car Wars forecasting report in 1991. Since 2010, he has been senior managing director of Guggenheim Partners, responsible for the company's auto investments. Before that, he was an industry analyst for 20 years, including for Merrill Lynch. Casesa has also been a product planning analyst for General Motors. In addition to his understanding of the car-making business, he understands selling them, and was the co-owner of showrooms in the Northeast previously. FORD HIRES JOHN CASESA TO LEAD GLOBAL STRATEGY Auto analyst and investment banker John Casesa joins Ford as group vice president, Global Strategy Casesa will lead a team focused on enhancing existing business strategies and identifying and evaluating new opportunities for profitable growth DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 17, 2014 – Ford Motor Company today announces the hiring of long-time auto analyst and investment banker John Casesa as group vice president, Global Strategy as part of the company's commitment to accelerate its One Ford plan, deliver product excellence and drive innovation in every part of the business. Reporting to Ford President and CEO Mark Fields, Casesa, 52, will be the most senior leader and corporate officer overseeing global strategy and business development. The appointment is effective March 1, 2015. Casesa will work with the company's business unit and skill team leaders to enhance existing business strategies and to identify and evaluate new opportunities leading to profitable growth. His work will be integrated into Ford's current process for driving results, which includes constantly understanding the changing environment and continuously improving its plans. "Ford is a growth company in a dramatically growing global industry.

Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid nab five-star ratings from NHTSA

Ford's Fusion and Fusion Hybrid have both received the highest five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The rating is a big upgrade for the Fusion, which was completely redesigned for 2013. The previous model fell one star short of the top rating, after scoring only three stars in the frontal crash test and four stars in the side crash test and rollover evaluations. The 2013 Fusion received four stars in side crash and rollover testing and a full five stars in the front crash test.
Test results for the 2013 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid were greatly improved at least in part due to Ford's Personal Safety System. The system utilizes smarter sensors to gather crash data and tailor the car's restraint systems to the occupants. Seatbelt usage and seat position are taken into account to ensure airbags deploy with less pressure for smaller drivers, more for larger drivers.
The 2013 Fusion twins also received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+ designation. Read the official press release below.

Shelby American cleans house of 14 concept cars

Typically when an automaker rolls out a concept car or pre-production prototype, it does its tour and then disappears into the company's archives. Maybe it will be displayed for the public to see in the company's own museum or maybe it will spend most of its time under covers in a warehouse somewhere, but every once in a while, an automaker will open up its history and start selling off its concept cars. For Shelby American, "once in a while" has just rolled around.
The House that Carroll Built is moving from its previous headquarters at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to a new facility off of the Las Vegas strip, and in the process is liquidating fourteen of the rarest cars in its collection. That presents a tremendous opportunity for muscle car collectors to bring one or more of these snakes home.
As you might expect, the catalog is composed mostly of Mustangs, but not exclusively. There's a pair of 289 Cobras: the last of the 50th anniversary slab-sided continuation cars and an original development vehicle, offered at $200,000 apiece. At the other end of the spectrum you'll find the 2013 Shelby Raptor concept for $125k and Focus concept for $50k. And of course there are the Mustangs.