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2015 Ford F-150 named Truck of Texas, Lincoln and Jeep also awarded at Truck Rodeo

The Ford Motor Company has a lot of reasons to celebrate after winning eight categories in this year's Texas Auto Writers Association's annual Truck Rodeo. Most important among them, the Blue Oval's latest 2015 Ford F-150 earned the prestigious Truck of Texas award, ending the Ram 1500's two-year winning streak. The 2015 Lincoln MKC also grabbed the honor as the CUV of Texas, and Ford was named Truck Line of Texas.
FoMoCo even took trophies for best technology with its extensive use of aluminum on its latest F-Series and best commercial vehicle for the new Transit 250. It wasn't a total sweep, though, because the Jeep Grand Cherokee grabbed the title of the SUV of Texas for the fifth straight time.
This year's event put 60 auto writers in 75 pickups, SUVs and crossovers and challenged them to find the best in a plethora of categories. All of the winners are listed below, and scroll down to read the full announcements from the Texas Auto Writers Association and Ford.

Dodge muscle cars, armored Jeep to star in Furious 7 [w/video]

We're less than a month away from the smorgasbord of speed, stunts and shooting that is Furious 7, and it arrives in theaters on April 3 as one of the first big films of the year. Starring Fast and Furious regulars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, plus Jason Statham as the big villain, this entry looks to be another exciting addition to the franchise. With such a major movie that features cars as much as the actors, it shouldn't be a surprise that an automaker is getting in on the action as a promotional partner. FCA US supplied nearly 30 vehicles for the film, including prominent roles for a 2015 Dodge Charger, Challenger R/T and armored Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. To really play up the connection, the automaker has laid out a global advertising campaign featuring its models. The marketing includes a variety of unique spots with the cars appearing online and in music videos. Among them in the US is a TV ad called Flash to the Future (embedded below) for the Challenger. Hopefully, Furious 7 can live up to all its pre-release hype. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Cars, Movies and Music Come Together as Dodge Partners with Universal Pictures and Atlantic Records on 'Furious 7' 'Furious 7' opens April 3 and features 2015 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger R/T and 'armored' Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Dodge launches multitier marketing initiative to promote action-thriller, including 'Flash to the Future' television ads for U.S. markets and across international countries, and Furious 7 web landing page at www.dodge.com/en/furious-7 Dodge vehicles also showcased in new music videos of songs from Atlantic Records 'Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack,' available in stores and at online retailers March 17 March 9, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Dodge, which has been a part of the blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise since its inception, announced today a promotional partnership with Universal Pictures for "Furious 7," in theaters April 3, and a first-ever partnership with Atlantic Records on music videos that support the label's "Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," available March 17 and available now for pre-order at http://smarturl.it/furious7.

Watch this Jeep Willys return to its birthplace after 70 years

Earlier this month, a very significant Jeep was celebrated at the Toledo North Assembly plant. No, it wasn't the upcoming reincarnation of the Jeep Cherokee, but instead it was a 1943 Willys MB that visited the Toledo grounds where it had been built exactly 70 years ago to the day.
Of course, the actual building where the MBs rolled off the assembly line before heading to Europe for World War II no longer exists, but that didn't stop Italian owner Vittorio Argento from having the vehicle shipped to the US to make its trek back to its birth place. According to Chrysler, Argento's MB is still 95-percent original and it drove 1,000 miles from New Jersey to Toledo.
The whole adventure was chronicled on a blog aptly named A Jeep Comes Home. Scroll down for a brief video from Chrysler and for some photos of the Toledo visit and be sure to read more at Argento's blog.