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Looking back on our favorite cars of Mad Men

The second half of the seventh and final season of Mad Men debuted this week, set to cap a run of public and critical acclaim. A decade's worth of interesting cars also made for good television, if you were paying attention. Vehicles didn't often steal the spotlight from Don, Betty, Roger, Joan and the gang, but they added meaningfully to the tone and beauty of the series. We sorted through the wheeled extras from Mad Men's archives, and choose some of our favorites to highlight. The list consists of cars that had at least a small impact on the plot of an episode, though certainly there are worthy gems hiding in just about every street and driving scene. Check out our subjective top five, and then let us know which of the Mad Men cars would be on your list. 1962 Cadillac Coupe DeVille – Season 2 Don Draper's Cadillac Coupe DeVille, all 500 feet of it, shows up in a few seasons of the show, but it's the first appearance that sets the tone. A Cadillac salesman, cut from the same cloth as Draper, asks what Don drives right now. "A Dodge," Don admits. "Those are wonderful if you want to get somewhere," allows the salesman, "this is for when you've already arrived." For a man on the move up corporate and social ladders that's a powerful message, and a pitch-perfect car. 1961 Lincoln Continental – Season 3 The most stylish Lincoln Continental ever is perfect set dressing for the mod show, of course. Though it's interesting that the car isn't cast as dapper Draper's ride, but rather his father-in-law's. Grandpa Gene does what all great grandfathers are bound to: lets his granddaughter Sally drive the big Lincoln while he works the pedals. Generational bond secured, in fine fashion. When you go back through the first three seasons of the show, you'll notice that Continentals show up more than once, too. There's nothing quite like them to evoke the best of the early '60s. 1963 John Deere 110 – Season 3 The only non-standard passenger vehicle on the list, no self-respecting gearhead/Mad Men fan should quibble with the inclusion of the John Deere 110 riding mower. For starters, the Deere is lovely to look at; a miniature version of the American Heartland icon in its green and yellow duds. The 110 appears as if milled from a solid block of steel, just the opposite of today's sleek, plasticky lawn minders (we're scouring Craigslist for one to bring home). The John Deere also has dear ramifications to the plot, too.

Ford Announces Free Brake-Pad Offer If Customers Stop By Dealers

These days, when you buy a new car, it's not unreasonable to expect a certain period of free maintenance to come along as well. Sometimes this is through the life of the warranty, in other cases a little less. But Ford Motor Company is going beyond those deals for at least one part of its cars. As of now, if you buy a set of Motorcraft brake pads for a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury model, you get free replacements for as long as you own the vehicle. The offer is good at Ford or Lincoln dealers and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers. "We will replace the pads for as long as you own the vehicle," said Elizabeth Weigandt to Autoblog. She did clarify that the Motorcraft pads are generally for models from the '90s or newer. Also, to take advantage of this program, a person must return to the same dealer each time to get the free parts. Of course, Ford isn't just handing out brake pads to anyone who walks by; there are certain stipulations. First, the components have to be worn down to less than three millimeters to be eligible, and the buyer still has to pay for the labor to install them. If the model is used as a fleet vehicle for commercial purposes like as a taxi or limousine, this offer also doesn't apply; the same thing for racecars. On the plus side, if you recently bought a set of pads from one of the participating locations, you're still in luck. The deal covers parts purchased as of July 1. "This program reflects our commitment to providing customers with an excellent ownership experience regardless of the age of their vehicle," said Frederiek Toney, President of Ford Customer Service, in the company's announcement of the offer. Scroll down to read the all the details.

2017 Lincoln MKZ is a 400-hp hot rod

There are mid-cycle product updates, and then there's the 2017 MKZ. Instead of just a nip-and-tuck styling refresh, the entry-level Lincoln gets an all-new engine with a whopping 400 horsepower and an optional torque-vectoring rear differential. And that powerplant is exclusive to the Lincoln, at least for the time being. It's a sign that Ford is getting serious about elevating its luxury brand above the recent history of rebadged Blue Oval models. The engine is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, based on the current 2.7-liter that serves across the Ford and Lincoln lineup. With 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, it's the most powerful Lincoln ever. That big number will only be available in all-wheel-drive versions of the MKZ. With front-wheel drive the engine will be detuned to an estimated 350 horsepower to retain some level of driving refinement. A further option on the AWD model will be the Driver's Pack, which adds the same torque-vectoring rear differential as on the forthcoming Focus RS. With the promise of rear-wheel-drive handling characteristics, the MKZ could be the most fun-to-drive Lincoln ever. In addition to the V6, a 245-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo four and a hybrid model will be available. When the 2017 model goes on sale next spring it will be the first Lincoln in showrooms with the new signature grille, first previewed in the Continental Concept at this year's New York Auto Show. Adaptive LED headlights are available options, and a Lincoln logo "welcome mat" projects down from the side mirrors when unlocking the car at night. The view from behind is nearly unchanged, with a revised bumper giving the car a slightly wider appearance. Inside things are all new as well, with a completely revised center console. The capacitive-touch sliding controls are gone, replaced by buttons and knobs. In the press release, Lincoln mentions that engineers gave special attention to the sounds and feel of the switches, but the switches on the pre-production model at our product briefing felt cheap and loose. The large climate control knob clicked like it was grinding sand. We hope the production version will show more refinement. The good news, if you're rooting for Lincoln, is that the rest of the interior is impressive, at least in the top-of-the-line Black Label trim we saw. The front seats are comfortable, and the center console is trimmed in real aluminum.