1997 Lincoln Town Car - Immaculate!!! on 2040-cars

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Even Ford executives had issues with MyFord Touch

MyFord Touch is one of the auto industry's more controversial features. The media broadly panned the infotainment system developed with Microsoft for its slow responses and reliance on voice commands to navigate its deep menus. Oh, and Ford executives weren't big fans, either. Newly revealed court documents in a California class-action lawsuit demonstrate the level of venom Ford employees, both big and small, reserved for the Blue Oval's infotainment system. An error caused Bill Ford's navigation system to crash, leaving the family scion stuck on the side of the road in an unfamiliar area. The documents, unearthed by Forbes, detail current CEO Mark Fields' aggravations with MFT, too. A mechanic emailed an image of a cracked infotainment screen on an Edge to one of Ford's top Sync engineers, Kenneth Williams, suggesting "Mark Fields may have been a little aggravated with the system." But Ford and Fields' issues are nothing compared to the woes of the engineers that had to work on MFT. In a collection of emails obtained by Forbes, one engineer called the system "a polished turd," while another simply said, "These poor customers." And after one engineer suggested using a photo of Ford's Oakville Assembly Plant – home of the Edge, Flex, Lincoln MKX, and MKT production – as a background for the system, one of his coworkers said in an email that someone should instead Photoshop the image to read "abandon hope all ye who enter here," the Detroit News reports. Another summed up the problem, saying: "Ford's quality reputation is completely on the line ... another model year with the same crap is not acceptable." MyFord Touch almost single-handedly torpedoed Ford's reputation in widely reported quality metrics, including JD Power and Consumer Reports. Ford responded with a refreshed Sync3, a wildly improved rethink of its infotainment system that is far more responsive and easier to live with every day. Related Video: News Source: Forbes, The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Ford Government/Legal Ford Lincoln Technology Mark Fields sync 3

Ford recalls 600,000 older-model sedans for braking issue

Ford is recalling 600,166 older-model Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles over an issue that could affect braking and increase the risk of a crash. The safety recall covers certain Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans from the 2006 through 2010 model years that were built at Ford’s Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico between Feb. 22, 2006, and July 15, 2009. Ford says a valve that is normally closed inside the hydraulic control unit may get stuck in the open position or be slow to close, which could make it harder to engage the brakes and increase risk of a crash. Ford says itÂ’s aware of 15 reports of accidents and two injuries possibly related to the issue. Dealers will inspect the hydraulic control unit for signs of the problem and replace it, if necessary. The dealers will pressure-flush the system with brake fluid and replace the reservoir cap with a new one. Ford is also issuing a small recall of 33 of its 2020 F-150 trucks in the U.S. and 51 in Canada over potentially damaged spare tires. It says the bead area on the tires may have been damaged when it was mounted onto the wheel assembly, leaving it vulnerable to corrosion, separation of the bead wire and ultimately a rapid loss of air pressure and detachment from the wheel. Dealers will replace the spare tire. Affected vehicles were built at the Dearborn Truck Plant from Nov. 10-21 of this year.

This 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car is very green

Autoblog Green editor John Beltz Snyder asked me to come up with something for his side of the room, so I happily obliged. Team player and all. This may not be what he had in mind, but Mr. Snyder cannot deny that the car you see here is in fact extremely green. In fact, the exterior of this 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car for sale by Worldwide Vintage Autos is rocking two verdant shades. According to this original brochure, it sure looks like a combination of Dark Jade Metallic with Light Jade Valino Grain Vinyl Roof. There was actually a "Light Jade and Dark Jade Luxury Group" for '77 that describes this very car's exterior combo, but that apparently has a "tu-tone" leather and vinyl upholstery inside, whereas this car would seem to have the optional "Majestic Velour Luxury Group" in Jade.  If you wonder why I'm oddly fascinated by Malaise era luxury yachts, descriptors like "Light Jade Valino Grain Vinyl" and "Majestic Velour" should provide key clues. Well, those and the specs. The '77 Continental Town Car was 233 inches long, which is 11.1 inches longer than a 2021 Lincoln Navigator L ... as in the extended-length version. The Town Car was also 79.7 inches wide, which is only 0.2 inches narrower than today's biggest Lincoln. Its wheelbase, however, was 127.2 inches, which is 4.4 shorter than the Navigator. You don't really need to see the specs to notice that length-to-wheelbase discrepancy, though, just check out that rear overhang! Then there's the engine: a 7.5-liter V8. Cool, that must be awesome! False. This upgrade engine for '77 produced 208 horsepower and an admittedly robust 356 pound-feet of torque. It had a three-speed automatic. It also weighed in at 4,880 pounds. Fuel economy? Ah, don't really have EPA figures for '77, so let's just say it was about as green as the Rose's Town Car on "Schitt's Creek."  So there, a very green car. Happy John?