1932 Ford Coupe 3 Window on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota, Ford not interested in FCA merger

Sergio Marchionne will preach the benefits of mergers to anyone who'll listen, but his calls for industry consolidation may be falling on deaf ears. At least, that is, the ears of those who the Fiat Chrysler chief would most like to bend. Not only is General Motors uninterested, but according to The Detroit News, neither are Toyota or Ford. "It's something we would not be interested in," said Toyota's North American chief Jim Lentz, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Toyota Technical Center. "At 10 million (vehicles) we have enough scale right now to do what we need to do. There really would be no advantage for us." Toyota isn't the only one unenthused by the prospect of merging with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Detroit News also reports that Ford, though it may yet to have been approached by Marchionne, wouldn't be interested either. "We're not a suitor for FCA," said Ford CFO Bob Shanks. "We don't see that type of opportunity as one that applies to us." With GM, Toyota, and Ford expressing disinterest in Marchionne's merger idea, the FCA chief will likely start looking elsewhere – or look for other ways to compel his primary candidate to reconsider. He may eventually find a partner – more likely in the Far East or within Europe – but it may not take the form of the major player Sergio has hoped for. News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Chrysler Fiat Ford Toyota Sergio Marchionne FCA merger fiat chrysler automobiles

Ford to show special edition Raptor on April 9

There are precious few details, but what we do know is that Ford will be revealing images of "appearance upgrades" for a special-edition 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor on April 9. The slideshow will happen during a Motor Press Guild luncheon at Ford's Design Center Showroom in Irvine, California.
Without photos or further details, we're left to wonder about the extent of these changes, but aren't expecting anything too significant given the venue. Ford is understood to be revealing a next-generation F-150 with a big weight loss - as much as 700 pounds - for 2014, though it isn't yet clear if that's the truck's model year or simply its on-sale year. For at least a couple of years, Ford forums have been suggesting changes will come with the 2014 Raptor, so there could still be a bigger surprise in store. Either way, we'll know what all this means in a little more than a week. The press release below has the official details, but for the moment, we'll content ourselves by ogling the 2013 model above.

2015 Ford F-150 begins rolling off line at second factory

Ford needs more F-150s. Yeah, we just told you that a few days ago. The Blue Oval is reporting that its trucks are spending a mere 18 days on dealer lots, following a January that was the truck's best month in over a decade. Considering both of those facts, the timing is perfect for Ford to ramp up production of its all-aluminum truck by bringing its Kansas City, MO factory online. KC Assembly has been building F-150s for decades, and completed a $1.1-billion expansion to accommodate the all-aluminum 2015 truck (as well as for work on the Transit van). Similar to what was done at Ford's Dearborn, MI factory, the Blue Oval spent 13 weeks upgrading the plant's body shop, paint shop and a road-test course. Over 900 jobs were added as part of the update. Combined with the equally upgraded plant in metro Detroit, Ford can build 700,000 trucks per year. "The all-new F-150 has surpassed our expectations – setting new standards for fullsize truck capability, technology and efficiency," Joe Hinrichs, Ford's Americas president said in a statement. "With production starting at Kansas City Assembly, we are better poised to start meeting growing customer demand for our pickup." Scroll down for the official press blast from the Blue Oval. Related Video: KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT COMES ON LINE AS SECOND U.S. FACTORY BUILDING ALL-NEW FORD F-150 2015 Ford F-150 starts production at Kansas City Assembly Plant; along with three shifts in operation at Dearborn Truck Plant, Ford is now producing even more units of the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever All-new F-150 is turning more than four times faster than the overall full-size pickup truck segment; In addition to producing all F-150 models and cab configurations, Kansas City exclusively builds specialty F-150s with 8-foot cargo boxes and heavy payload packages to meet the needs of commercial fleet customers Kansas City Assembly Plant facilities transformed with the latest in manufacturing technology to build the first mass-produced truck in its class featuring a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body and bed CLAYCOMO, Mo., March 13, 2015 – Ford today marks the official start of production of the all-new 2015 F-150 at Kansas City Assembly Plant, which joins Dearborn Truck Plant in building the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever. This means Ford has expanded production of the first mass-produced light-duty pickup truck with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body.