on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Preserving automotive history costs big bucks

$1.8 million is spent each year to maintain GM's fleet of 600 production and concept cars.
When at least two of the Detroit Three were on the verge of death a few years back, one of the tough questions that was asked of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler execs - outside of why execs were still taking private planes to meetings - was why each company maintained huge archives of old production and concept vehicles. GM, for example, had an 1,100-vehicle collection when talk of a federal bailout began.

Watch how Ford torture-tested the 2015 F-150

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck in the United States for the past 37 years, and the best-selling vehicle outright for the past 32. That's quite a legacy, and thus, it's no surprise that Ford worked super-duper-extra hard on creating the all-new, aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year.
During an event at the company's headquarters in Dearborn, MI this week, we were able to see all of the ways that Ford endurance tests, not just the new F-150, but all of its vehicles. From examining things like light exposure to interior materials and paint finishes, to making sure that corrosion absolutely does not happen when steel components come in contact with aluminum panels in the new truck. The goal: ensure that the new F-150 is nothing short of "Built Ford Tough."
But that's only a small part of the story. Of course, the new F-150 has to be able to withstand whatever a pickup buyer might throw at it - and truck buyers arguably demand the most from their vehicles. So in an effort to convey just what the new F-150 had to go through before being given the final go-ahead, Ford has released a series of videos, showing how its new halo truck was indeed torture tested.

This 2,000-hp Mustang is in serious need of wheelie bars

The Ford Mustang on the right is drag racing with the standard technique. The Mustang on the left, driven by David Measell, is using a new "rear bumper only" technique that evidently surprised everyone at the South Georgia Motorsports Park strip - including Measell.
Measell said his outfit just bought the car the week before the event, noting that it has more than 2,000 horsepower. Speaking of his "flying" run, Measell said, "We turned it up to dip on down," by which he meant they turned up the power in order to get his time down. Turns out all that power and all that traction sent the nose straight up into the air almost as soon as the race began.
He told an interviewer afterward that this was his first race in a "regular car" since he normally drives a pro-mod. "I like my wheelie bars," he concluded. You can see how he got there in the video below.