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Ford hiring 800 more salaried workers than originally expected

Ford is on a roll this year, with excellent quarterly earnings and better-than-expected vehicle sales leading to 800 more job opportunities with the Blue Oval. In January, Ford announced that it wanted to hire 2,200 salaried employees, but, since then, that figure has been revised to 3,000, representing a 36-percent increase over original projections. About 1,500 of those jobs remain, 80 percent of which are technical professional positions.
"Engineers and technical professionals are in as much demand as our cars, trucks and SUVs," says Felicia Fields, Ford Group Vice President for Human Resources. Helping to spur this job growth are increasing market share on both the West and East Coast and robust demand for the Ford Escape and F-150.
To find job candidates, Ford is reaching out to them via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, in addition to the company's corporate career site. The Blue Oval is also ramping up its presence on college campuses.

2024 Lincoln Aviator and 2024 Ford Explorer lose hybrid option

The 2024 Lincoln Aviator will not be available with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, a spokesman for the brand confirmed. Lincoln dropped the gasoline-electric option to focus on more popular variants of the SUV, and it's making a handful of small changes for the new model year. "Given timing, the 2024 Aviator is a limited production run and as such, we are focusing on our most popular offering," a spokesman told Autoblog via email. While nothing is official yet, unverified reports suggest that the SUV will receive a major round of updates for 2025. In the meantime, the Aviator will enter the 2024 model year with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 as its only engine option. The six-cylinder makes 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive is offered at an extra cost, though keep in mind that Lincoln hasn't published the full list of changes it's making to the model for 2024 yet. Ditching the hybrid system means buyers now have three trims to choose from. Previously named Standard, the entry-level trim is called Premiere for 2024. The mid-range Reserve and the range-topping Black Label carry over. Pricing starts at $53,340 excluding destination. More details about the 2024 Lincoln Aviator should emerge in the coming weeks. Lincoln parent company Ford is axing the Explorer's available hybrid system in the civilian model as well. But the police version of the SUV is only available as a hybrid, and will continue to be. "To meet continued strong demand for the Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid and other Ford hybrid vehicles, the 2024-model-year Explorer will only be offered with the fuel-efficient 2.3-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost and the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. Those two engines account for the majority of Explorer sales," a spokesperson for the Blue Oval confirmed to Autoblog. There's no word on when or if the hybrid will return for civilian Explorers. Offered through 2023, the Explorer's optional gasoline-electric drivetrain was only available on the top-of-the-line Limited and Platinum variants. And, like the Aviator it's related to, the Explorer is expected to get a round of updates inside and out for the 2025 model year.

Car Stories: Owning the SHO station wagon that could've been

A little over a year ago, I bought what could be the most interesting car I will ever own. It was a 1987 Mercury Sable LS station wagon. Don't worry – there's much more to this story. I've always had a soft spot for wagons, and I still remember just how revolutionary the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable were back in the mid-1980s. As a teenager, I fell especially hard for the 220-horsepower 1989 Ford Taurus SHO – so much so that I'd go on to own a dozen over the next 20 years. And like many other quirky enthusiasts, I always wondered what a SHO station wagon would be like. That changed last year when I bought the aforementioned Sable LS wagon, festooned with the high-revving DOHC 3.0-liter V6 engine and five-speed manual transmission from a 1989 Taurus SHO. In addition, the wagon had SHO front seats, a SHO center console, and the 140-mph instrument cluster with mileage that matched the engine. When I bought it, that number was just under 60,000 – barely broken in for the overachieving Yamaha-sourced mill. The engine and transmission weren't the only upgrades. It wore dual-piston PBR brakes with the choice Eibach/Tokico suspension combo in front. The rear featured SHO disc brakes with MOOG cargo coils and Tokico shocks, resulting in a wagon that handled ridiculously well while still retaining a decent level of comfort and five-door functionality. I could attack the local switchbacks while rowing gears to a 7,000-rpm soundtrack just as easily as loading up on lumber at the hardware store. Over time I added a front tower brace to stiffen things a bit as well as a bigger, 73-mm mass airflow sensor for better breathing, and I sourced some inexpensive 2004 Taurus 16-inch five-spoke wheels, refinished in gunmetal to match the two-tone white/gunmetal finish on the car. That, along with some minor paint and body work, had me winning trophies at every car show in town. And yet, what I loved most about the car wasn't its looks or performance, but rather its history. And here's where things also get a little philosophical, because I absolutely, positively love old used cars. Don't get me wrong – new cars are great. Designers can sculpt a timeless automotive shape, and engineers can construct systems and subsystems to create an exquisite chassis with superb handling and plenty of horsepower. But it's the age and mileage that turn machines into something more than the sum of their parts.