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Fiat boss Elkann being mentored by... Bill Ford?

Fiat Chairman John Elkann has been turning to an unusual source for advice on the car business. While speaking during an interview with The Detroit News, Elkann said he often asks Bill Ford Jr. for advice on how to proceed with the turnaround at Chrysler. "It's great to have the opportunity to share this with someone like Bill, who has experienced many things and gone through many things ... especially linked to Detroit." Elkann said.
As the Agnelli family heir, Elkann has inherited a long and fruitful friendship with the Ford family. While Giovanni Agnelli built his first Fiat four years before Henry Ford created his first vehicle, it was Ford that showed Agnelli the benefits of mass production and helped pave the way for what would become the Fiat empire.
Giovanni's grandson, Gianni, helped mentor Bill Ford when he was elected chairman of Ford Motor Company. Now, Ford is returning the favor by helping Elkann navigate the automotive industry's tumultuous waters.

Signature Edition Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake to get limited production run

The upcoming Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang keeps grabbing a horde of headlines thanks in no small part to the pony car's 5.2-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft, magnetic dampers and other go-fast goodies. However, as the new contender enters the ring, Shelby American is saying goodbye to the old GT500 and the company's even more powerful Super Snake version with its new Signature Edition model. Limited to a total of 50 conversions on 2007-2014 coupe or convertible GT500s, the Shelby American Signature Edition packages some of buyers' most common choices into a single vehicle with a few extra touches, as well. The heart of it all is a 3.6-liter Kenne Bell supercharger to replace the V8's standard blower and take power up to a claimed 850 horsepower for the latest models. To keep things running at the proper temp, the mill gets an upgraded radiator, heat exchanger and aluminum cooling tanks, too. The rear brakes are also improved to slow this stallion down. In addition to the boosted power, buyers get some extra style. These special Super Snakes are available in all of the colors available on them from Ford, plus a range of shades for the stripe, and the wide body package can also be added as an additional option. The limited version wears 20-inch forged wheels from Weld that are 9.5-inches wide at the front and 10.5-inches at the rear and feature Signature Edition center caps. Inside, there's a commemorative badge with Shelby's signature on the airbag cover and Signature Edition floor mats. Finally, customers get a day training at the track to learn how to control this beast as part of the package. Orders for the Signature Edition are being accepted through January 31, 2015, and the modded model is priced at $44,995.00, which is in addition to the price of the stock GT500. Read below for Shelby American's full announcement of this limited Mustang. SHELBY AMERICAN'S SIGNATURE EDITION GT500 SUPER SNAKE PACKAGES TO HONOR FINAL 2007-2014 MODEL YEAR CARS NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · Shelby American to offer 50 total Signature Edition Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snakes · Special badging and stripe colors offered for every model year for first time in history · Offer expires January 31, 2015 LAS VEGAS – Dec. 20, 2014 –Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI:PK), has unveiled a Signature Edition Super Snake package to honor the end of production for the current generation Ford Shelby GT500.

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.