Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2008

 

 

 

• Ford F-250 Super Duty, 2008

Ford F-Series Super Duty, the industry's leading heavy-duty work truck and a mainstay of businesses throughout America, has been overhauled for the 2008 model year. Ford's Super Duty pickup has been the leader in the over 8,500-pound truck segment since launch, offering best-in-class payload, gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) and trailer tow ratings. The new Super Duty, which will go on sale in early 2007, will help ensure that Ford Motor Company maintains its nearly 30 years of leadership in the pickup truck business.

Offered in three cab styles - Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab - and with two bed lengths, the new Super Duty will feature a bold look inside and out, an all-new, more powerful, state-of-the-art Power Stroke  Diesel and a host of unique, innovative features not found on any other truck. And the line of Ford Super Duty trucks has been expanded for 2008, with an even more capable workhorse: the new F-450 pickup.

Ford's Super Duty set the standard in the over 8,500-pound truck segment when it was launched in 1998 as a 1999 model. Unlike competitors who simply modify their existing light-duty trucks, Super Duty utilizes its own unique architecture, designed and developed specifically to meet the needs and demands of the over 8,500-pound truck customer. This unique approach, with two dedicated architectures, is just one reason why the Ford F-Series has been America's best-selling truck for 29 years and why Super Duty has dominated its segment, outperforming and outselling the competition every year since launch.

For true truck customers, Super Duty is their life-blood, serving the multifaceted aspects of their lives. Whether towing a backhoe to the construction site or towing a boat to the lake, they demand a truck that is capable and dependable. Super Duty consistently meets those needs.

All-new F-450 pickup adds capability for customers who demand the most
Today's Super Duty customers are consistently searching for more capability. Ford research has shown that more than 90 percent of Super Duty owners tow, and their towing needs are growing. To meet that need, Ford is introducing the new F-450 pickup model. It combines the right axle, right powertrain, and right suspension to manage the loads of pulling a heavier trailer while maintaining a refined, comfortable ride.

The F-450 pickup rides on its own unique chassis. It incorporates a new rear leaf-spring suspension while u sing the radius arm front suspension from the F-450 chassis cab. This set-up provides for the tightest turning radius in its class, greatly improving maneuverability when towing.


According to a study by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), towable RV shipments have grown steadily over the past five years, topping out at 323,000 units shipped in 2005, a 15.4 percent increase over 2004. In the same time frame, conventional motor coaches experienced a decline in sales, with shipments of the Type A variety down 18.1 percent in 2005.

The RVIA says that higher fuel prices and a desire for more flexibility are driving customers out of conventional motor coaches and into towable travel trailers and fifth wheels. And as these customers move to towable trailers, they will still expect to have the same level of luxury features - such as tile floors, granite countertops and big-screen TVs - as they had in their motor coaches. For example, almost 90 percent of fifth-wheel RVs shipped in 2005 had at least one fold-out room, according to RVIA data.

The 2007 F-350 Super Duty already offered best-in-class maximum payload of 5,800 pounds and maximum towing capacity of 19,200 pounds. The new 2008 F-450 pickup widens the capability gap, offering a maximum payload of more than 6,000 pounds and towing capacity of more than 24,000 pounds - a 5,000-pound increase over the class-leading F-350. All of this added capability comes with the same increased level of refinement found in the new F-250 and F-350.

All-new 6.4-liter Power Stroke ® Diesel is cleaner, quieter and more powerful
A more powerful 6.4-liter Power Stroke ® Diesel joins a powertrain lineup that already includes the segment's most powerful gasoline engine, the 362-horsepower 6.8-liter V-10 Triton.

Annual U.S. diesel truck registrations have increased to more than 500,000 a year from about 400,000 in 2001. Ford has long been the industry leader, selling 1.3 million diesel-powered F-Series pickups in the United States since 2001 alone. Ford sells more diesel-powered pickup trucks annually than Chevrolet and Dodge combined. Nearly three-quarters of all Ford Super Duty trucks sold are diesel-powered.

The new engine benefits from an innovative development process designed to more accurately reflect how Super Duty customers use their vehicles every day. The team began by collecting real-world data from working Super Duty commercial customers, tracking their daily duty cycles. That data was used to develop durability tests that more closely represented real-world use. To better assure durability, the tests were conducted using the most extreme and abusive conditions and run to five-times the life cycle that the hardest-working truck would ever experience.

The 6.4-liter Power Stroke  Diesel delivers 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque starting at 2,000 rpm and utilizes Ford Clean Diesel Technology, which includes, among other features, a high-pressure, common rail fuel system, Piezo-electric fuel injectors and an advanced diesel particulate filter system to deliver strong performance while reducing particulate output by more than 90 percent and posting emissions numbers on par with gasoline engines.

High-tech, series sequential turbochargers provide improved response and better low-end performance. The unique system uses a small, electronically controlled, smart remote variable geometry turbocharger that comes on at low rpm to provide extra boost at take-off. As rpms increase, the larger fixed turbo joins the smaller turbo to boost power through the middle of the torque curve. As optimum speed is reached, the larger turbo takes over. Tests have shown zero-to-60 times of more than a second faster than the outgoing 6.0-liter.

Transmission choices include a six-speed manual with overdrive or a TorqShift™ five-speed automatic. The powertrains use a new unique mounting system that better isolates the powertrain and reduces vibration. Both two- and four-wheel-drive models will be available on the 2008 Super Duty

Ford F-150 Foose Edition, 2008

 

 

• Ford F-150 Foose Edition, 2008

The Ford truck team sat down with hot rod celebrity Chip Foose last year at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) convention in Las Vegas - the heart of the red-hot $34 billion auto aftermarket industry - and issued a daunting challenge:

Less than five months later, Ford and Foose are revealing the low-slung, production-intent Ford F-150 Foose Edition show truck, a precursor to the truck that will bow in the fall of 2007 as the most powerful and fastest half-ton production truck on the planet.

But right at that table, the seven-time winner of "America's Most Beautiful Roadster Award" waved his wand - in his case a No. 2 pencil - and sketched out a conceptual offshoot of America's favorite pick-up that looked like a true boulevard cruiser with design elements that visually lower the truck.

Hot rod magic
It started where the Ford F-150 Foose Edition meets the road, the big 22-inch original wheels that fill the wheel wells with larger flares, causing the pickup to look lower. Foose also designed and fabricated a custom rocker panel that enhances the lowered look even though the truck was only slightly lowered.

Wide, bold racing stripes further accentuate the planted stance. They start at the leading edge of the hood, helping to flatten it out. The striping thins out, stretches down over the front fenders, and runs the length of the vehicle above the door handles and across the tailgate for a streamlined look from the side. Then it widens again at the tailgate for an exclamation mark.

The process was easier than it sounds, Foose says, because he had a great canvas - the Ford F-150 - to work with. It was also a labor of love. Chip Foose's personal primary ride is a souped-up 2005 Ford F-150 Lariat.

Ford engineers then took over by first creating computer renderings of Foose's sketches. "Chip sketches on paper; he doesn't like to use computers," says Karen Gietzen-Stewart, business strategy manager, Ford Advanced Product Creation.
The Ford truck team analyzed these renderings to ensure the Ford F-150's tough images was maintained. A concept truck was built and then, in early 2007, Foose flew to Detroit where he made final finishing adjustments to the design.

Foose touches are carried into the interior, with Chip Foose signature headrests and floor mats. A unique, leather-wrapped center console features a Foose-designed serialization plate with vehicle identification number (VIN) and build-sequence numbers mounted on the ashtray door.
To match its muscular look, the Ford F-150 Foose Edition is the most powerful and fastest half-ton truck on the market. The intercooled, supercharged Triton® V-8 pumps out 450 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 500 pounds-foot of torque at 4,000 rpm.

Ford F-150 leads huge customization industry
The Ford F-150 was named the "most accessory friendly pick-up" by SEMA, the trade group that keeps tabs on the aftermarket - an industry that has grown eight to 10 percent the past 10 years. Customers also prefer the Ford F-150 for personalization as they currently spend nearly $1,700 each to customize it - more than double the rate in 2004 and more than any other competitive truck.

Ford's overall customization business grew 50 percent in 2006, far outpacing all other automakers, and is expected to double by 2008. This growth has been driven by full factory-customized vehicles - such as the Harley-Davidson™ and FX2 Sport F-150 model - versus individual parts sales.

The Ford F-150 already offers the most models and configurations - five series and 60 major variations - of any half-ton truck. Ford also continues its long-time truck heritage of building specialized models to appeal to the growing number of niche customers. Poore says the F-150 has led the trend of pickups going mainstream.
The 2008 Ford F-150 Foose Edition will begin life as an FX2 Sport model from the Kansas City Assembly Plant. The unique Foose elements will be customized at a modification center before being shipped to Ford dealers. The truck will go on sale by early 2008.

Foose's quick ascent
Ask his fellow auto designers and fans - from J Mays to Jay Leno - about Chip Foose's artistic style and you'll hear the words "clean" and "minimal styling" a lot.

But it was a chance meeting with famed Tucker and former Ford Motor Company designer Alex Tremulus that inspired Chip to attend the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, from which he graduated with honors in 1990.
Working for several designers and fabricators in the 1990s, Foose was instrumental in designing and building signature street rods, customs, studio vehicles and show cars for such films as Blade Runner, Robo Cop and Gone in 60 Seconds.

In November 1990, Chip began his association with legendary customizer Boyd Coddington at Hot Rods by Boyd, where he was responsible for many internationally known vehicles, including Roadster, Sportstar, the Boydster I and II and Boyd Air.
In 1998, Chip left to form Foose Design with his wife, Lynne. His career includes numerous industry honors, including being the youngest member ever inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame (at age 33) in 1997.

In 2002, Foose went mainstream when he was featured on the Discovery Channel's "Rides" documentary that aired repeatedly on The Learning Channel in early 2003. The show featured many of Chip's award-winning vehicles and allowed viewers to watch him conceptualize and re-design a 2002 Ford Thunderbird called "Speedbird" that debuted at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and received Ford's "Best of Show" award. Today, Chip and his Foose Design crew star in the popular series "Overhaulin'" that airs on The Learning Channel and has captured the imagination of not only automotive fans, but the general public, because of its humor and humanity. The premise is to "steal" a wreck from an unsuspecting owner and then return it as a completely tricked-out Dream Car.

Leaders of the trade
Ford F-Series trucks recently marked 30 years as the best selling truck in America and 25 years as the best selling vehicle in America. 2007 also marks the introduction of the new 2008 F-Series Super Duty with Ford's newest, most capable truck arriving at dealerships now.

Quick Specs
Powertrain
    * 5.4-liter Triton V-8, intercooled and supercharged
    * Iron block, aluminum cylinder heads
    * 450 hp @ 5,200 rpm, 500 lbs.-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
    * Four-speed automatic transmission

Chassis
    * Wheelbase: 138.5 in.
    * Length: 224.0 in.
    * Height: 70.5 / 73.5
    * Track (f/r): 67.0 / 67.0 in.

Suspension modifications
    * Front tuning: Eibach coil springs, Sachs dampers, jounce bumper
    * Rear tuning: Eibach leaf springs, Sachs dampers, jounce bumper
    * Wheels/tires: 22-inch forged, polished Foose wheels and P275/45R22 Pirelli tires

Exterior modifications
    * Ford Racing exhaust system
    * Foose designed and fabricated wheel flares, lower side and front rocker moldings
    * Unique front fender badges
    * Foose-designed stripe package
    * Foose-designed upper and lower grilles

Interior modifications
    * Embroidered headrests with Chip Foose autograph
    * "Foose" embroidered floormats

Ford Escape Hybrid, 2008

 

 

• Ford Escape Hybrid, 2008

The Ford Escape, America's best-selling compact utility vehicle, has a completely new look inside and out for 2008. Escape now makes a powerful statement with a bolder, rugged exterior design that bears a stronger family resemblance to the Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition. The all-new interior resets the bar for small utility vehicles, with more upscale appointments, new innovative storage options, and improved comfort and quietness. In addition, chassis refinements deliver impressive fuel economy and agile driving dynamics that belie the Escape's rugged exterior.

The combination of traditional SUV capability and crossover construction made the original Escape an instant success. More than one million Escapes have been sold since its introduction as a 2001 model - more than any other small utility vehicle or crossover of any size. Six years later, Escape remains the sales leader of the small-utility segment, a remarkable feat considering the segment has almost doubled, from 800,000 sales in 2000 to a projected 1.5 million in 2006.

Bolder, Tougher Exterior Design
The high beltline is further emphasized by the new blacked-out B-pillars, integrated running boards, available 17-inch wheels, and the deletion of the original Escape's molded-in color fascias and lower bodyside molding.

To integrate the higher beltline, the hood has also been raised and now features a unique "reverse crease" design that draws the eye to the detailed surface. The new front fascia has headlamps that sweep up toward the front corners of the vehicle to short side marker lamps. The new headlights bracket the dramatic new grille.

Refined and Recycled Interior
The 2008 Escape is believed to be the first U.S. automotive application of seating surfaces made from 100 percent post-industrial materials, supplied by InterfaceFABRIC, Inc. InterfaceFABRIC estimates that Ford's use of post-industrial materials, rather than virgin fibers, could conserve an estimated 600,000 gallons of water, an estimated 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents, and the equivalent of more than 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

Escape also showcases Ford's first use of a "top of dash" display positioned at eye level on the dashboard, which shows ambient temperature, radio functions and climate-control readouts. This simple, efficient design puts much of the vehicle's information in one place at the top of the dashboard, making it easier to reference when driving.

Also improving ease-of-use is the clean, uncluttered center console. Rather than the traditional "brick" design for the radio and temperature controls, Escape features dials and buttons that "poke-through" the center console. The instrument panel houses audio and climate controls, a standard MP3/iPod audio jack, and controls for the available heated seats and in-dash navigation system.

Escape's interior also features the first use of Ford's new, signature Ice Blue interior lighting. The cool blue lighting replaces the traditional green on the instrument cluster, the center console, the redundant controls on the steering wheel, and the door lock and window switches. Ice Blue presents a cool, crisp, easy-on-the-eyes light for night driving and enhances the overall feel of the interior.

Escape's center console is large enough to hold a laptop computer, and there are three levels of storage space. In addition, the center console features two removable bins with innovative dovetail mounting points, which allows the bins to be hung from the front passenger side and rear of the console for additional storage.

Refined, Quiet Interior
Engineers made a host of changes to the 2008 Escape to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels inside the vehicle.

The 2008 Escape is one of the first Ford Motor Company vehicles to use speed-sensitive Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), a sophisticated system that helps correct for road irregularities and improves overall steering feel.

Conventional power steering systems use an engine-driven hydraulic gear, which saps power and efficiency from the engine. The 2008 Escape's new EPAS system uses an electric motor, rather than the engine's accessory drive. This new system helps improve fuel economy and eliminates the hydraulic noises typical of conventional hydraulic power-assisted steering systems.

In addition, new recessed channels in the vehicle's roof panel are designed to improve airflow over the top of the vehicle, while horizontal ribs in the roof also strengthen the body structure and help reduce boom noise in the cabin. A new acoustic laminate sandwiched between two glass panels in the windshield and an acoustic headliner also help decrease wind noise. New interior carpeting, which is up to 50 percent thicker, further improves the isolation from road and wind noise.

Compared with the previous model, the 2008 Escape is 12 percent quieter on the highway (30.8 sones to 27 sones at 80 mph in the wind tunnel) and 20 percent quieter in high velocity crosswinds.

Standard Safety Equipment and Fuel-efficient Powertrains
Under its skin, the 2008 Escape has one of the most advanced safety packages in the small SUV segment. Escape comes standard with Safety Canopy™ side air curtains, which provide head and neck protection for the first- and second-row passengers, as well as standard side-impact air bags that deploy out of the upper portion of the front seats to protect the upper and lower torso of the driver and passenger. In addition, I-4 and V-6 Escape models come standard with Ford's exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control).

The 2008 Escape's standard 2.3-liter, 16-valve Duratec 23 I-4 produces 153 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 152 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm, paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The available 3.0-liter, 24-valve V-6 Duratec 30 engine makes 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 193 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,850 rpm. With a four-speed automatic, the V-6 powered Escape can tow up to 3,500 pounds.

Ford Escape Hybrid continues to be a "full" hybrid. This means that, unlike other "mild" hybrid vehicles, Escape Hybrid can run on 100 percent electric power up to about 25 mph, maximizing in-city fuel economy.

At low speeds, power is delivered by a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor, producing 70 kw @ 5,000 rpm and 330V maximum voltage. When additional power is required, the Escape Hybrid's 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine seamlessly engages, contributing 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 124 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. The net result is 155 horsepower with 0-60 times comparable to a 200 horsepower V-6 engine and a boost in city-driving fuel economy of nearly 75 percent. Escape Hybrids are equipped with a smooth-shifting, electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

For 2008, Escape Hybrid engineers made revisions to software in the control system to improve transparency, or the transition between gasoline and electric operation. The transition from all-electric to gasoline power to a combination of the two is now even more seamless and virtually imperceptible to the driver.

Ford Explorer America Concept, 2008

 

 

 

 

• Ford Explorer America Concept, 2008

The Ford Explorer America concept showcases a new kind of utility for the vehicle customers have known and loved for years: even better fuel efficiency.
Technologies and engineering innovations help Ford Explorer America concept deliver an approximately 20 to 30 percent fuel-economy improvement, depending on engine selection, while providing room for six and their gear as well as moderate towing and off-roading capabilities.

This smarter utility concept simplifies Ford Motor Company's systems approach for delivering sustainable vehicles, specifically demonstrating:

•  A powertrain lineup that includes a 4-cylinder 2-liter engine with EcoBoost technology delivering 275 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque or, as a premium engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 delivering about 340 hp. Depending on engine selection, fuel-efficiency will improve by 20 to 30 percent versus today's V-6 Explorer
•  Migration from current body-on-frame to unibody construction, reducing weight and delivering superior driving dynamics
•  A fuel-efficient 6-speed transmission with auto shift control, allowing the driver to select and hold a lower gear with just the turn of a dial when conditions warrant it
•  A weight reduction of 150 pounds for the V-6 version thanks to its downsized - yet superior performing - engine, as well as more lightweight materials, suspension and chassis components
•  Fuel-saving electric power assisted steering (EPAS) and other engine actions that deliver a fuel savings benefit of about 5 percent. Between 80 to 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will have EPAS by 2012

The Ford Explorer America concept addresses how the SUV market has changed in the past 15 years.

In the 1990s, customers were drawn by SUVs aligned with people's adventurous, more rugged lifestyles. Today's consumers are more discerning, demanding products that are capable and flexible - but more intelligently executed.

The Ford Explorer America concept looks the part, too, with a modern, muscular design language that belies its ability to harness today's active lifestyles. Its integrated three-bar grille, defined power dome hood, wrap-around rear glass panel window and sliding rear door give the appearance that this concept is ready for modern Lewis-and-Clark types to explore, from their own neighborhoods to the trail head.

Inside, intelligent features abound, including: single-touch stackable, sliding seats that allow for convenient access to the second row; a work table with seats deploy from the tailgate; and a three-dimensional compass and navigation unit with a topographical map built right into the instrument panel.

Ford E-Series, 2008

 

 

•  Ford E-Series, 2008

The new 2008 Ford E-Series commercial van - America's best selling cargo vans, cutaways and passenger wagons - gets a major makeover inspired by the new F-Series Super Duty's bold new front-end design to communicate a list of chassis and suspension upgrades that increase capability and improve ride and handling. Safety and security is also improved with the addition of available traction control and features such as the advanced E-Guard Cargo Protection System, a segment exclusive, for added door-lock security.

Ford trucks are the trucks that America takes to work. In 2006, Ford posted a 40 percent share of the total commercial vehicle market for class 2 to class 7 trucks, up 1 whole percentage point from 2005. That means that nearly half of all of the commercial and fleet vehicles sold, from F-150 pickups to F-750 chassis cabs, wear the blue Ford oval.

Ford E-Series vans are used for a broad range of work, including transportation of large groups in passenger vans, goods and services deliveries in cargo vans (or wagons) and more specialized applications such as ambulances that are built from cutaway models. The common denominator is that each of these customers relies on their van's durability to conduct business, transport large groups or even save lives.

Ford's E-Series lineup is building on 28 straight years of leadership as sales are up eight percent in 2007, accounting for more than half of the full-size van market after taking 50 percent of the 350,000-van market in 2006. The dominant figures include about 65 percent share of the cutaway segment, including more than 90 percent of the ambulance business in this category. Ford also re-introduced the 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel engine - a more fuel-efficient choice for ambulances that are constantly idling on standby - to the full-size van lineup.

The Ford E-Series has earned its reputation as the backbone of America's work force by consistently meeting customer needs, delivering capability, flexibility and dependability in an affordable vehicle.

Purposeful, functional design improves capability
The 2008 Ford E-Series now looks just as tough as it is. The new design, inspired by the 2008 Super Duty, features all new sheet metal from the A-pillars forward including hood, fenders, radiator support, grille and bumpers.

The larger grille isn't just a part of that bold statement. It also improves capability by increasing airflow to the powertrain. The grille sits on a sharp, horizontal line that defines the upper portion of the bumper and provides a base for the unique stacked, dual-beam headlamps. Base models come with a sharp, contrasting black bumper, grille and headlamp surrounds, while the high series feature an all-chrome treatment.

Up fitters, those who convert E-Series cutaways into motor homes, box vans, and a variety of other hard working vehicles, will be pleased to know the change in the 2008 E-Series attitude hasn't affected the vehicle's critical dimensions.

Power when you need it designed to meet your needs
The Ford E-Series is the only vehicle in its segment to offer a standard V-8. The E-150 and E-250 cargo vans come with a 4.6-liter TRITON V-8 engine and, new for the 2008 model year, the E-450 now comes standard with a 5.4-liter V-8.

The E-350 can opt for the 6.8-liter TRITON V-10 delivering segment-leading 305 horsepower and 420 ft.-lb. of torque. A 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel that makes 305 horsepower and 420 ft.-lb. of torque is available on the E350 commercial cargo vans, E350 regular-length wagons and E350 and E450 cutaways.

Transmission choices include a 4-speed automatic with overdrive mated to the 4.6-liter and 5.4-liter engines in vans and wagons. On cutaways, the 5.4L, 6.8L gasoline and 6.0-liter diesel engines are mated to the 5-speed TorqShift automatic transmission with tow/haul mode.

When properly equipped, the E-150 Van can tow up to 7,500 pounds, the E-150 Wagon up to 7,100 pounds, and the E-350 Super Duty and Super Duty Extended Wagon up to 10,000 pounds each. An available Class II/III/IV Trailer Tow Package includes an electric brake controller with tap-in capability, a seven-pin trailer wiring harness with bumper bracket, and a relay system for backup and running lights.

A Power Take-Off Provision is optional on 6.8L cutaways and strip chassis with 158- and 176-in. wheelbases. It provides an access panel in the transmission housing to connect a PTO system.

Ford Escape, 2008

 

Ford Escape, 2008

The Ford Escape, America's best-selling compact utility vehicle, has a completely new look inside and out for 2008. Escape now makes a powerful statement with a bolder, rugged exterior design that bears a stronger family resemblance to the Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition. The all-new interior resets the bar for small utility vehicles, with more upscale appointments, new innovative storage options, and improved comfort and quietness. In addition, chassis refinements deliver impressive fuel economy and agile driving dynamics that belie the Escape's rugged exterior.

The combination of traditional SUV capability and crossover construction made the original Escape an instant success. More than one million Escapes have been sold since its introduction as a 2001 model - more than any other small utility vehicle or crossover of any size. Six years later, Escape remains the sales leader of the small-utility segment, a remarkable feat considering the segment has almost doubled, from 800,000 sales in 2000 to a projected 1.5 million in 2006.

Bolder, Tougher Exterior Design
The high beltline is further emphasized by the new blacked-out B-pillars, integrated running boards, available 17-inch wheels, and the deletion of the original Escape's molded-in color fascias and lower bodyside molding.

To integrate the higher beltline, the hood has also been raised and now features a unique "reverse crease" design that draws the eye to the detailed surface. The new front fascia has headlamps that sweep up toward the front corners of the vehicle to short side marker lamps. The new headlights bracket the dramatic new grille.

Refined and Recycled Interior
The 2008 Escape is believed to be the first U.S. automotive application of seating surfaces made from 100 percent post-industrial materials, supplied by InterfaceFABRIC, Inc. InterfaceFABRIC estimates that Ford's use of post-industrial materials, rather than virgin fibers, could conserve an estimated 600,000 gallons of water, an estimated 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents, and the equivalent of more than 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

Escape also showcases Ford's first use of a "top of dash" display positioned at eye level on the dashboard, which shows ambient temperature, radio functions and climate-control readouts. This simple, efficient design puts much of the vehicle's information in one place at the top of the dashboard, making it easier to reference when driving.

Also improving ease-of-use is the clean, uncluttered center console. Rather than the traditional "brick" design for the radio and temperature controls, Escape features dials and buttons that "poke-through" the center console. The instrument panel houses audio and climate controls, a standard MP3/iPod audio jack, and controls for the available heated seats and in-dash navigation system.

Escape's interior also features the first use of Ford's new, signature Ice Blue interior lighting. The cool blue lighting replaces the traditional green on the instrument cluster, the center console, the redundant controls on the steering wheel, and the door lock and window switches. Ice Blue presents a cool, crisp, easy-on-the-eyes light for night driving and enhances the overall feel of the interior.

Escape's center console is large enough to hold a laptop computer, and there are three levels of storage space. In addition, the center console features two removable bins with innovative dovetail mounting points, which allows the bins to be hung from the front passenger side and rear of the console for additional storage.

Refined, Quiet Interior
Engineers made a host of changes to the 2008 Escape to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels inside the vehicle.

The 2008 Escape is one of the first Ford Motor Company vehicles to use speed-sensitive Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), a sophisticated system that helps correct for road irregularities and improves overall steering feel.

Conventional power steering systems use an engine-driven hydraulic gear, which saps power and efficiency from the engine. The 2008 Escape's new EPAS system uses an electric motor, rather than the engine's accessory drive. This new system helps improve fuel economy and eliminates the hydraulic noises typical of conventional hydraulic power-assisted steering systems.

In addition, new recessed channels in the vehicle's roof panel are designed to improve airflow over the top of the vehicle, while horizontal ribs in the roof also strengthen the body structure and help reduce boom noise in the cabin. A new acoustic laminate sandwiched between two glass panels in the windshield and an acoustic headliner also help decrease wind noise. New interior carpeting, which is up to 50 percent thicker, further improves the isolation from road and wind noise.

Compared with the previous model, the 2008 Escape is 12 percent quieter on the highway (30.8 sones to 27 sones at 80 mph in the wind tunnel) and 20 percent quieter in high velocity crosswinds.

Standard Safety Equipment and Fuel-efficient Powertrains
Under its skin, the 2008 Escape has one of the most advanced safety packages in the small SUV segment. Escape comes standard with Safety Canopy™ side air curtains, which provide head and neck protection for the first- and second-row passengers, as well as standard side-impact air bags that deploy out of the upper portion of the front seats to protect the upper and lower torso of the driver and passenger. In addition, I-4 and V-6 Escape models come standard with Ford's exclusive AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control).

The 2008 Escape's standard 2.3-liter, 16-valve Duratec 23 I-4 produces 153 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 152 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm, paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The available 3.0-liter, 24-valve V-6 Duratec 30 engine makes 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 193 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,850 rpm. With a four-speed automatic, the V-6 powered Escape can tow up to 3,500 pounds.

The Ford Escape Hybrid continues to be a "full" hybrid. This means that, unlike other "mild" hybrid vehicles, Escape Hybrid can run on 100 percent electric power up to about 25 mph, maximizing in-city fuel economy.

At low speeds, power is delivered by a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor, producing 70 kw @ 5,000 rpm and 330V maximum voltage. When additional power is required, the Escape Hybrid's 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine seamlessly engages, contributing 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 124 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. The net result is 155 horsepower with 0-60 times comparable to a 200 horsepower V-6 engine and a boost in city-driving fuel economy of nearly 75 percent. Escape Hybrids are equipped with a smooth-shifting, electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

For 2008, Escape Hybrid engineers made revisions to software in the control system to improve transparency, or the transition between gasoline and electric operation. The transition from all-electric to gasoline power to a combination of the two is now even more seamless and virtually imperceptible to the driver.

Ford Model A Roadster, 1930

Ford Model A Roadster, 1930

Year of Production: December 1930 (Overall Model A production period: 1928 - 1932) Overall Production: 1140710 units, all body types. Body Type: 2 seat roadster + rumble seat, 2155 pounds. Produced 122703 units, 435 US dollars.

Frame: 4x2 rear wheel drive front motor car.
Engine: 40hp/2200rpm, straight 4-cyl 4-stroke SV, 3285cc (200,5 cubic in.)
Bore/Stroke: 3,875/4,25 inches Compression ratio 4,5 : 1
Carburetor: Ford Gearbox: 3 speeds + 1 rear.
Brakes: All Mechanical
Weight: 2155 lbs Maximum speed: 70 mph
Tires: 5,50x19 inches
Fuel Tank Capacity: (10 gallons)

Ford Deluxe Model A, 1930

Ford Deluxe Model A, 1930 

Ford A, 1930

1930 Ford A

Ford Model A, 1929

Ford Model A, 1929

Ford Model A Station Wagon, 1929

Ford Model A Station Wagon, 1929

Ford Model A Station Wagon, 1929

Ford Model A Station Wagon. Only 5,000 were produced.

Ford Tudor, 1928

Ford Tudor, 1928

Ford Tudor, 1928

Ford Turtle-Back Roadster, 1922

Ford Turtle-Back Roadster, 1922

Ford Turtle-Back Roadster, 1922

Ford Thunderbird

Ford Thunderbird, 1957

The Ford Thunderbird is a car manufactured in the United States by the Ford Motor Company. It entered production for the 1955 model year as a two-seater sporty car; unlike the superficially similar (and slightly earlier) Chevrolet Corvette, the Thunderbird was never sold as a full-blown sports car. Ford described it as a personal luxury car, a description which named a new market segment. In 1958, the Thunderbird gained a second row of seats for greater practicality. Succeeding generations became larger and more luxurious, until the line was downsized in 1977 and again in 1980. Sales were good until the 1990s, when large 2-door coupes became unpopular; production ceased after 1997. In 2002, a revived 2-seat model was launched, was available through the end of the 2005 model year.

Genesis

Three men are generally credited with creating the original Thunderbird: Lewis D. Crusoe, a retired GM executive lured out of retirement by Henry Ford II; George Walker, chief stylist and a Ford vice-president; and Frank Hershey, a Ford designer. Crusoe and Walker met in France in October 1951. Walking in the Grand Palais in Paris, Crusoe pointed at a sports car and asked Walker, 'Why can’t we have something like that?'

Walker promptly telephoned Ford's HQ in Dearborn and told designer Frank Hershey about the idea. Hershey took the idea and began working on the vehicle. The concept was for a two-passenger open car, with a target weight of 2525 lb (1145 kg), an Interceptor V8 engine and a top speed of over 100 mph (160 km/h). Crusoe saw a painted clay model on May 18, 1953, which corresponded closely to the final car; he gave the car the go-ahead in September after comparing it with current European trends.

Unlike the Corvette, the Thunderbird was never a full-blown sporting vehicle; Ford's description was personal luxury car, and the company essentially created this market segment.

Naming

There was some difficulty in naming the car, with suggestions ranging from the exotic to the ridiculous (Hep Cat, Beaver, Detroiter, Runabout, Arcturus, Savile, El Tigre, and Coronado were submitted among the 5,000 suggestions). One serious suggestion was Whizzer. Crusoe offered a $250 suit to anyone who could come up with a better name.
Stylist Alden "Gib" Giberson submitted Thunderbird as part of a list. Giberson never claimed his prize, settling for a $95 suit and an extra pair of trousers from Saks Fifth Avenue.

According to Palm Springs Life magazine, the car's final name came not from the Native American symbol as one might expect, but from an ultra-exclusive housing tract in what would later be incorporated as Rancho Mirage, California: Thunderbird Heights.

1955-1957 "Classic Birds" or "Little Birds"

The car was shown at the first postwar Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. The first production car came off the line on September 9, 1954. It went on sale on October 22, 1954) as a 1955 model, and sold briskly; 3,500 orders were placed in the first ten days of sale. Ford had only projected building 10,000; eventual 1955 sales were 16,155.

The 1955 Thunderbird included a removable fiberglass top; a fabric convertible top was an option, although commonly specified. The only engine option was a 292 Y-block V8. The exhausts exited through twin "bullets" above the rear bumper, as was the fashion.

For the 1956 model, Ford made some changes. To give more trunk space, the spare wheel was mounted outside, Continental-style; the exhausts were moved to the ends of the bumper. Air vents were added behind the front wheels to improve cabin ventilation. To improve rear-quarter visibility with the removable hardtop in place, "porthole" windows were made available as a no-cost option. An optional 312 Y-block V8 was made available for those that wanted more performance.

1956 sales were 15,631, the lowest of all three 2-seater Thunderbird model years.
For 1957, a more radical restyle was performed. The front bumper was reshaped, with heavier sides, "bullets" at the ends of the grille, and the section below the grille dropping down. The grille was larger. The tailfins were made larger, more pointed, and canted outward; larger round tail-lights were fitted. The spare wheel moved inside the trunk again, which had been redesigned to allow it to be mounted vertically and take up less space. The side "Thunderbird" script moved from the fins to the front fenders. The styling was so influential, the later British Anglia bore an uncanny resemblance to it. The Corsair was heavily influenced by the later "Bullet bird" of 1961-63.

Engine options increased, because Ford went racing with the Thunderbird that year. As well as the standard 292 and 312 engines, versions of the 312 were produced in higher states of tune, and even a few McCulloch supercharged versions, rated at 300 and 340 hp respectively.

1957 sales were 21,380, including three extra months of production because the 1958 models were late.
The 1957 Thunderbird would be the last two-seater Ford ever built and sold to the public until the 1982 Ford EXP.