#Ford

We've covered two stories today in which the dealership model comes into play.

Ford Performance has confirmed that the Raptor won’t be electrified, with its chief engineer explaining the reasons why in the most direct manner possible. The resulting automobile would be less fun to drive and too heavy to take onto certain terrains. Deep sand would be particularly objectionable, as hulking vehicles that aren’t using tank treads have a tendency to sink into loose surfaces.

This one’s sure to set the comments section ablaze. We’re going to tell you the right way to spec a new Bronco – and you’re probably not going to like it.

First, let’s start with the smallest engine available *ducks to avoid busted u-joints and fake beadlock wheels hurled in our general direction*

Cadillac led the charge into new Seventies-ready personal luxury coupes with their ninth-generation Eldorado in 1971. The following year, Ford followed suit with the Lincoln Continental Mark IV. Bigger and, in theory, better than its predecessor, it was also lesser in terms of Mark-specific sheet metal and quality interior amenities than the Mark III. The exterior of the new Mark IV was very similar to the Thunderbird since it shared a platform and the majority of its body panels. And those similarities continued right on into the interior.

While there is no shortage of digital ink being spilled about the viability of traditional auto shows, it seems that some events remain worth the effort. Witness the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, an industry-only bash originating as a trade show for aftermarket suppliers but since ballooning to a multi-day event drawing attendance from all corners.

In the beginning, God created the dinosaurs. He saw that they would eventually decompose into petroleum, and said this is good. And God said let there be bitchin’ V8 engines.

And God said Oh Crap, I didn’t kill off enough dinosaurs to feed these hungry V8 engines. So on the seventh day, he left it to someone else to create EV charging stations way too far apart in sketchy parts of everything that he had made, and he rested.

We are well beyond the book of Genesis when it comes to electric vehicles - we no longer look to an EV as simply an efficient urban runabout not suited to the open road. Witness the big two-letter badge on the decklid of this 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT - yes, there is a healthy dash of grand touring within Ford’s sporty EV. And, should you wish, a touch of sports car joy.

It’s time for more Abandoned History, where the topic is Edsel and the year is 1960. It was to be the final outing of the Ranger, and the last year of Edsel as an entity. The Ranger had an interesting journey over its short three-year tenure and served as Edsel’s entry-level car in 1958, its mid-level sedan in 1959, and finally as its only sedan offering for 1960. Each of those years saw different styling appear on the Ranger, as Ford tried desperately to save the Edsel brand after its disastrous debut outing in 1958. Even though the Ranger was new in 1958 and heavily revised in 1959, it was all-new in 1960.

Autonomous vehicle start-up Argo AI is set to shut down.

The 2023 Ford Super Duty trucks bring more power, more torque, and more capability to a segment already brimming with strong contenders.

Ford pulled back the curtain on the new Super Duty trucks a few weeks ago, and we’re now learning how super they’ll be. The automaker says its heavy-duty trucks offer the best towing for all trailer types, best-in-class maximum payload, and 1,200 pound-feet of torque from the available high-output 6.7-liter diesel engine.

Believe it or not, the Ford Escape has been around for over two decades. It is currently in its fourth generation, with the current suppository-like styling first blighting landscapes in 2019. Now, the Blue Oval has gifted it a midcycle refresh, installing new engines and a face that no longer looks like a rolling tribute to the noble lungfish.

For your perusal this fine fall evening, we present a first drive from the autumn of 2018.

Since we admired a 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis as last week's Junkyard Find, it makes sense to follow that up with its near-identical Ford sibling: an early-production 1992 Ford Crown Victoria.

With its splashy debut and immediate sales success, Lincoln’s Continental Mark II I personal luxury coupe offered up immediate and serious competition to the more established Cadillac Eldorado, which previously had the market all to itself. With its unique styling different from other Continentals and a more upscale interior, the Mark typically won in comparison tests published by the automotive press of the day.

There are two types of people in this world, those that dislike vans and those who have come to the realization that they’re probably the most versatile vehicles money can buy. While vans may not be ideal for every single situation, they can slot into just about any application with a level of ease other vehicles could only dream of. But there are super specialized variants, with converted campers being among the most popular.

We return to our Edsel coverage today during the second model year of the company’s entry-level car, the Ranger. When it debuted amongst the six other Edsel models in 1958 it was the cheapest and the least ornamented of them all. However, it was still more expensive than the nicer Fairlane 500 upon which it was based, and indeed priced similarly to a more upscale Mercury, the Medalist.