mustang84

FORD CROSSOVERS CONTINUE TO SHINE IN JULY; OVERALL SALES DECLINE * Ford Motor Company's all-new and redesigned crossovers were up 40 percent in July; year-to-date sales also up 40 percent. * Overall sales totaled 195,245, down 19 percent compared with a year ago; daily rental sales were down 57 percent and sales to individual retail customers were down 17 percent. * Lincoln registers tenth month in a row of higher retail sales. * All-new Ford Expedition gains for the eleventh month in a row; Lincoln Navigator was up 8 percent. * Land Rover sales rose 19 percent, reflecting all-new LR2. DEARBORN, Mich., August 1 – Demand continues to grow for Ford Motor Company's all-new and redesigned crossover vehicles, but overall sales declined sharply in July. Total July sales were 195,245, down 19 percent compared with a year ago. Sales to daily rental companies were down 57 percent and sales to individual retail customers were down 17 percent. The company's crossover utility vehicle sales were up 40 percent in July and year-to-date – the largest increase of any major manufacturer. "We are encouraged by the progress we have made and consumers' response to our new products," said Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas. "At the same time, we know we have a lot of work to do, and July is a sobering reminder of the economic and competitive challenges we face." In July, Ford Edge sales were 9,096 and Lincoln MKX sales were 2,870. Edge recently was recognized as the industry's top performing new vehicle in J.D. Power and Associates' 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL). Sales for the redesigned 2008 model Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner crossovers were higher in July. Escape sales were 12,440, and Mariner sales were 2,534, both up 2 percent compared with a year ago. Sales for the new Ford Expedition (up 22 percent) and Lincoln Navigator (up 8 percent) also were higher than a year ago. Expedition sales were up for the eleventh consecutive month. The Lincoln brand posted its tenth month in a row of higher retail sales (although total sales were lower reflecting lower fleet sales). In the first six months of 2007, Lincoln sales were 15 percent higher than the same period a year ago – the largest increase of any luxury brand. Lincoln’s rebound reflects the new Lincoln MKX crossover, the new Lincoln MKZ sedan and the redesigned Navigator. Land Rover dealers reported a 19 percent sales increase in July, reflecting the addition of the all-new LR2 crossover. FORD MOTOR COMPANY JULY 2007 U.S. SALES July Month % July CYTD % ---------- --------- 2007 2006 Change 2007 2006 Change ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ------ Sales By Brand Ford 160,590 199,735 -19.6 1,285,606 1,492,364 -13.9 Mercury 10,852 16,635 -34.8 106,044 117,884 -10.0 Lincoln 8,929 9,125 -2.1 82,262 73,153 12.5 Jaguar 1,136 1,997 -43.1 9,597 13,646 -29.7 Volvo 9,549 10,323 -7.5 63,357 69,415 -8.7 Land Rover 4,189 3,524 18.9 27,031 26,387 2.4 ----- ------ ------ ------ Total Ford Motor Company 195,245 241,339 -19.1 1,573,897 1,792,849 -12.2 Memo: Cars and Trucks Cars 60,088 89,395 -32.8 527,310 689,329 -23.5 Trucks 135,157 151,944 -11.0 1,046,587 1,103,520 -5.2 ------- ------- --------- --------- Total Ford Motor Company 195,245 241,339 -19.1 1,573,897 1,792,849 -12.2 FORD BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES July Month % July CYTD % ---------- --------- 2007 2006 Change 2007 2006 Change ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ------ Crown Victoria 3,117 5,441 -42.7 39,328 41,551 -5.4 Taurus (New) 3,907 0 NA 9,868 0 NA Five Hundred 2,256 7,881 -71.4 32,565 55,982 -41.8 Fusion 9,347 13,612 -31.3 88,042 84,701 3.9 Focus 13,144 14,712 -10.7 109,876 111,108 -1.1 Mustang 10,684 13,711 -22.1 88,025 100,995 -12.8 Taurus (Old) 0 8,217 -100.0 0 111,922 -100.0 Thunderbird 0 0 NA 0 469 -100.0 GT 0 147 -100.0 231 1,222 -81.1 -- --- --- ----- Total Ford Cars 42,455 63,721 -33.4 367,935 507,950 -27.6 Escape 12,440 12,170 2.2 104,645 101,509 3.1 Edge 9,096 0 NA 67,879 0 NA Taurus X 858 0 NA 858 0 NA Freestyle 1,847 5,580 -66.9 21,625 41,417 -47.8 Explorer 11,212 15,851 -29.3 85,916 111,493 -22.9 Expedition 8,169 6,705 21.8 58,503 47,938 22.0 Excursion 0 0 NA 0 965 -100.0 Freestar 0 3,635 -100.0 2,390 39,883 -94.0 Econoline/Club Wagon 11,210 13,712 -18.2 106,045 104,640 1.3 Ranger 5,662 8,014 -29.3 48,632 57,136 -14.9 F-Series 56,488 68,982 -18.1 411,926 469,159 -12.2 Low Cab Forward 221 317 -30.3 1,848 2,191 -15.7 Heavy Trucks 932 1,048 -11.1 7,404 8,083 -8.4 --- ----- ----- ----- Total Ford Trucks 118,135 136,014 -13.1 917,671 984,414 -6.8 ------- ------- ------- ------- Total Ford Brand 160,590 199,735 -19.6 1,285,606 1,492,364 -13.9 LINCOLN AND MERCURY BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES July Month % July CYTD % ---------- --------- 2007 2006 Change 2007 2006 Change ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ------ Grand Marquis 2,035 5,451 -62.7 33,298 39,347 -15.4 Sable (New) 1,776 0 NA 3,296 0 NA Montego 813 1,810 -55.1 9,531 14,516 -34.3 Milan 2,225 3,490 -36.2 22,071 20,952 5.3 ----- ----- ------ ------ Total Mercury Cars 6,849 10,751 -36.3 68,196 74,815 -8.8 Town Car 1,079 2,533 -57.4 24,114 24,375 -1.1 LS 0 1,179 -100.0 0 7,177 -100.0 MKZ 2,679 3,027 -11.5 19,732 18,699 5.5 ----- ----- ------ ------ Total Lincoln Cars 3,758 6,739 -44.2 43,846 50,251 -12.7 ----- ----- ------ ------ Total Mercury and Lincoln Cars 10,607 17,490 -39.4 112,042 125,066 -10.4 Mariner 2,534 2,484 2.0 22,212 21,082 5.4 Mountaineer 1,469 2,968 -50.5 14,936 19,243 -22.4 Monterey 0 432 -100.0 700 2,744 -74.5 -- --- --- ----- Total Mercury Trucks 4,003 5,884 -32.0 37,848 43,069 -12.1 MKX 2,870 0 NA 19,724 0 NA Navigator 1,543 1,424 8.4 13,602 13,679 -0.6 Aviator 0 0 NA 0 1,711 -100.0 Mark LT 758 962 -21.2 5,090 7,512 -32.2 --- --- ----- ----- Total Lincoln Trucks 5,171 2,386 116.7 38,416 22,902 67.7 ----- ----- ------ ------ Total Mercury and Lincoln Trucks 9,174 8,270 10.9 76,264 65,971 15.6 ----- ----- ------ ------ Total Mercury and Lincoln Vehicles 19,781 25,760 -23.2 188,306 191,037 -1.4 Total Lincoln Brand 8,929 9,125 -2.1 82,262 73,153 12.5 Total Mercury Brand 10,852 16,635 -34.8 106,044 117,884 -10.0 JAGUAR BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES July Month % July CYTD % ---------- --------- 2007 2006 Change 2007 2006 Change ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ------ XJ 290 461 -37.1 2,500 3,340 -25.1 S-TYPE 301 570 -47.2 2,305 4,197 -45.1 X-TYPE 247 563 -56.1 1,939 3,459 -43.9 XK 298 403 -26.1 2,853 2,650 7.7 --- --- ----- ----- Total Jaguar 1,136 1,997 -43.1 9,597 13,646 -29.7 VOLVO BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES July Month % July CYTD % ---------- --------- 2007 2006 Change 2007 2006 Change ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ------ C30 25 0 NA 25 0 NA S40 1,538 2,054 -25.1 12,050 14,298 -15.7 V50 233 341 -31.7 1,750 2,434 -28.1 S60 2,134 2,228 -4.2 11,579 16,001 -27.6 V70 368 582 -36.8 2,082 3,530 -41.0 XC70 966 1,051 -8.1 7,166 7,742 -7.4 C70 424 575 -26.3 2,920 1,686 73.2 S80 1,168 407 187.0 7,330 4,718 55.4 XC90 2,693 3,085 -12.7 18,455 19,006 -2.9 ----- ----- ------ ------ Total Volvo 9,549 10,323 -7.5 63,357 69,415 -8.7 LAND ROVER BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES July Month % July CYTD % ---------- --------- 2007 2006 Change 2007 2006 Change ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ------ Range Rover 1,072 851 26.0 6,610 6,569 0.6 Range Rover Sport 1,317 1,254 5.0 8,928 9,832 -9.2 LR3 865 1,417 -39.0 7,134 9,954 -28.3 LR2 935 0 NA 4,358 0 NA Discovery 0 0 NA 0 1 NA Freelander 0 2 -100.0 1 31 -96.8 -- -- -- -- Total Land Rover 4,189 3,524 18.9 27,031 26,387 2.4 Link to Ford Press Release: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=26453

Whitesnake - Still of the Night

The new Sentra's pretty dorky....a friend of mine has a '96 and it looks much better. And not wanting to be left out, the Hyundai Accent Basically, any sedan with similar proportions as these is a total nerd car.

Happy birthday!

Nothing says I have been stripped of my manhood more than a 1994 Mercury Capri A far cry from this Capri

Most of the above and the Suzuki Aerio or whatever the hell it's called. Plus the Toyota Echo...that rolling breadbox. Get out the pocket protector and TI-89 reference guide for this one

It could also be a mule for the 2035 Lamborghini Diablo...they're both pretty angular.

It looks kinda fake to me. Now, the more interesting one IMO was the UFO recently spotted over Stratford-upon-Avon (sound familiar? birthplace of Shakespeare) viewed by hundreds of people and caught on a camera phone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MJl-YTuYo8

And in true Dallas tradition, it's BIG!

This is a few days old, but some pretty crazy video below! News report View from helicopter CNN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EJ-e_AL23g

Some of my favorite Soundgarden tracks are off Badmotorfinger...Jesus Christ Pose, Room a Thousand Years Wide, Face Pollution, Outshined, Slaves and Bulldozers, etc. Room a Thousand Years Wide is probably my favorite Soundgarden song. --------------------- Savatage - Degrees of Sanity

I went there last summer, lots of cool stuff within that place. I was hoping they would have the super-rare Cutlass FE3X concept there but it was rotating around at the time.e It was nice to see other people as passionate about Oldsmobile.

A car that is basically a waste of $120 grand. The technological marvel that gets 1 MPG better than the regular version, tips the scale at 5000 pounds, and costs $20K over a regular LS460. People with too much money, desperate for green credentials, are going to be the only ones lining up for that one.The whole LS series is a porky sedan for the tech whizzes that gotta have all the gadgets but don't really care how the car drives. Can you say "body roll"? But hey, it parks itself! IS350 is decent, but it's no BMW. It's the only decent performance car Toyota actually builds. You forgot the STS-V, XLR, XLR-V

I wouldn't want to see Japanese car companies pull out either, they deserve a lot of the credit for lighting a fire under Detroit's ass to get back in the game. But it's good to see some of them getting pushed off their high horses now and then.

Perhaps the greatest (and most dangerous) street race I've ever watched....two British-sounding guys in an '06 Z06 take on a Ford GT on metro Detroit freeways during lunchtime traffic. Speeds up to 160 mph. There are so many times where it could have just ended for one of them....just one little lane change by a passing motorist and it's over. Does anyone from Detroit know if this race made the police scanner or the local news? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICLw_Y-WuuI Here's another involving some Lamborghinis and the GT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGk1iFa_roU...ted&search=

Guns N' Roses all day...Appetite through Spaghetti

As long as Toyota and others keep increasing its exports to the US like they have been doing this year, I say stick them with this bill. It's time the currency manipulation loophole is closed for good.http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../707130388/1148

Happy birthday guys, have a good one!

This is why I'm glad I live in a state with no toll roads. If I-80 ever turned toll, I'd just use local highways. My grandparents live in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and you go through toll booths 3 or 4 times just within the city, not to mention Dixon and DeKalb on I-88.

Hilarious, absolutely hilarious. Didn't Toyota make some claim like 100% of their fleet would be hybrid by 2015? I bet someone's rethinking that plan right now!

This guy, he freakin' rocks...check out the solo at the end. He has tons more videos of him playing too. Wow, even better solo on this one...this is technical proficiency

Mike & the Mechanics, yo

I've seen a "FK NADER" plate on the back of a Corvair before...kinda wish I had got a pic.

Come on, with the Shelby at least you get 200 more horsepower along with an upgraded suspenison. It's 15 grand more than a base Mustang GT but you're also getting one hell of a car with actual performance upgrades and an SVT suspension. It's really no comparison.

Welcome back! Where were your layovers?